How to Make a Macrame Plant Hanger: Easy DIY Tutorial

A macrame plant hanger is a simple project you can make to decorate your room with a vintage style. It’s easy! This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to make a DIY macrame plant hanger from start to finish.

How to Make a Macrame Plant Hanger

If you’ve wanted to make your own macrame plant holder, you’re in the right spot! This easy macramé plant hanger pattern is made with just a few simple knotting techniques – so it’s perfect for macrame beginners. After following this tutorial, you’ll have an original piece of home decor that’s one-of-a-kind!

All About Macrame

Macrame is a decorative knotting craft that anyone can do with just a little bit of practice! It’s is a great way to create beautiful and functional pieces of art – like wall hangings, plant hangers, curtains, and more.

Macrame has been popular in many time periods, from Arabic weavers in the 13th century, to the Victorian era, to the 1970s. So, it’s no surprise that macrame plant hanger projects are on-trend once again.

Macramé has a reputation of being difficult to do, but it’s really not that hard to get started. You don’t need a lot of special tools, just some cotton cord and a willingness to learn.

After that, you’re ready to learn how to macrame. Start by practicing the basic macrame knots. Did you know even the most complicated macrame projects are made of the same simple knots? (You may even recognize some of the knots from making friendship bracelets.)

Macrame Plant Hanger Supplies

Here are the basic materials you’ll need to make this easy macrame plant hanger.

• Macramé cord. Most importantly, you’ll need a cotton cord that’s suitable for macrame. I prefer to use a 100% plied cotton rope that measures 4mm in diameter.
• Scissors
• Small plant pot. I used a terracotta pot that is 4.5″ tall and 5″ wide. Try to find a pot that is similar in size.
• Measuring tape
• Wooden or metal ring (optional). Many people like to start their macrame plant hangers with a small wooden ring. If you don’t have a ring, I’ll show you another cool way to start your plant hanger with a buttonhole loop.

For this simple plant hanger, we’ll be creating the design with basic knots only. For a different look, you could add wooden beads in between some of the knots.

Best Macrame Cord

You can use all sorts of rope to make macrame. Cords come in different sizes and materials, including cotton, linen, hemp, jute, leather, or wool.

For macramé plant hangers, I prefer to use cotton rope – specifically this 4mm 4-ply cotton cord.

I like using cotton rope because it is soft, flexible, and widely available. It’s easy to tie, and it won’t stretch out over time. You can find macrame cord online or at most craft stores.

If you can’t find cotton cord, you can use other materials like hemp, jute, or polypropylene rope. (Poly rope is a good choice if you will be hanging your planter outside.)

Important Macrame Terms

Before we get started, let’s go over a few macrame terms that you’ll need to know for this tutorial.

• Working Cord: The cord or pair of cords you are using to make the knots. Usually, these are the outer cords.
• Filler Cord: The cord or group of cords that you tie the knots around. Also called inner cords or center cords.
• Sennit: A set or series of knots that are worked one after another in a column.

Learn the Basic Macrame Knots

I designed this easy plant hanger pattern with simple knots – so it’s a great first pattern for beginners.

Here are the knots you’ll need to know to make this macrame hanging planter.

• Lark’s Head Knot
• Vertical Lark’s Head Knot. This knot is a simple variation on the standard Lark’s head knot. We’ll use it to create a starting loop for the planter.
• Half Square Knot
• Square Knot
• Half Square Knot Spiral, aka Spiral Stitch. The spiral stitch is a sequence of half square knots worked one after another. Make sure all of the half square knots are facing the same way.  
• Alternating Square Knots. Alternating Square Knots (ASK) is a net-like pattern made by alternating the cords used to tie the square knots. I’ll explain more in the tutorial below.

For more information about how to learn macrame for beginners, check out this comprehensive guide: How to Macrame.

DIY Plant Hanger Tutorial

The first thing to do is to set up your macrame workspace.

You can start making this macrame planter on a flat work surface, like a countertop or dining room table. Use masking tape to secure the starting loop while you tie the first knots.

Once you’ve tied the first few inches of knots, it will be much easier to work vertically. You can hang the planter from a coat hook, a doorknob, or a clothes rack.  

Measure and Cut the Cords

Here’s how much cord you’ll need to make a hanging planter with a finished measurement of 36″.

• If you are starting the planter with a wooden ring, cut six 13-foot (4-meter) pieces of cord.
• If you are tying a loop instead of a ring, you’ll need one cord that’s longer than the others. Cut five 13-foot long pieces of cord and one piece of cord that is 19-foot long (6 meters).

After I cut the cords, I like to wrap the ends with a bit of masking tape to keep them from unraveling.

Start the Hanger with Ring or Loop

There are a few ways to start a macrame plant hanger. Here are two simple methods.

Start with a ring:

1. Hang the ring on a hook, or fasten it to a tabletop.
2. Thread all of the ropes through the ring. Bring the ends of the cords together so that both sides are even, and the center of the cords rests on the ring.
3. Using two of the outermost cords, tie three square knots around all of the other ten cords. 

Start with a loop:

1. Fold the five shorter ropes in half to find the center. Mark the center point with a pencil or a piece of tape. Unfold the cords and lay them on a table.
2. Fold the longer rope in half to find the center. Tie a Lark’s Head Knot around the five shorter cords.
3. Using one working cord, tie 10 Vertical Lark’s Head Knots.

How to Tie a Vertical Lark’s Head Knot

The Vertical Lark’s Head Knot is made by tying two half hitches.

