Privacy Screen

• 6mm Nylon Cord (625 yards per panel)
• 1 Wood Screen Frame (or a 64-inch Dowel with End Caps)
• Measuring Tape

Knots Used:

• Reverse Larks Head knot
• Alternating Square Knots (ASK)
• Double Half Hitch (DHH)
• Spiral Stitch
• Square Knot (SK)
• Diamonds
• Alternating V Patterns

Creating the Long Sennits at the Edges

Step 1:  Cut 4 cords, each 16 yards long.  Prepare the ends with tape, glue, or wax to prevent unraveling.

Step 2:  Mount the first 2 cords to the rod at the top of the frame, near the left edge, with a reverse Larks Head knot.  The cords will be folded in half in the process.

Don't have a frame for the Privacy Screen? Simply attach the cords to the dowel instead. Two cords should be placed near one edge, and two in the middle. When you make the second panel, it will rest to the first one.

Step 4:  To make the long sennits at each edge of the Privacy Screen, use the two outside strands as the working cords, and the inner ones as fillers. Make a total of 12 designs, so that each one is 6 inches long.  The first design is made with the Spiral Stitch, and the next should be Square knots.  Alternate between the two types of knots as you progress. 

When you reach the halfway point (36 inches), switch the strands, so the working cords become the fillers.  This way you will use the longest cords to make the second half of the sennits.

When you reach the bottom of the frame, pull the sennit taut, and attach it with Double Half Hitches.  You may need to make the last section a little more or less than 6 inches, depending on the frame.

Designing the Top of the Screen

Step 5:  Cut 28 cords, each 20 yards long.  Prepare the ends as you did the others.  Mount them to the top of the frame (or dowel) with reverse Larks Head knots.

Step 6:  Tie 7 rows of Alternating Square Knots using 4 cords per knot. There should be no space between the rows. 

8                   3 thru 26                                       31 thru 54
9                   1 thru 24                                       33 thru 56
10                 3 thru 22                                       35 thru 54
11                 1 thru 20                                       37 thru 56
12                 3 thru 18                                       39 thru 54
13                 1 thru 16                                       41 thru 56
14                 3 thru 14                                       43 thru 54
15                 1 thru 12                                       45 thru 56
16                 3 thru 10                                       47 thru 54
17                 1 thru 8                                         49 thru 56
18                 3 thru 6                                         51 thru 54

Step 8:  Go back to the 8th row and locate cords 28 and 29, which were not used in that row.  Crisscross the two strands, so cord 29 runs along the diagonal edge of the ASK, on the left half of the screen.  It’ll be used as a holding cord, so secure it.  Attach cords 27 thru 1 to it with DHH, in that order. 

Direct cord 28 along the ASK on the right half of the Privacy Screen.  Attach cords 30 to 56 to it with DHH.

Step 9: Organize all the cords into 14 groups of four strands. Mentally number the groups 1 thru 14, moving left to right.  In groups 3 thru 12, make sennits consisting of 8 Square Knots.

Step 10: In groups 1 and 14, tie sennits of SK consisting of 10 knots.

Step 11: In groups 2 and 13, the sennits should be made with 18 SK.

Step 12:  Mentally re-number the cords 1 thru 56.  Locate cord 29, which is the left working cord from group 8. Direct it diagonally to the left.  It’ll be the left holding cord for the second diamond.  Pass the end of it through a space along the edge of the long sennit made in step 11 (group 2).   Try to position it so it’s midway between the top and bottom of the sennit. Secure it so it’s taut, and mark it with a piece of tape.

Attach cords 27 thru 9 to it with DHH.  Make sure the short sennits are pulled taut as you attach them, and the holding cord remains diagonal. You will not be using the cords coming from the first two sennits on the left.

Step 13:  Find cord 28, which is the right working cord in sennit #7.  Secure this holding cord diagonally, and mark it with tape. Pass the end through a space along the edge of the longest sennit on the right (group 13). Attach cords 30 thru 48 to it with DHH.  Don’t use the cords coming from the last two sennits on the right.

Step 14:  Mentally re-number the cords coming from the bars of DHH you just made, 1 thru 38.  Don’t include the two holding cords from the previous steps, or the cords from the first and last two sennits.

Move down 2 inches.  Find cords 19 and 20, and crisscross them.  Cord 20 is the diagonal holding cord for the left portion of the smallest Diamond. Mark it with a piece of tape.  Attach cords 18 thru 7 to it with DHH.  Do not use cords 1 - 6.

Step 16:  Mentally re-number the cords from the last 2 steps (1 thru 24). Group the cords as follows: (3 thru 9), (10 thru 15), and (16 thru 22).  The middle group is the filler for the large SK in the center of the diamond.  The other two groups will be used to tie the knot around the fillers.  Each group acts together as if it were a single cord.

