Macrame Cord
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| Macrame cord materials have specific
qualities you need to become familiar with. It is vitally
important that you choose the right type for your project.
For example, making a hammock requires strong, sturdy materials.
Clothing, on the other hand, needs a softer type of cord.
Nowadays, there are many kinds available, including yarn and
ribbon.
Click on the images, and larger images will come
up in a new window, so you can see details better.
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General Concepts to Consider when Choosing Cord
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Stiffness refers to how flexible
the cord is. Leather, for example, can be
very inflexible, depending on the thickness. I like to use
thin strands (0.5mm) of round leather to make bracelets. As
you can see in the close-up of a Celtic
Circle Earring, leather maintains the shape of
the knots very well. |
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On the other hand, Cotton cord is usually
soft, very flexible, and great for Macrame projects, especially
clothing. It’s also inexpensive and easy to obtain.
You can often find it sold as Embroidery Cord.
This Flower
Bracelet was made with delicate cotton cord. |
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| Composition relates to what
the Macrame cord materials are made of. There are many different
fibers available. Certain plants, for example, result in such
materials as Hemp, Jute,
and Flax Linen. Leather is made from animal
hide, and nylon is a very popular man-made fiber. On this
page, below this general overview, there is more information
about specific types of cord that can be used in Macrame. |
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Strength is especially important if making
furniture or something that will hold weight. Jute, a very
rough textured cord, is particularly good for outdoor furniture
because of how strong it is. Leather, Ribbon,
and Nylon cord are also quite strong. |
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Twist refers to whether the individual
strands that make up the cord were twisted or braided in the
manufacturing process. Braided Macrame cord,
for example, will unravel less easily than twisted
cord. The image shows a close-up of both types. |
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| Note: You should ALWAYS treat
the ends of the cords in some manner, prior to beginning a
Macrame project. For more information, see Cord
Preparation. |
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Texture is a description of how the material
feels. Obviously, you would not want to use rough Macrame
cord for a necklace or clothing. Gone are the days when everything
was made with hemp, a moderately textured fiber. This image
shows Metallic cord, which can be irritating
to the skin. |
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| Nylon Macrame cord is much
softer and comes in more colors, so has become quite popular,
as have Silk and Satin Rayon
cord materials. Further along on this page is specific information about the types of cord used in Macrame. |
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Diameter (Width) is the thickness of the
cord; usually indicated in millimeters. Silk,
Nylon, and even round Leather
can be found less than 2mm thick. Keep in mind that the wider
materials (>4mm) require larger beads, buttons, or other
decorations. The size cord I used for this Basic
Bracelet was approximately 1.0mm diameter.
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| Trivia: The term Micro-Macrame
is used when a handcrafted item is made using cord material
less than 2mm diameter. |
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Amount: Refers to how much Macrame cord
you need for the entire project.
Some materials come in large rolls of 100 yards or more. Others
come in much shorter lengths, on cards, as in the image. |
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| If you were making furniture with Macrame cord,
you would need a whole lot more than if you were creating
a necklace. The following information will help you determine
the amount of cord needed: |
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Determining the Length to Cut the Cords
Most Macrame patterns will tell you the exact
lengths you need to cut each of the cords. But it's always a good
idea to check the math to make sure the pattern is accurate.
If you are creating your own designs without a written pattern,
the following information will help you.
Here is a simple way to
determine how long each Macrame cord should be:
Step 1: If the pattern is loosely
knotted, with more than 2-inches of space
between the rows of knots, multiply the finished
length of the item by four (4).
If there is very little space between the rows, you should
mulitiply the finished length by Five (5) instead, since you will be tying more knots.
Step 2: You also need to consider the
initial mounting knots, which often require
you to fold the Macrame cords in half.
If this is the case, say you’re using Lark’s
Heads to mount the cords to a purse handle or clasp, you
will need to double the length of each
cord. If no folding is necessary, you won’t need this
additional step.
For example: A 12-inch bracelet using
Figure 8 knots, which are loose, will require at least 60
inches for each cord. If the cords were folded in any manner,
you would need to double the length to 120 inches.
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Determining the Number of Cords to Cut
Again, most patterns will tell you how many cords you need. If you are creating your own designs, here's a formula you can used to figure out how many cords to cut, if the design is flat:
Figure out the width you need. Next, determine the size cord you are using. Finally, decide if the cords are to be folded or not.
6mm Material = Cut 2 cords/inch (Folded) or 4 cords/inch (Unfolded)
4mm Material = Cut 3 cords/inch (Folded) or 6 cords/inch (Unfolded)
2mm Material = Cut 6 cords/inch (Folded) or 12 cords/inch (Unfolded)
Designs that are mounted to a ring, such as animal patterns, will usually require the cords to be folded as they are attached. So use this formula instead:
Diameter of Ring (from edge to edge) multiplied by 3.14 = Area to be covered
6mm Material: Area x 2 = number of cords
4mm Material: Area x 3 = number of cords
2mm Material: Area x 6 = number of cords
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Determining Total Amount Needed for Project
To figure out what you need for the entire project,
follow this formula:
Length of cords (in inches)
multiplied by number of cords cut
divided by 36 = Total yards needed |
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Need Macrame Supplies? Visit the online store for Free Macrame Patterns. It's located at a different website. Simply click on the Acajou banners you see on any of the pages, and you will be sent to the store.
