In this macramé DIY, you will learn how to create a cute heart using a simple knotting technique. Perfect as a personalised gift, for Valentine’s Day for example!
Choose a macramé cord in your preferred colour, 3 mm thick. Cut 8 pieces of 4' 3" (130 cm) and 1 piece of 2' 7" (80 cm).
2
Use aluminium wire of 2 or 3 mm thickness and cut a piece of 10-12" (25-30 cm). Fold it in half.
3
Take the 8 cords of 4' 3" (130 cm) and wrap them around one half of the folded aluminium wire at their midpoint.
4
Secure the wrapped half to your work surface. Divide the 8 cords into 4 groups of 2 and arrange them in a cross shape.
5
Start making a knot. Take the bottom two cords and place them over the two cords on the left side.
6
Now take the two left cords that are underneath and place them over all the cords at the top.
7
Take the top two cords of the cross shape and place them over all the cords on the right side.
8
Now take the bottom two right cords and bend them towards the loop of the bottom two cords.
9
Complete the knot by pulling the right cords through the loop of the bottom cords. (You should now see a square shape of cords.)
10
Gently pull all the cords to tighten the knot securely. Always pull on the two opposite ends (top-bottom and left-right).
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Repeat steps 5 to 10 until approximately 2" (4 cm) of aluminium wire remains.
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The first half is now finished. Detach the piece and secure the knotted half to your work surface.
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Repeat the knotting technique for the other half until 2" (4 cm) of aluminium wire remains here as well.
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Now, remove your work from the surface and place it in front of you with the tip facing downwards.
15
Bend the ends of the aluminium wire downwards to create a heart shape. Adjust the shape until you are happy with it.
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Twist the two ends of the aluminium wire tightly around each other to secure the heart shape.
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Take the 2' 7" (80 cm) cord and make a loop of approximately 4" (10 cm). Place this loop at the bottom of the heart.
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Hold the loop and heart firmly and wrap the remaining cord tightly around the ends of the aluminium wire. Ensure the wraps are snug and do not overlap.
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When you have reached the desired length and the wire is securely covered, pull the end of the cord through the loop.
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Pull the loose thread at the top until the loop disappears under the wrapped section. Trim the ends and tuck them under the wrapped cord (using a scissor tip or pencil, for example).
21
Tighten each strand of the tassel individually.
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Trim the tassel to the desired length. Your macramé heart is ready! Tip: Want to turn it into a keyring? Add a split ring by threading it through a loop of the heart.