{"title":"How to Make Macrame Coasters - Easy Square Knot Coaster","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/macrame/how-to-make-macrame-coasters","category":{"slug":"macrame","name":"Macramé"},"creator":{"name":"Soulful Notions","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTVqmbd_Iwu4IIW-931TcPQ","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxe_Pv4qdpg"},"tldr":"Learn how to make macrame coasters with lark's head and alternating square knots, then trim and comb a soft fringe. Beginner friendly.","quickAnswer":"Learn how to make macrame coasters with lark's head and alternating square knots, then trim and comb a soft fringe. An easy project: about 45 minutes. Materials cost about $2 to $4. You need 5 things, including wooden dowel, scissors and fine-tooth comb. The 10 steps start with attach the Macrame Cords to a Dowel With Lark's Head Knots, start a Square Knot With a Figure Four and finish the Square Knot From the Right Side.","totalDurationSeconds":482,"videoDurationSeconds":482,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":45,"waitMinutes":null,"totalMinutes":45,"estimatedCost":{"currency":"USD","min":2,"max":4},"yield":"1 coaster"},"tools":["wooden dowel","scissors","fine-tooth comb","tape measure"],"materials":["5 mm single twist cotton macrame cord (10 x 122 cm per coaster)"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Attach the Macrame Cords to a Dowel With Lark's Head Knots","text":"Cut ten cords, each 122 cm (4 ft) long. Fold one cord in half, lay the loop over the dowel, then pull the two cord ends down through the loop and tighten. That is a lark's head knot. Attach all ten cords side by side the same way. You now have 20 strands hanging down. The dowel keeps your rows straight."},{"number":2,"title":"Start a Square Knot With a Figure Four","text":"Take the first four strands on the left. The two in the middle stay still. Lay the left outer strand over the two center strands so it makes a figure four. Then take the right outer strand over the tail of the left one, behind the center strands and up through the loop on the left. Pull both outer strands to snug the half knot."},{"number":3,"title":"Finish the Square Knot From the Right Side","text":"Now repeat the move from the opposite side. Lay the right outer strand over the two center strands. Take the left outer strand over it, behind the center strands and out through the loop on the right. Pull it snug. Starting from opposite sides is what makes it a flat square knot instead of a twisting spiral."},{"number":4,"title":"Tie a Row of Five Square Knots for the Coaster","text":"Move to the next four strands and tie another square knot the same way. Keep going across until all 20 strands are used. That gives you five square knots in a neat row under the dowel. Push each knot up so it sits close to the lark's head knots, and keep the tension even from knot to knot."},{"number":5,"title":"Start the Alternating Square Knot Row","text":"The second row shifts over. Instead of using the same four strands, drop the fourth strand of the first knot and pick up the first strand of the next knot over. Tie a regular square knot with those four. Soulful Notions starts her second row this way right at the left edge, so no strands are skipped."},{"number":6,"title":"Keep Alternating the Square Knots Across the Coaster","text":"Work across the row the same way. For each knot, take the strand you dropped from the previous knot, use the two center strands, drop the fourth and borrow the first strand of the next knot. At the end of the row, use the strand you dropped and the very last strand. The pattern repeats on every row."},{"number":7,"title":"Check the X Criss-Cross Between Macrame Rows","text":"Look closely between your rows. You should see small X shapes where the strands cross from one knot to the next. In each X the top strand goes behind and the bottom one comes over. If the crossings look the same all the way across, your pattern is right. If one is missing, untie that knot and redo it."},{"number":8,"title":"Finish Eight Rows of Square Knots","text":"Keep tying rows in the same pattern until you have eight rows of square knots with the criss-crosses between them. Count them from the top. You will notice the strands are now different lengths. Some are quite short and some still have plenty left. That is normal for this pattern, so do not worry about it."},{"number":9,"title":"Slide the Coaster Off the Dowel and Pull Out the Loops","text":"Slide the knotted square off the end of the dowel and lay it flat. The lark's head knots now sit at the top as loops. Pull those loops out so the cords hang free at both ends. Then go over every square knot and tighten it again so the coaster is firm and lies flat on the table."},{"number":10,"title":"Trim and Comb the Macrame Coaster Fringe","text":"Decide how long you want the fringe. Soulful Notions keeps hers short. Cut the cords straight across on both ends. Then comb out each strand with a fine comb until it turns soft and fluffy, and trim again to tidy it. Trim, comb, trim. It is the slow part, so put on some music."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-11-09T15:21:18.044Z","published":"2026-11-09T15:21:17.748Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}