Macrame plant hangers
CostFree to Low
Includes: Cotton macrame cord, a ring or dowel, and scissors Example: A roll of macrame cord around €10-18, with metal rings from €5
What it is
A few metres of soft cotton cord and a handful of knots can hold a trailing pothos in a sunny window, suspended in a web of pattern that costs a fraction of the shop version. Macrame plant hangers are decorative holders made by knotting cord into supportive nets and spirals that cradle a potted plant and hang from a hook or ceiling. The craft of macrame, knotting cord by hand into patterns, dates back centuries, and plant hangers are one of its most useful and beginner-friendly forms, since a basic hanger needs only two or three knots repeated.
The appeal is how much effect comes from how little. With one type of cord and a small vocabulary of knots, you can create everything from a simple, sturdy holder to an elaborate, lacy spiral, and the rhythmic, repetitive knotting is genuinely relaxing once you find your flow. Plants suspended at different heights also free up surfaces and shelves, bring greenery up to eye level, and turn a bare corner or window into something alive.
The whole thing rests on a few core knots. The square knot and the spiral (half) knot do most of the work, along with simple wrapping and gathering knots to start and finish, and once these are in your hands, you can improvise endless variations. Natural cotton cord is the classic choice for its softness and the way it can be brushed out into fringe.
The honest trade-offs are that your first hanger will probably come out slightly uneven as you learn to keep tension consistent, and that longer, more intricate designs use a surprising length of cord. But the materials are cheap, the learning curve is gentle, and a finished hanger is both genuinely useful and a satisfying handmade addition to a room.
How it works
Start by cutting your cord far longer than seems necessary, because knotting eats length fast and running short mid-project is the classic beginner mistake. A common approach for a basic hanger is to cut several lengths (often four to eight strands) at roughly four times your desired finished length, then fold them in half over a ring or dowel, which doubles them into the working strands. Gather and bind the top with a wrapping knot to form the hanging loop.
Learn the two knots that do almost everything. The square knot, tied by alternating two outer cords over and under a pair of central cords, creates flat, sturdy patterns, while repeating just one half of it produces the decorative spiral. Divide your strands into groups and knot each group to form the arms of the hanger, leaving gaps where the pot will sit. Keeping your tension even and consistent across every knot is what makes the finished piece look neat, so work at a steady, unhurried pace.
Finish by gathering the arms underneath the pot area with another wrapping knot, which forms the cradle that holds the plant. Test the fit with your actual pot before trimming, then cut the tails to your chosen length, and brush them out into a fringe if you used natural cotton. The common mistakes are cutting cord too short, uneven tension giving a lopsided result, and spacing the cradle knots wrong for your pot size. Measure against your real pot as you go, and practise the knots on scrap cord first.
Benefits
What you need
Here's what to gather before you start. The essentials are marked.
Some links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, trylii.com earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
FAQs
Far more than the finished length, which surprises most beginners. Knotting consumes several times the flat distance it covers, so a common rule is to cut each strand at roughly four times your desired finished hanger length, then fold it in half. Running short mid-project is the classic mistake, so it is always safer to cut generously. The exact amount depends on how dense your knotting is, with intricate spiral designs using considerably more than simple ones.
Really just two to start: the square knot and the spiral, or half, knot, plus simple wrapping knots to begin and finish. The square knot makes flat, sturdy sections, and repeating only half of it creates the twisting spiral. These few knots cover a huge range of designs, and once they are in your hands you can improvise endless variations. Practising them on scrap cord first makes the actual hanger go much more smoothly.
Almost always because of uneven tension, the most common beginner issue. If you pull some knots tight and others loose, the arms twist and the whole piece hangs crookedly. The fix is to work at a steady, consistent pace and, crucially, to hang your work from a hook or rail while knotting so gravity keeps everything straight and even. Working flat on a table makes symmetry much harder to judge and maintain.
No, but natural cotton is the popular choice for good reasons. It is soft, easy to knot, holds its shape well, and can be brushed out into a soft fringe at the ends, plus it is biodegradable. Other options like jute or synthetic cords work too and give different looks and textures. For a first hanger, a medium-weight cotton cord around 3 to 5mm is forgiving to work with and produces an attractive, classic result.
You might also like
HOME
Sashiko stitching repair
HOME
Repurposing wine bottles
HOME
DIY cat scratching post
HOME
Air plant displays
HOME
Homemade dog treats baking
HOME
Windowsill salad greens
HOME
Weighted lap blanket making
HOME
Meal planning & pantry inventory systems
HOME
Regrowing vegetables from scraps
HOME
DIY eye pillows
MIND
Writing personal mantras
CRAFT
Fuzzy pipe cleaner creations
See all in Made at Home