How to Make a Macrame Heart Coaster

Craft a macrame heart coaster that’s both practical and full of charm! With just a few simple knots, you’ll have a cozy handmade piece to brighten up your table all year long.

Active Time45

Total Time45

Yield: macrame heart coaster

Author: Debbie Chapman

Cost: $2

Equipment

Fabric scissors
Wooden dowel (5mm wide; or pencil)
Painter's tape (or masking tape)
Fine tooth comb

Materials

Macrame cord (2mm)

Instructions

Step 1: Find what you need

Gather your supplies and materials.

Step 2: Attach the cords to the dowel

Tape a dowel to your working surface on either end. You'll need to push cords under it, so be sure not to tape it too tight.
Cut a piece of 2mm macrame cord to be 32 inches long.
Fold the cord in half.
Attach the cord to the center of the dowel with a lark's head knot.
To tie a lark's head knot, slide the folded loop under the dowel coming towards you, then insert the cord ends into the loop. Pull the knot tight.
Repeat, attaching 17 more cords of the same length to the dowel.
(There should now be 18 cords in total attached, creating 36 cords.)

Step 3: Make the square knot

Divide the cords to work with the 2 center bundles (cords 17 to 20).
Begin making a square knot: put the leftmost cord of the bundle over the middle 2 and under the rightmost cord. Keep a loop at the left.
Now bring the right cord under the middle cords and up through the loop made from the left cord.
Pull the outer cords, bringing the knot close to the lark's head knot, but not tight against it.
To make the second half of the square knot, put the rightmost cord over the middle 2 cords and under the leftmost cord.
Then put the left cord under the middle 2 cords and up through the right loop.
Pull the knot tight against the previous one. This completes your first square knot, which will form the bottom of the heart.

Step 4: Continue making the bottom part of the heart

Take the bundle to the left of the cords just used (cords 15 and 16).
Make a square knot with these cords and the 2 cords coming from the left of the previous square knot (cords 17 and 18). This square knot should naturally form below and to the left of the previous knot.
Repeat the same knot on the right. Take the 2 cords to the right of the first square knot and make a square knot with cords 19 to 22.
Make another square knot to the left, using cords 13 to 16. You can see that this knot is also staggered, going below the last knots and creating a new row.
Create 2 more square knots, one from the center cords (17 to 20) and one to the right (21 to 24).
This completes the 3rd row of knots.
Continue this pattern of staggered square knots until all cords are included. This should create 9 rows of knots in total, with each row adding one more square knot to it (by including 2 more bundles; 1 on each side).

Step 5: Knot the middle of the heart

Exclude the leftmost cords (1 and 2) and make a square knot using cords 3 to 6.
Work your way to the right, making 7 more knots (for a total of 8 knots to complete the row).
There will be 2 cords on each side of the heart not included in the knots.
Make another full row of square knots, starting with cords 1 to 4. There will be 9 knots in this row.
Make another row of 8 square knots (excluding cords 1, 2, 35, and 36).
Then make the next row including all cords (9 square knots), followed by another row of 8 square knots.

Step 6: Make the top of the heart

For the next row, skip the first 4 cords and make a square knot with cords 5 to 8.
Make 2 more alternating square knots using cords 9 to 12 and 13 to 16, for a total of 3 knots in the row.
Now make a row of 2 square knots under the previous 3. Use cords 7 to 10 for the first knot, and cords 11 to 14 for the second. This will be the top of the heart.
Repeat this pattern on the right side: make a row of 3 square knots (where 4 cords are excluded on the right, and 1 knot is skipped in the middle).
Then make a row of 2 square knots below the last ones.

Step 6: Cut a fringed edge

Remove the heart from the dowel.
Cut the cords around the heart to 3 to 4 inches long.
Save 4 of the longer cords or, if needed, cut new cords about 6 inches long. Fold 1 cord in half.
Attach the folded cord to the side of the heart, where there's a gap with no cords sticking out.
Make a lark's head knot, putting the loop down through the side of the square knot and bringing the cord ends down through the loop.
Repeat, attaching the other 3 cords to the gaps on the sides (2 on each side).
Use a fine tooth comb to make a fringe around the heart.
Cut the fringe to an even length, about 1 inch long.
Your macrame heart coaster is complete!

Video

Notes

Looking for more macrame crafts? Here's a few of our favourites:

Macrame Heart

Easy Macrame Rainbow

Macrame Wreath