Tools and Materials

Tools

Materials

Note

Items may be special order in some stores. Product costs, availability, and item numbers may vary online or by market. Paint colors may vary slightly from those shown. Availability varies by market for lumber species and sizes.

About Macrame

Macrame, the practice of decorative knotting, has made a reappearance in the home décor scene since it fell out of fashion in the 1970s. But it gets its origins much earlier than that. This art form came from Arabic countries centuries ago and has woven itself in and out of popularity since. It was a trend during the Victorian era and then again as an iconic décor piece in the 70s. It’s a craft you can do with only your hands, no other tools needed, taking clothesline and transforming it into functional art featuring patterns and shapes made from knots. A favorite creation is the hanging planter. We can help you create your own with our macrame plant hanger DIY instructions.

Choosing Pots and Plants For Your Macrame Hanger

A spider plant in a white pot displayed in a macrament hanging planter.

Terracotta and clay pots pair nicely with macrame, but clear glass or white pots work well too. As far as what to put in them, indoor trailing plants are a popular choice. See some of the best options below.

Spider plants

Pothos varieties like golden pothos and satin pothos

Philodendron varieties like heart leaf plants

Peperomia

Fern varieties like Boston fern and button fern

There are many other house plants that would work well in your planter, too. It all comes down to what you’d like to display.

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Decorating With Your Macrame Planters

These macrame hanging planters are full of charm and vintage appeal while keeping a minimalist approach to decorating. They make great additions to almost any space in your home, especially in smaller rooms since they can be hung from the wall or the ceiling. Bring a botanical vibe to your bathroom and hang the planter by your tub or add a little greenery by a chair in a reading nook. Outdoors, porches, patios and pergolas are all perfect candidates for a macrame plant hanger.

Instructions

Start by tying the long cords into a "lark's head" knot that attaches the clothesline to a metal ring.

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Start with the Top Knot

Cut four, 12-foot-long pieces of clothesline. (Use longer pieces to make a longer hanger.)
Hold the ends together, fold the bunch in the middle to form a collection of loops, and pass the loops through a two-inch metal ring.
Pull the long ends through the loops while holding the ring.
Adjust the lines until they lay flat; pull clothesline to form a lark's head knot.
Cut four, 12-foot-long pieces of clothesline. (Use longer pieces to make a longer hanger.)
Hold the ends together, fold the bunch in the middle to form a collection of loops, and pass the loops through a two-inch metal ring.
Pull the long ends through the loops while holding the ring.
Adjust the lines until they lay flat; pull clothesline to form a lark's head knot.

Hold the long end of the coiling piece of clothesline in one hand and use your other hand to pull on the piece of line sticking out of the top of the coils.
That loop will start to grab the line at the bottom of the coils.
When the loop holds the long end snug at the bottom of the coils, trim the long end to about 3 inches from loop.
Continue pulling on the top line until the loop disappears inside the coils.
Trim the line at the top of the coils just long enough to tuck the end inside the coils.

Knot the Long Lines

To increase the number of lines you created in the previous section, you’ll use a type of square knot. Cut four more six-foot pieces of clothesline. (use longer line for longer hangers).
Select two pieces of line hanging from the ring and measure 12 inches down from the lark's head knot.
Tie on a centered six-foot piece of clothesline using an overhand knot.
Note how the top of the loop passes behind the two long lines being bound together while the bottom strands are separated by the long lines.

Measure six inches down the lines from the lowest group of square knots, gather all of the lines and bind them together using wire.
Clip off the excess wire and flatten the tail of twisted wire against the lines.
Cut a six-foot piece of clothesline and use it to wrap six coils around the long lines similar to the top.
Then measure six inches down from the coils and trim the ends even.
To keep the line from unraveling, seal the ends with a flame.

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How to DIY an Easy Macrame Plant Hanger