Macrame Knots – 10 Tips For Beginners

If you are a newbie or beginner to the craft of macrame, here are some basic tips to help you avoid mistakes and be up and running in your new pursuit. Knotting is the key to macrame, but before you get going, here are some tips that will save you time and frustration when you are just starting to learn.

1. Learn the basic knots with hemp cord, as it is easy to work with and easy to undo knots.
2. Once you have the basic macrame knots down, use nylon cording for your initial jewelry projects, rather than silk. It’s much easier to remove knotting mistakes.
3. Singeing the ends only works with nylon cording.
4. Make a simple project board to use as your work area. It’s easy to make, and can go anywhere, making your project very portable. It should be thick enough that pins won’t go through, and could be a padded clipboard, corkboard, or even a piece of polyurethane foam.
5. Always double check that the cord you plan to use fits through the bead holes (before you start!)
6. To keep the ends from fraying, tie a knot at the end of the cord.
7. You can use clear nail polish on the ends of the cords to keep them from fraying as well, and this also stiffens the ends, making it easier to string those tiny seed beads. You can also use a “no fray” liquid found in fabric stores to do the same job.
8. Save leftover bits of cording to practice new knots with.
9. The key to a polished look for your piece is uniform knotting. Practice makes perfect!
10. If you don’t have any t pins on hand, use corsage pins to secure your work. If using leather cording, make an x with two pins to secure the cord in place so as not to puncture the cord. Place the pins on either side of the cord crossing in a diagonal manner, like an X to secure the cord in place.

If you are looking for Macrame Instructions, I cannot reccomend this book highly enough. It is filled with step by step instructions, a reference guide to macrame knots, tips and tricks, macrame patterns and tons of photos to inspire you and get you started on macrame in no time at all:

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