easy macrame table runner

I’m so excited about my latest DIY project – a beautiful little macrame table runner! Although I’ve seen some more intricate ones that I just adore, I decided to keep this project simple. I used only one knot (the square knot) for the entire runner! Nonetheless, it’s something very sweet and delicate about this runner. I’m really digging it and think you will, too.

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supplies needed

• 389 feet of 3/16″ cotton rope 
• masking or painter’s tape
• scissors

preparation

Cut 32 pieces of rope, each measuring 12 feet. Wrap a small piece of tape around both ends of each pieces of rope, to prevent fraying. Next, tie pieces of rope together (as shown in photo below), with the knot about 10 inches from the rope ends.

Do this for all the pieces of rope, so you will end up with 16 knotted pieces. Lay them evenly on a flat surface and tape the ends down to keep steady.

step 1 – half diamond

To begin your design, using the first 4 individual cords on the left, make a Square Knot. Continue until you have a row of 8 Square Knots.  

Next, beginning with the 3rd cord from the left, make a row of 7 alternating square knots. 

You have now finished the first 2 rows. Follow the instructions below for rows 3 through 8.

• row 3:  starting with 5th individual cord from the left – 6K (6 Square Knots)
• row 4:  starting with 7th individual cord from the left – 5K
• row 5:  starting with 9th individual cord from the left – 4K
• row 6:  starting with 11th individual cord from the left – 3K
• row 7:  starting with 13th individual cord from the left – 2K
• row 8:  starting with 15th individual cord from the left – 1K

step 2 – small side diamonds

You have now completed the first half diamond design. Before continuing with a center diamond, you need to add 2 small diamond shapes to the sides (as shown below).

For the small diamond on the right side, starting with the 5th individual cord from the right, make a Square Knot. Beneath that knot, starting with the 3rd individual cord from the right, make two Square Knots. Again, beneath those 2 knots, starting with the 5th cord from the right, make a final Square Knot. You have now created a small diamond design. Repeat this procedure for the left side.

step 3 – full diamond

The next step is to create a full diamond design, as shown below. 

This diamond consists of 15 rows. Follow the instructions below.

• row 1:  starting with 15th individual cord from the left – make one Square Knot  (You can see that this knot is directly beneath the last knot on the previous half diamond design.

• row 2:  starting with 13th individual cord from the left – 2K
• row 3:  starting with 11th individual cord from the left – 3K
• row 4:  starting with 9th individual cord from the left – 4K
• row 5:  starting with 7th individual cord from the left – 5K
• row 6:  starting with 5th individual cord from the left – 6K
• row 7:  starting with 3rd individual cord from the left – 7K
• row 8:  starting with 1st individual cord from the left – 8K
• row 9:  starting with 3rd individual cord from the left – 7K
• row 10:  starting with 5th individual cord from the left – 6K
• row 11:  starting with 7th individual cord from the left – 5K
• row 12:  starting with 9th individual cord from the left – 4K
• row 13:  starting with 11th individual cord from the left – 3K
• row 14:  starting with 13th individual cord from the left – 2K
• row 15:  starting with 15th individual cord from the left – make one Square Knot

Once this diamond is completed, add an extra Square Knot just below the center knot in row 15.

step 4 – small side diamonds

Follow step 2 to add two more small diamonds on the sides.

step 5 – center of runner

About 2″ down from the bottom of the full diamond, make a row of Square Knots. (Starting with the 1st individual cord on the left, make 8 Square Knots.

Next, skip down about  4″ from the last row of Square Knots. Starting with the 7th individual cord from the left, make a Square Knot  – skip 4 cords – make a Square Knot – skip 4 cords – make a Square Knot – skip the last 6 cords.

About 4″ down from the last row, make a row of Square Knots. (Starting with the 1st individual cord on the left, make 8 Square Knots.

You have now completed the first part of the runner as well as the center (see photo below).

step 6 – finishing

In order to complete the runner, you will simply be re-creating the pattern in the first section of the runner (before the center part). Follow along with these instructions in order to do this:

The next task is to once again create two small diamonds on the side. Skip down about 2″ from the last row, and follow instructions in step 2 to create the 2 small diamonds.

Now you will create another full diamond shape, with your first knot (or top of the diamond) falling in the center of the top of the 2 small diamonds. Follow the instructions in step 3 to create this full diamond design.

Once again, create two small diamonds on the side.  Follow instructions in step 2 to create the 2 small diamonds.

Finally, you will create a half diamond design:

• row 1:  starting with 15th individual cord from the left – make one Square Knot 
• row 2:  starting with 13th individual cord from the left – 2K
• row 3:  starting with 11th individual cord from the left – 3K
• row 4:  starting with 9th individual cord from the left – 4K
• row 5:  starting with 7th individual cord from the left – 5K
• row 6:  starting with 5th individual cord from the left – 6K
• row 7:  starting with 3rd individual cord from the left – 7K
• row 8:  starting with 1st individual cord from the left – 8K

Yay! You’re almost done. Now for the finishing details.

Directly beneath your last row of Square Knots, starting with the first 2 cords on the left, tie a regular knot. Continue tying knots until  you have 16 secure knots. 

Now trim the loose tassels on both ends of the runner. I trimmed mine evenly across to leave 6″ long tassels. The finished size of this runner is 14″ wide x 66″ long. Was I right? Aren’t you just digging it too?

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