Cut one length of cord to 60 inches. Cut five more cords to 32 inches.
Make a rounded loop (around 3 inches wide) with one end of the 60 inch cord.
Attach the first of the 32 inch cords to the circle with a lark's head knot.To do this, fold the 32 inch cord in half. Put the loop under the circle, put the tails through the loop, pull through, and pull tight.
Repeat, adding the next 4 cords to the circle with a lark's head knot.
Pull both ends of the 60 inch cord tightly.
Pull until the cords form as tight a circle as possible. This will be the center of the coaster.
Cut off the short tail of the 60 inch cord and tuck it under the center (we won't be using this end of the cord).
Tape a couple of the cords to your working surface with scotch tape (you'll need to keep moving the tape as you work your way around the coaster).If you have a cork board or macrame board you can also pin the center of the coaster in place.
Step 3: Start knotting
To make the coaster we'll be using double half hitch knots, all tied around the 60 inch cord.To begin, take the 60 inch cord (cord 1) and put it over the cord to its right (cord 2).
Tie cord 2 around cord 1, pulling it to the top (but not too tight). Now tie cord 2 around cord 1 for a second time.
Tie cord 3 around cord 1 twice.
Step 4: Add extra cord
Continue moving to the right, tying knots around cord 1 until you can see a large gap between the two cords.
Cut a new cord, double the length of the last cord you knotted around cord 1. (In other words: if the last strand you knotted around cord 1 is 12 inches, cut a cord 24 inches long.)
Attach the new cord to cord 1 with a lark's head knot. This will help fill the gap.
Tie the next cord around cord 1 two times.
Continue tying knots and adding a new cord to cord 1 whenever a gap appears.
Continue the pattern until you're happy with the size of the coaster. We did 6 - 7 full rings on our coasters.
Step 5: Finish off the coaster
To finish off the coaster, take the end of cord 1 and tuck it through any gap in the coaster and pull it through the back, making sure that it's pulled tight.
Cut off the end of the first short cord (the one we tucked under the center at the beginning).
Cut the end of cord 1 and add a drop of super glue to the end of it, to ensure that it won't unravel.
Cut off the cords around the coaster to a little bit longer than you want your fringe to be.
Comb out the cords with a fine tooth comb or a wire pet brush.