To tie a Vertical Lark’s Head knot:

1. Make a counter-clockwise loop with the working cord, passing it over-then-under the center cords. 
2. Make a counter-clockwise loop with the working cord, passing it under-then-over the center cords.

Tying a loop, continued:

4. After making the ten Vertical Lark’s Head Knots, flip the cords over. Use the other working cord to make another ten vertical Lark’s Head Knots in the other direction.
5. At the end, you should have a sinnet of knots measuring 7″. Fold the knotted section in half to create a teardrop-shaped loop. Using the two working cords, tie 2 square knots around all of the remaining cords.

Make a Round of Square Knots

Divide the twelve cords into three groups of 4. You will be working with one group at a time. If you were to number the cords in each group from left to right, Cords 1 and 4 would be the working cords. Cords 2 and 3 would be the filler (inner) cords.

Set the other two groups aside while you tie knots with the first group.

With the first group, tie a sequence (aka a sinnet) or 5 square knots. Repeat with the other two groups of cords.

This square knot section should be 2″ long.

How to Tie a Square Knot

 A square knot is made from two half square knots, worked one after the other.

To tie a square knot:

1. Bring the left working cord over the two filler cords and under the right working cord. Bring the right working cord under the two filler cords and over the left working cord. Tighten.
2. Bring the right working cord over the two filler cords and under the left working cord. Bring the left working cord under the two filler cords and over the right working cord. Tighten the knot. The first square knot is complete.

Make a Round of Spiral Knots

Move down 6 inches. With the first group, work a sequence of 20 half-square knots.  As you tie the half square knots, the cords will spiral to the right.  (This knotting technique is also called Spiral Stitch, or Half Square Knot Spiral. )

How to Tie a Half-Square Knot

1. Bring the left cord over the two center cords and under the right cord.
2. Bring the right cord under the two center cords and over the left cord.
3. Pull on the cords to tighten the knot. The half square knot is now complete.

Repeat with each of the other two groups.

This spiral knot section should be 4″ long.

Make the Second Round of Square Knots

Move down 6 inches. Tie a sequence of 5 square knots. Repeat with each of the other two groups.

This square knot section should be 2″ long.

Make Alternating Square Knots

Now we’ll move on to the basket or “cradle” section at the bottom of the plant hanger. For this section, we’ll be making three rounds of alternating square knots.

Round 1: Move down 2 inches, and work a round of alternating square knots. 

How to Make Alternating Square Knots

• Take cords 3 and 4 from the left group and cords 1 and 2 from the right group. Now you will have a new group of four cords.
• Reorganize the other two groups in the same way.
• Tie a square knot with each of the three new groups.

Round 2: Move down 2 inches (measured diagonally), and work another round of alternating square knots.

Round 3: Move down another 2 inches (measured diagonally), and work the third round of alternating square knots. 

At this point, insert the plant pot into the basket section. The last round of alternating square knots should align with the bottom edge of the planter. If you’re using a larger or smaller pot than mine, you may need to adjust the spacing between the rounds of alternating square knots. 

Make a Gathering Knot

Now we’ll make one last section of knots to tie everything together.

Remove the pot from the planter. Measure the radius of the bottom of the pot (or the distance from the bottom edge to the center point. For my pot, the radius was 1.5″. 

Move down this distance. Using the two longest cords, make a spiral of 10 half square knots around all of the remaining cords.

Make Fringe

Trim the ends of all cords 6-8″ below the last knot. If you want, you can add a small dab of glue to the final knot for extra security.  

Then, you can make fringe. Start by unraveling the cords with your fingers. Then, you can brush the ends with a wire brush to create a finer, fluffier fringe. 

Hang the Macrame Planter

Now that the plant hanger is finished, it’s time to hang it up. You can hang your planter from the ceiling with a ceiling hook. Or, hang the planter on a wall-mounted plant hook.

Here are some tips for hanging plants:

• Use a stud finder to locate a joist (ceiling) or stud (wall). Make sure to screw the hook into a joist or stud. 
• Choose a hook screw that is made to support the weight of your hanging plant. 
• If you can’t find a suitable joist or stud, use a toggle screw anchor to keep the hook in the ceiling. 

Good Plants for Hanging Planters

Here are a few easy-to-care-for plants that are perfect for hanging planters.

• Golden Pothos
• Heartleaf Philodendron
• String of Pearls
• Spider Plants
• String of Hearts

How to Water Hanging Plants

Watering indoor hanging plants can be tricky since you don’t want water to drip all over your floor. In general, I prefer to remove the pot from the hanger and give the plant a good watering in the sink. I keep the pot in the sink for about 30 minutes to allow any excess water to drain. Then, I dry off the pot and place it back in the hanger.

More Macrame Tutorials

If you want to learn more about macrame, here are a few free tutorials you may like.

• How to Macrame: Get Started with this Easy Beginner’s Guide
• How to Make Friendship Bracelets
• 20+ Free Macrame Wall Hanging Patterns and Tutorials
• 21 Free Macrame Plant Hanger Patterns
• 25 Free Macrame Patterns for All Skill Levels

What’s Next?

Pin this post: Save this tutorial to your Pinterest boards so that you can come back to it later.

Leave a comment: We love to hear your feedback. Tell me in the comments below!

Share on Instagram or Facebook: When you make this project, share it on social media and tag me @sarahmaker_. We love to see what you make!

Have questions? Join the Facebook Group!

We hope this article was useful for you! If you have any additional questions, feel free to join my Facebook Group. We created this group for you to share pictures, ask questions, and help each other out.