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Types of Cord Material for Macrame
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| Below is a list of the different types of fibers
and materials that can be used in Macrame projects. Most of
them are not sold specifically for this craft, however, and
won't be labeled as Macrame Cord. Craft supply stores will
often carry some types of materials, but not others. Yarn,
Cotton, and Hemp are easily obtained, if you know where to
look. Try searching for cord material in Thrift Stores and
Yard Sales, as well as Supermarkets. You never know where
you might find the perfect material for your next Macrame
project. |
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Satin Rayon (Rattail): This material is
soft, shiny, and great cord for Macrame. It can be found in
many different colors, and is often dyed by hand. Rattail
usually comes in 3 sizes: 1mm, often referred to as Petite
Rattail or Bugtail, 1.5mm diameter (Lightweight), and 2mm
diameter (Heavyweight). |
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| You can use it to make just about any type of
Macrame project, since it can be obtained in small or large
quantities. Another plus is that this material does not unravel
as much as other types of Macrame cord. It holds tight knots
very well, but is flexible enough for the loosely formed knots
too. On the down side, Rattail is harder to find in quantities
over 100 yards. Despite that fact, I still highly
recommend you try this luxurious cord. |
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Polypropylene (Nylon): This is the type
of cord most often sold specifically for Macrame. It comes
in both braided and twisted forms. Nylon material can be found
in many different colors and patterns. It comes in a wide
range of widths, from 0.5mm to 8mm thickness. Nylon is soft
and flexible, and holds the knots well. |
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| Note: Sometimes the manufacturers
will apply a light wax coating to make it a little easier
to handle. For Macrame, I recommend that you obtain Nylon
that is not waxed, so that it is less stiff. |
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Hemp: This is the most popular material
for Macrame, and was very commonly used in the 1960’s.
This type of cord material is strong, so is great for plant
hangers, sandals, belts, and anything that needs extra strength.
Most stores that carry craft supplies will have rolls of Hemp
at reasonable prices. You can find it in several colors, but
the natural tan color is most often seen in craft stores.
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Cotton: Also used as Embroidery Cord, this
type of material comes in many colors, and is inexpensive
and easily obtained. It’s soft, flexible, and comfortable
on the skin, so is great for jewelry. Cotton cord is readily
available in widths of less than 2mm diameter, but you’ll
need to search to find the thicker cordage. You can get it
in rolls of over 200 yards, so is a good choice if your project
calls for large amounts of Macrame cord, such as in hammocks
and plant hangers. |
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| Note: This type of Macrame cord unravels easily
due to the fact that it is usually twisted as it's made, rather
than braided. |
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Jute: This type of cord material is exceptionally
strong, and is heat and fire resistant. It’s also biodegradable,
since it is made from plants. It’s best suited to outdoor
furniture and items like rugs, but needs to be protected from
rain and sun. Also called Burlap or Hessian,
it comes in diameters of 2mm or more, and you can find it
in huge rolls, if needed. |
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| Jute is good cord for Macrame, but is not comfortable
on the skin, so is not suitable for jewelry or clothing. Primitive
craft designs would look great if made from this "all
natural" cord. You can find Jute cord in several colors,
but most places that carry it have only the standard color
shown in the image. |
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Yarn: Believe it or not, yarn
is a good choice to use as Macrame Cord. It comes in a huge
amount of colors and sizes and holds knots exceptionally well.
It's always a great choice for children's projects since it
is inexpensive. Yarn is extremely flexible, so keep that in
mind if you use it. |
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Leather: Another favorite of mine, Leather
is a great choice, too.The best type is the round
leather, but the flat type works fairly well too. It’s
strong, doesn’t fray or unravel, and can be found in
many colors. It’s great for jewelry, particularly if
you are using a single knot. The image shows a pair of Celtic
Triangle Earrings, made with leather. |
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| The best widths to use are 0.5 to 1mm, since
anything thicker than that will be too stiff to knot. The
down side to using leather is that pins easily damage
it, and the knots will make permanent creases. The Cross-Pin
technique, described in Knotting
Tips, is important to use when working with any
type of leather cord. |
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Flax Linen Cord: This luxurious cord is
also a good choice, particularly for Micro-Macrame. It's usually
made in Europe, and is soft with a beautiful sheen. Flax Linen
has been around for over 5000 years. The ancient Egyptians used the Flax plant fibers to make cloth. They wrapped their mummies with this material. People in Ireland still
spin this wonderful material by hand, and it lasts a long time. It's also biodegradable. |
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| Flax Linen is stronger than Cotton, and is used
to make Lace and other fine fabrics. The cord usually has a light
Beeswax coating, which softens as it is used. Flax
plants also produce Linseed Oil. I highly recommend you try to obtain this wonderful Macrame cord. |
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Opelon Floss: This unique type of cord
is very similar to dental floss, Unfortunately it's usually
around 0.5mm, so is more suited to Micro-Macrame. This type
of material is strong and slightly stretchy, so is perfect
for handcrafted jewelry. |
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Griffin Silk: This type of cord is sold
in most places that carry beads and supplies to make handcrafted
jewelry. It comes in either short lengths on cards, or hanks
that contain multiple strands. It’s soft,and flexible and
has a subtle texture. You can find silk cord in 1mm diameter
or less, as well as widths up to 8mm or more, but very few
places carry the thick cord.
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Metallic Cord: This type of Macrame cord
is great for Holiday projects, but not for jewelry, since
it is a bit coarse. It can be made from a variety of materials
that shine. Sometimes this cord has a cotton base, surrounded
by the metallic fiber. Be sure to treat the ends before working
with any type of metallic cord. It unravels easily once it's
cut. |
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Have
any comments or suggestions about Macrame Cord? Contact
Me.
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to Macrame Essentials
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