DIY Macrame Placemats with only Three Basic Knots
A simple tutorial for these pretty diy macrame placemats. You only three basic knots for this one!
Well hello there guys!
I’m just getting back in town after a week away with my family. I don’t know about you, but coming back from vacation always sends me into panic/craziness mode.
Our house is a dusty mess, we need tons of groceries, there’s laundry to do, mail to catch up on, school stuff and blog stuff all waiting for me to return. AHHH!
One activity that always calms me is Macrame. It’s a very cathartic hobby for me. I can get totally focused on a project and let all the other stresses just melt away for a little.
So, in case you were wondering why I made these little macrame placemats – that’s pretty much why!
Oh, and I saw a version of these in Pottery Barn (it was table runner) and I loved the look. Of course, I wanted to make it myself though.
You should know you only need 3 basic knots to make these:
- Lark’s Head Knots
- Square Knots
- Double Half Hitch Knots
You can find the how to (and print a pdf) of these basic macrame knots above on my blog.
When I was just starting – I found this video (below) on the diagonal double half hitch knots to be immensely helpful as well …
Things You’ll Need
- Cording – I used like this brand
- Sharp Scissors
- Hanger
How to Make a Macrame Placemat
- Start by cutting 20 pieces of cords each 116 inches long. This part is tedious, I know. 🙂
- Attach each of the 20 cords to your hanger using Lark’s Head Knots.
- Leave a space of about an 1.5 inches and from there make a row of square knots, followed by a row of alternating square knots.
- Continue this pattern until you have 5 rows of square knots.
- Take 8 adjacent cords, and tie a knot with the two cords in the center. Each of these “center” cords will be used as your leader cord. One center cord will be worked on the diagonal to the left, and the other to the right. We are making a diamond shape. Woot!
- Take the center cord on the right and place it over the three cords to the right. Attach each of the three cords using double half hitch knots. Take the center cord on the left and place it over the three cords to the left. Attach each of these three cords using double half hitch knots. You should have a triangle shape when you are finished! Do you see it?
- Now – take your leader cords and push them aside for a minute. You are going to make a square knot in the center of the triangle. Instead of having two middle cords, you will have four! (Watch the video above for a good view).
- Continue making the bottom of the diamond shape by creating double half hitch knots but working it towards the middle.
- Once your two rows of double half hitch knots meet in the middle, just tie a little knot. This helps tighten it together.
- Now – we are back to making 5 rows of square knots!
- Repeat the same pattern three times—>( 5 rows of square knots, diamond with double half hitch and square knot in center )
- Once you are finished with your pattern, cut your placemat off the hanger, just below the lark’s head knots.
- Hang your placemat evenly over your hanger or fold it in half. Trim the other side of the placemat so it’s even with the first side you cut off.
That’s All There is to it!
This macrame project is just like making a wall hanging and just cutting it loose at the end. While I love this pattern – you can make any pattern you want. Make them all the same or all different!
I’m tempted to try just rows and rows of evenly spaced square knots – it’s my favorite knot and they look so pretty when they have the same spacing in between.
Check back soon for a little video for these macrame placemats. And don’t forget to check all my macrame posts for more inspiration!
A final note on this project
Macrame is a really fun activity but don’t get caught up trying to make it look perfect. Some of my favorite projects have been the really imperfect looking ones.
And sometimes I’ve messed up knots and no one was ever the wiser! So if your rows are off, or your knots look messy at times – it’s still all good. 🙂
Xo Karen