This gorgeous macrame snowflake pattern is a perfect winter or Christmas project for even the novice macramer! You only need some cord, a ring for the middle and it uses just two basic knots! I recently taught this as a workshop at a local christmas fair; everyone was a beginner and was surprised how straightforward it was to make, considering it looks quite intricate.
The macrame snowflake is made in 4 rounds of knotting and with the chunky cord it works up surprisingly quickly.
You will need:
12 x 90cm of 2mm/3mm Macrame Cord
(I’m using this Nutscene 2.2mm 3ply from Hobbycraft)
25mm split ring
Sharp scissors
Comb
How to make a macrame snowflake
Round 1 – Attaching the cords using Larks Head Knots
1.Cut 12 lengths of macrame cord, each about 90cm/3 ft long. Take one of the 90cm lengths of cord, fold it in half and place the loop at the midpoint under your split ring. Bring the ends up over the ring and down through the loop. Pull the ends downward to tighten the knot.
2.Repeat this with the remaining cords, working around the ring until all 12 cords are attached. The larks head knot has a back and a front; this is actually the back, so flip the ring over so you can see the little horizontal bumps of cord; this is the front of the knot.
Round 2 – Two Square Knots
3.Seperate your cords out into the pairs coming from each larks head knot. The middle of two neighbouring pairs become your holding cords (these are static cords that you knot around) and the outer ones, the working cords (these are the cords your will move to make the knots). Macrame Knots are generally made working downwards.
4.A square knot is made up of two knots in sequence. Start by bringing the left working cord across on top of all the others. They should look like the number “4”. Then take the right working cord over the tail of the left, then under where the holding cords and left cord cross. Pull the cord up through the loop
5. Pull on the two working cords to gently tighten. The knot will look like the image below right when tightened. This is the first half of a square knot.
6. The second half of the square knot is just a mirror version of the first. Start by bringing the right working cord across the others. It will look like a “p”. Then take the left cord over the tail of the right, under where the cords cross and up through the loop. Pull on both the working cords to tighten.
7. You have completed your first square knot! Repeat steps 4 & 5 to make a second square knot with the same set of cords.
8.Move to the two next pair of cords around the ring (it doesn’t matter which way round you go) Make two square knots following steps 4 & 5 on these cords.
9.Repeat this all the way around the ring, until you have 6 sets of square knots. This is the first round complete.
Round 3 – One Square Knot
10. Take two cords from one set and two from the next along. The middle two become your holding cords and the outer ones, the working cords.
11. Make one complete square knot, as centrally as you can from the previous knotting. Even out the open lacy sections by pulling on the holding cords. Once you are happy, pull the working cords to tighten.
12.Move on to the next set of cords and make one square knot. Work your way around, creating one square knot with each new pair of cords. This will complete round 3. Its beginning to look like a snowflake!
Round 4 – Three Square Knots
13. For the final round, we are again taking two pairs of cords from neighbouring sets. Create a square knot, in line with the knots from round 2 and that the loops match the ones from round 3.
14.For 2nd square knot in this round we are going to get a little fancy. We are going to make some extra decorative loops (or as I like to think of them, ears!) To create them all you need to do is leave a 1cm (a little fingers width) gap between this knot and the previous. Then slide it up so the knots sit next to each other, creating the “ears”.
15. Pull on the ears to tighten.
16. Then make one final square knot as normal. Make sure this last knot is tight.
17. Repeat steps 13 – 16 all the way around your snowflake.
18. Trim your cords to 4/5cm, leaving two holding cords long to create a hanging loop.
19. Use a comb to create fringed ends, starting at the tips and working inwards. Then use sharp scissors to trim the fringe to length, creating either a neat point or leaving even.
If you have gone for the pointed option, to keep them neat, I found using a 1:1 mix of water and pva or fabric glue painted on the fringe did the trick.
I also had a go at making some mini macrame snowflakes using come gorgeous metallic thread! They look so pretty but, blimey this thread is a nightmare to work with. Stick to the chunky stuff unless you are feeling adventurous!
Please share this Macrame Snowflake DIY tutorial if you enjoyed it, and if you have any questions, leave a comment below or come and find me on Instagram !
If this has given you a taste for macrame and you would like to learn more, my brand new ebook Modern Macrame, Jewellery and Accessories will be out in the new year. In the mean time, Sign up to my monthly ‘Making, Creating and Little Adventures’ email! and you will get a copy of my Getting Started with Making Jewellery eBook! Happy Making!
