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Macrame Frame

June 29, 2022

Bring on the boho vibes and get your macramé on! Pair your favorite wood frame with macramé cording to create this texture-filled wall art piece. Once you learn some basic knots used in macramé, your confidence will grow as you mix and match them to design a dimensional photo display in your home. The rustic grooves of our Bruno frame are the perfect complement to this bohemian-style craft that can be displayed just as easily in your living room as your bedroom space.

Macrame Frame Project Supplies

Supplies:

  • Bruno Frame
  • Macrame Cord
  • Wood Beads
  • Scissors
  • Printed 4 x 6 photo
  • Optional: Artificial Flowers

Get comfy as this craft might take a little more time than you thought, but the outcome is so worth it! Before diving into the tips and tricks to make this photo-style macramé piece, let’s first review three popular knots used in macramé.

 LARK’S HEAD KNOT

Lark's Head Knot Macrame Frame

The lark’s head knot is used to secure your cord onto the base, which, in this case, is a wood Bruno shadow box.

Start by cutting long pieces of cord 8 times the length of the frame. Fold one piece of cord in half with the loop under the top of your frame. Fold the long ends over the frame and pass through the loop.

Pull to tighten the frame.

Lark's Head Knot Macrame Frame Step 2

Repeat to attach all cords to the frame. Our DIY Macrame Frame uses 18 cords attached with this lark’s head knots. Tip: If you plan to use a lot of square knots, which we will show you next, make the total number of cords on your frame divisible by 4.

SQUARE KNOT

Square Knot Macrame Frame

The second most popular knot in macrame is the square knot, which uses 4 strands of cord. We’ve labeled them 1,2,3 and 4 from left to right.

Take cord 1, fold over 2 and 3, then under cord 4.

Take cord 4 and fold under 3 and 2, then over cord 1.

Pull both 1 and 4 to tighten the first half of this knot. Note: the cords have now switched places slightly, so now they are listed as 4, 2, 3, 1 going from left to right.

Next, take cord 1 (which is now on the right) and fold over 3 and 2, then under cord 4.

Take cord 4 and fold under 2 and 3, then over cord 1.

Pull both 4 and 1 to tighten the square knot.

Square Knots Macrame Frame Step

Square knots can be repeated with the same cords, or you can skip the first two in a row and use the next four to create an alternating square knot pattern. 

SPIRAL KNOT

Spiral Knot Macrame Frame

A spiral knot can be made with as few as 2 cords, but here we show it with four.

Take the leftmost cord and fold over the group, then behind and back over itself. Pull tight, and the knot moves to the top. Repeat this step with the same left-most cord. As you create these repeat knots, they will spiral around the section, hence the name.

This knot can also go in the other direction with the right-most cord. This is a great knot to complete on either side of a threaded wood bead, as seen here.

PHOTO AREA

Macrame Photo Frame

To create the photo area of this DIY Macrame Frame, we created a series of square knots with the 4 left most strands and the 4 rightmost strands. The ten strands in the middle were knotted together with an alternating square knot pattern to make it more full.

Macrame Frame Final Cropped

Once knots have formed that match the height of the photo (in this case, 4 inches), tie all the strands together using a row of square knots. You can then slide a photo in, securing it with the vertical columns of square knots on the left and right sides.

FINISHING THE FRAME

Finishing Macrame Frame

To finish the Bruno frame, secure your cords on the bottom of the frame with knots underneath.

Macrame Frame Fringe

Trim the excess cord, leaving a few inches. Unwind the braided ends and use a comb to separate the pieces with a fringe effect.

Macrame Frame Bottom Cropped

Embellish your macramé frame with artificial flowers and a favorite photo print.

Macrame Frame Final Project Vertical

Add hanging hardware and display! You’re KNOT going to regret the time spent on this bohemian-style creation!  

DIY Macrame Frame

DIY Macrame Frame Pinterest


About The Author

Tara Nehil Headshot Tara Nehil is author of SpotOfTeaDesigns.com, a lifestyle blog sharing home décor, crafts, party inspiration and parenting lessons learned the hard way. Her graphic design background is evident in the home she lives in and styles with her husband and 2 young daughters. Follow her creative journey for photo tutorials, printables, budget-friendly decorating tips and ways to celebrate occasions big and small.