Recently so many cute macramé designs are popping up on my news feed. Macramé is a crafting technique that uses hand knotting to create various designs. Most people are familiar with the plant hangers that were popular during the 1970s; however, more elaborate wall tapestry designs are bringing attention back to this craft. As much as I’ve admired the beauty of this technique, I always thought it looked too complicated to try–that is, until my mom showed me a macramé ghost that was featured in the October 2021 issue of Good Housekeeping. I decided to give it a try and loved it so much that I couldn’t wait to share the tutorial with you!
For one macramé ghost, you'll need:
1 12-inch macramé hoop (I chose silver, but you can also paint it a color of your choice)
2 bundles (16.6 yards/each) of 6 mm macramé cord
1 sheet of basic felt in black
Fabric scissors
Hot glue gun
1 stick of hot glue
1. Cut Macramé Into Strips
First, cut the macramé cord into 14 equal length strips, about 50″ long.
2. Make Lark's Head Knots
Once you’ve cut all of the strips, you will make what’s known as a “Lark’s head knot.”
A. Take your first strip of macramé and fold it in half. Take the folded area and place it behind the hoop, with about an inch of the loop sitting above the hoop.
B. Fold the loop over the top of the hoop.
C. Then, pull the two cord strings through the loop.
D. Tighten.
Repeat this step for all 14 strips of macramé cord. Then, turn your hoop around.
3. Make First Square Knot
Next, you will make a square knot starting with the 4 cord strips associated with the 2nd and 3rd Lark’s head knots.
A. Start by taking the 1st cord and making an “L” shape so it lays on top of the 3 cords to the right of it.
B. Take the 4th cord and put it on top of the “L.”
C. Pull the 4th cord underneath and through the space between the 1st and 2nd cord.
D. Tighten gently.
E. Repeat this step in reverse. Take the 4th cord and make a reverse “L” shape over the 3 cords to the left. Put the 1st cord on top of the reverse “L.” Pull the 1st cord underneath and through the space between the 3rd and 4th cord. Tighten gently.
Repeat steps A-E two more times until you have what looks like 3 distinct knots.
4. Make Second Square Knot
Repeat step 3 with 4 cord strips associated with the 7th and 8th Lark’s head knots.
5. Make Third Square Knot
Repeat step 3 with the 4 cord strips associated with the 12th and 13th Lark’s head knots.
6. Cut and Glue Ghost Face Shapes
Finally, cut your desired ghost face shapes using the black felt. I recommend trying different placements until you like the final product. Use your hot glue gun to glue the felt shapes to the macramé cord. Hang up your macramé ghost and enjoy!
Finished making your macramé ghost? We would love to see it! Share your photo in the comments or tag us on Instagram or Facebook @dineanddigs
Fascinating idea. Good steps describing the process
Ruth Aipperspach