How to Tie a Square Knot Macramé Plant Hanger
Craft a sturdy, bohemian-style macramé plant hanger using classic square knots and a wooden ring to securely cradle small to medium indoor flower pots.
This guide shows how to tie a square knot macramé plant hanger in 45 - 60 minutes. Start with measure and cut cord strands; follow the safety notes and step checkpoints below.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Measuring tape
- ✓ Fabric scissors
- ✓ S-hook or clothing rack for hanging work
- ✓ Plant pot for sizing test
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ 35 meters of 4mm single-twist or 3-ply cotton macramé cord
- ✓ 2-inch unfinished wooden or metal mounting ring
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Ensure your S-hook or overhead working anchor is firmly weighted so it does not collapse when pulling knots tight.
- • Always cut cord strands facing away from your hands and keep blades pointed down.
- • Perform all pot sizing tests over a carpeted or padded surface to avoid breakage if the pot slips.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (7 Steps)
Measure and Cut Cord Strands
Measure and cut 8 lengths of cotton cord, each measuring 4 meters (approx. 13 feet). Next, cut 2 shorter accent cords measuring 75 cm (30 inches) each to be used for gathering wrap knots. Line the cut ends up smoothly and lay them flat to avoid tangled bundles.
- • Eight long cords of identical length laid side-by-side.
- • Two short cords set aside for the wrap knots.
- • Stretching elastic cotton cord while measuring, resulting in mismatched strand lengths.
Mount Cords and Tie the Top Gathering Knot
Thread all 8 long cords halfway through the 2-inch ring so you have 16 strands hanging down evenly at 2 meters each. Suspend the ring from an S-hook at eye level. Take one 75 cm cord, form a downward U-loop against the cord bundle, wrap the remaining length tightly around the bundle 6 to 8 times downward, pass the working end through the loop, and pull the top tail to bury the knot inside the wraps before trimming excess tails.
- • A neat, cylindrical wrapped barrel knot directly underneath the wooden ring.
- • Sixteen cord strands emerging freely below the wrap knot.
- • Pulling the top tail too far, which pulls the locking loop completely out of the top of the barrel wrap.
Knot the Four Upper Hanging Arms
Separate the 16 hanging strands into 4 groups of 4 cords each. For each group, identify the 2 outer working cords and 2 inner core cords. Tie a sequence of 6 consecutive square knots on each arm by crossing the left cord over the core, right cord behind, pulling snug, and then repeating starting with the right cord to complete each knot.
- • Four distinct braided arms with 6 flat square knots each.
- • All four knot sections align horizontally at the same height.
- • Alternating starting sides incorrectly, which produces a spiral half-knot sinnet instead of a flat square knot bar.
Form the Upper Basket Netting
Leave a 10 cm (4-inch) gap of unknotted cord beneath your first set of square knots on all four arms. Take the 2 right-hand cords from one arm and the 2 left-hand cords from the neighboring arm to bridge them together. Tie 2 square knots to connect adjacent arms, repeating around all four sections to create a closed, cylindrical basket frame.
- • A 3D hollow basket ring formed by four cross-connected knot pairs.
- • Gaps between upper knots and cross-knots measure an equal 10 cm.
- • Accidentally twisting inner filler cords around working cords, making the net hang unevenly.
Tie the Lower Basket Cinch
Leave another 7.5 cm (3-inch) unknotted gap below the first basket tier. Alternate cords once more by taking 2 cords from adjacent groups and tying 2 square knots per junction. Gently insert your plant pot into the netting to verify that the cords cup comfortably around the lower curve of the pot.
- • Diamond-shaped netting pattern encasing the lower half of the pot.
- • Pot sits level with equal tension across all four quadrants.
- • Making the lower gap too wide, allowing small pots to slip through the bottom openings.
Secure the Base Gathering Knot
Remove the pot and gather all 16 hanging cords together approximately 5 cm (2 inches) below the lowest set of square knots. Place your second 75 cm cord against the bundle, create a downward U-loop, and tightly wrap the cord 7 to 8 times around all strands. Feed the tail through the bottom loop and pull the upper tail until the locking loop slides halfway beneath the wraps, then snip both wrap cord ends flush.
- • A thick, tight barrel knot tightly sealing the bottom of the pot basket.
- • Zero slack visible in the filler cords leading into the base knot.
- • Wrapping too loosely, causing the bottom knot to slide down under the weight of a potted plant.
Trim and Finish the Fringe Tassel
Smooth out the hanging tail cords beneath the base gathering knot with your fingers. Use measuring tape to mark your desired tassel length (typically 15 to 20 cm / 6 to 8 inches below the gathering knot). Cut straight across all 16 cords with sharp fabric scissors for a clean, uniform fringe finish.
- • A neat, straight-cut fringe tassel extending beneath the bottom wrap knot.
- • Even cord ends with no stray ragged strands.
- • Cutting on a slant or trimming cords one-by-one without holding them taut in a single flat plane.
Don’t have everything?
- No 2-inch metal or wooden ring? Key ring, shower curtain ring, or a tied lark's head cord loop
- No S-hook? Coat hanger hooked over a door handle or curtain rod
- No Macramé cotton cord? Braided cotton clothesline or 3-ply jute twine