DIY Macrame Plant Hanger Tutorial - Bathroom Makeover

three macrame plant hangers hold plants against a white wall

Macramé Inspired a Young Jenny Lemons

I first got into macrame when I was a teenager in the early 2000s. I spent my free time feverishly knotting hemp jewelry, accessories, and macrame plant hangers back in those days. This obsession landed me my first job at The Bead Monkey (RIP), a bead shop in Minneapolis. Working there was like my version of heaven. I was surrounded by colorful beads I could use in my macrame projects and creative older women who inspired me to pursue art as a career. I remember bringing in my embarrassing sketchbooks full of angsty drawings to work. My coworkers poured over them, sharing tips and words of encouragement. 


It was through this job that my teaching career began. My manager believed in me so much that she let me, a teenager with too much eyeliner and technicolored hair, teach a macrame jewelry class to adults! I recall standing in front of the small group of students, carefully planning my words to ensure my directions were clear.


As of today, I have taught thousands of people many things, but macrame has always held a special place in my heart. Every time I teach macrame, I channel my 17-year-old self and think of the kind women who helped me get to where I am today.


Making Macrame Plant Hangers

I haven’t changed my bathroom decor since we moved into our apartment 5 years ago. The way it’s decorated is fine, but I wanted to add some more plants to our tiny room.


Macrame plant hangers are the perfect small space solution because they can be hung on the wall or from the ceiling, freeing up shelf space for other things.


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a small bathroom with white walls and grey and pink tiles

Supply List

I love to make macramé plant hangers because you don't need any special equipment to get started! For macrame, all you need are two hands and some rope.


Materials:

  • Eight, 108-inch pieces of 3mm macrame cord
  • Two, 36-inch pieces of 3mm macrame cord
  • 2” wooden ring for macrame projects
  • Scissors
  • Potted plant
macrame supplies

Step 1: Slide your cords through the ring

Lets's make a macrame plant hanger! Take the eight 108-inch pieces of cord and slide them through your ring.

hands hold macrame cords and a wooden ring

Center the ring on the cords, making sure your ends are even.

hands hold macrame cords and a wooden ring

Step 2: Tie a gathering Knot 

Grab your 36 inch piece of cord.

hands hold macrame cords and a wooden ring

Lay the 36 inch piece of cord on top of your cord bundle in a "V" shape.

hands hold macrame cords and a wooden ring

Position the 36 inch piece of cord so the left side of the V is shorter than the right side.

hands hold macrame cords and a wooden ring

Holding the bottom of the V shape, wrap the bundle with the longer piece of cord.

hands hold macrame cords and a wooden ring

Continue wrapping from the top down, positing each coil neatly underneath the last.

hands knot macrame cords around a wooden ring

Once you are satisfied with the length of your gathering knot, slide the wrapping cord into the loop.

hands hold macrame cords and a wooden ring

Pull the short end of your original V shape up. 

hands knot macrame cords around a wooden ring

Watch as your loose end is secured within the coils of your knot

hands knot macrame cords around a wooden ring

Trim your excess cords.

hands knot macrame cords around a wooden ring
hands display a gathering knot around a wooden ring

Step 2: Square Knot

You are now ready to start knotting your cords! The square knot is one of the most basic knots of macrame. It creates a lovely box-shaped knot. You will use it a lot while you make your macrame plant hanger. 

Split four cords away from the rest of the group.

A macrame project is taped to a table with blue tape. Hands knot the cords.

Separate the cords so two are in the middle (your anchors) and one cord is on each side (your knotting cords). 

A macrame project is taped to a table with blue tape. Hands knot the cords.

Pull the left knotting cord over the other cords making the shape of a number 4. 

A macrame project is taped to a table with blue tape. Hands knot the cords.

Place the right knotting cord over the left knotting cord that is now on the right side.

A macrame project is taped to a table with blue tape. Hands knot the cords.

Grab the right knotting cord and bring it behind the two middle anchor cords and up through the triangle part of the number 4 shape.

A macrame project is taped to a table with blue tape. Hands knot the cords.

You should have cord on the top and the bottom of the anchors.

A macrame project is taped to a table with blue tape. Hands knot the cords.

Pull the right and left knotting cords evenly and slide the knot up the anchor cords. *You finished one half of the square knot! We are now going to do the same steps on the other side to complete the knot!

A macrame project is taped to a table with blue tape. Hands knot the cords.

Pull the right knotting cord over the two anchor cords making the shape of a backward number 4. 

A macrame project is taped to a table with blue tape. Hands knot the cords.