Step 17: Locate the left holding cord used in step 14.  Direct it diagonally, towards the center of the Privacy Screen.  It should be on the same angle as the top of the diamond.  Mentally re-number the cords coming from the SK 1 thru 24, including the 4 unused ones.

Attach cords 1 thru 12 to the holding cord with DHH.

Step 18:  Locate the right holding cord used in step 15.  Direct it diagonally, towards the center.  Attach cords 13 thru 24 to it with DHH.

IMPORTANT: To complete the diamond shape, attach one holding cord to the other, with one DHH.

Step 19:  Mentally re-number the cords coming from the second diamond, 1 thru 38. Be sure to include the holding cords used to make the small diamond. Locate the left holding cord you marked in step 12, which is attached to the long sennit on the left.  Direct it to the center next.  Make sure it is the same angle as the top portion, and there is approximately 2 inches between the two diamonds. 

Attach cords 1 thru 19 to it with DHH.

Step 20:  Locate the right holding cord from step 13, which is attached to the long sennit on the right.  Position it, heading towards the center of the Privacy Screen.  Attach cords 20 thru 38 to it with DHH.

To complete the diamond, attach one holding cord to the other with 1 DHH.

Step 21:  Divide the cords into groups of four again.  This is the same as step 9.  There should be 10 groups, since the 4 long sennits from the top area are part of the bottom portion of the large diamond. Be sure to include the holding cords from the last two steps, as you group the cords. 

In each group, tie a sennit of 8 SK.

Step 22:  Mentally number ALL the cords, 1 thru 56.  Use #1 on the left as the holding cord, and direct it towards the center of the Privacy Screen.  Attach the cords coming from the first 7 sennits on the left, with DHH.

Step 23:  Use cord 56 on the right as the next holding cord, and direct it diagonally.  Attach the cords coming from the remaining 7 sennits on the right, with DHH.

Designing the Middle Section

Step 24:  You will now make 11 rows of increasing ASK, following the angle of the diamond shape, near the middle of the Privacy Screen.  Each knot should be made with 4 strands. Here’s a chart to help you with this step:

Row       Cords used on Left Half            Cords used on Right Half

1                   3 thru 6                                         51 thru 54
2                   1 thru 8                                         49 thru 56
3                   3 thru 10                                       47 thru 54
4                   1 thru 12                                       45 thru 56
5                   3 thru 14                                       43 thru 54
6                   1 thru 16                                       41 thru 56
7                   3 thru 18                                       39 thru 54
8                   1 thru 20                                       37 thru 56
9                   3 thru 22                                       35 thru 54
10                 1 thru 24                                       33 thru 56
11                 3 thru 26                                       31 thru 54

Step 25:  The middle section of the Privacy Screen is made entirely with rows of standard ASK.  You will need to make enough rows so that the screen measures a total of 48 inches.  This measurement includes the top section.  End on a row where you use cords 3 thru 54 (even numbered row).

Step 26: This area of the Privacy Screen is made up of zigzagging rows of knots, outlined by DHH.  The points all line up, which is the most challenging part to this entire Macrame pattern.  Take your time in this section.

To start, you need to tie 4 more rows of ASK, forming V designs.  Work from left to right, and use the diagram below. Note that the design on the far right is only half of a V shape. Tape needs to be applied to some strands to make it easier to identify them later.

V Design 1 (Far Left)

Left Holding Cord = 1 (Attach cords 2 thru 8)

Step 28:  Organize all the cords into groups of four.  With each of the 14 groups,  tie 7 Square knots to form short sennits.

Step 29:  Mentally re-number the cords 1 thru 56.  Repeat step 27, outlining the row of SK sennits with DHH, using the same holding cords as described.  Don’t forget the complete the V shapes by attaching one holding cord to the other.

Step 31:  Mentally re-number ALL the cords.  The next design is made with 2 rows of ASK.  They follow the shape of the DHH.  Each one is made with 2 cords from the previous knot, along with 2 new ones.  Start on the left and progress to the right side of the Privacy Screen. Here are the cord combinations you will use for the first row (Cords used at points are in bold print):

1 -4, 3-6, 5-8, 7-10, 9-12, 11-14, 13-16, 15-18, 17-20, 19-22, 21-24, 23-26,

25-28, 27-30, 29-32, 31-34, 33-36, 35-38, 37-40, 39-42, 41-44, 43-46, 45-48,

47-50, 51-54, 53-56

Step 32:  Repeat step 27, to outline the ASK with a row of DHH. 

Step 33:  Repeat step 30, to make the next design.

Step 35:  To make the ASK design at the bottom of the Privacy Screen, use these cords:

Finishing Touches

Step 36:  Attach each cord to the frame with 1 DHH, in between the others already attached.