Place the left knotting cord over the right knotting cord that is now on the left side.

A macrame project is taped to a table with blue tape. Hands knot the cords.

Insert the end of the cord from the backside into the triangle part of the backward 4 shape on the right side. 

hands knot a macrame plant hanger project

Pull the right and left knotting cords evenly and slide the knot up the two center cords. 

A macrame project is taped to a table with blue tape. Hands knot the cords.

Continue this pattern for about  10 inches. Repeat for the rest of the cords. 

A macrame project is taped to a table with blue tape. Hands knot the cords.
hands display four rows of neatly knotted square knots

Step 5: Create a Net


Next, we're going to use an alternating square knot to create a net to hold a pot in your macrame plant hanger. 


To create a net, combine the left anchor and knotting cord from one group with the right anchor and knotting cords of the adjacent group.

hands knot square knots on a macrame plant hanger project

Create a single square knot about three inches down from your knotted cords.

hands knot square knots on a macrame plant hanger project

Repeat, creating a square knot in between each group of knotted cords. 

hands knot a macrame plant hanger project

 At this point, you should have four square knots connecting all your cords.

hands knot square knots on a macrame plant hanger project

Complete a second row of alternating square knots approximately 3" down from your last row.

hands knot square knots on a macrame plant hanger project

Gather all cords in your hand. 

hands knot square knots on a macrame plant hanger project

Tie a final gathering knot 3 inches down from the last square knot. Make sure it is tight enough to hold your pot! 

hands knot a gather knot on a finished macrame plant hanger project

My Green Oasis

A bright bathroom four plants in macrame plant hangers

I couldn't be happier with how my macrame plant hangers turned out! I can't wait to relax in my tub, surrounded by beautiful plants. I hope you are all able to create a macrame plant hanger for your home and have some fun with this accessible and relaxing craft. 

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This blog was originally posted in 2020 and updated in May 2023. I am so thrilled with how many of you have created macrame plant hangers from this tutorial!  


Did you make a macrame plant hanger for your home or try out any other macrame projects? Please share your experiences in the comments!


Thanks for visiting! You can check out our colorful selection of DIY craft kits here! 


By Jennie Lennick
Designer, entrepreneur, and lover of crafts! Boss Lady at Jenny Lemons in San Francisco

a woman with blonde hair and a black headband stands in front of a mural
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Comments

Ava Fradkin said:

Thanks so much for these instructions! I’ve known how to macramé for over 50 years but couldn’t quite remember how to improvise a plant hanger. I followed your instructions exactly and it made I hanging that would be for a very tiny plant pot so I started again and used much longer string In order to accommodate the medium sized pot I am using and now it came out perfectly. I never knew how to make that gathering knot and I really appreciate learning that from you!

Samantha said:

Cute! My finished length seems a little short, might try another to get a longer hanger. Roughly 20” from base of ring to the bottom knot.

Ashtin Morgan said:

Thank you for this tutorial!

Michelle Shuck said:

This is the easiest and most relaxing thing ever ! Thank you!!

Christine said:

Thanks for posting this! I do have an issue with my knitting cords being super short after I get done with about a foot of square knitting. I don’t see shorter knitting cords are addressed in the pictures or video so I feel like I must be doing something wrong. Thanks!

Alyssa Cornelius said:

What kind of hook did you use to hang the plants?? I love them!! I have been trying to find someway to hang from the wall and not the ceiling.

Penny J. said:

Never mind that last message. 3 yards not feet. I blame it on old age.

Penny J. said:

So if you start with 8 pieces of cord that are 3 feet long and then you put them through the ring so you now have 16 equal lengths those lengths are going to be 1.5 feet each. But your first instruction at this point is to do a repeating set of square knots for 1.5 feet. !.5 feet isn’t enough to make 1.5 feet of square knots. And even if it was there wouldn’t be enough cord left to do the second part of the project. Any help with this would be appreciated.

Maddie Loos said:

I love this! Thank you for your time and energy. I am wondering what diameter of pots you have and if I should change my measurements to fit an 8-inch pot. Also, what kind of hooks did you use the hang your creations?
Thank you!

Linda said:

Wonderful video! Thank you

Polly said:

Thanks for this :)
For step 2, the square knots, should they really be 1.5 feet long? According to my tape measure (I don’t often use feet), that’s much longer than the ones in the photos. Thanks :)

Katie said:

Just started making this! In step 2, you say to do 1.5 feet of square knots, but I run out of rope at about 10 inches. Also, your picture looks shorter than mine. It’s my first foray into macrame so maybe I’m doing something wrong?

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