Macrame Hammock Instructions

Preparation

• Get your supplies. You will need two sturdy poles approximately 4-feet long by 3 inches in diameter to make stabilizer bars and approximately 1,300 yards of cord. Make certain the cord is sturdy, but not rope thickness or you won’t be able to work with it easily. You may use jute twine, but beware as it’s quite scratchy and feels like woolen yarn against your skin. Cotton or hemp are easiest to work with. Nylon is not recommended for macrame because it doesn’t hold knots well. You will also need two 8-foot lengths of strong rope for tying the supporting ends and eye-bolts if you will be mounting them from a building ceiling.

Tying On

• Suspend one stabilizing bar from a wall or ceiling. Adjust the height so it’s about eye-level and easy to work with. Secure it well to allow for lots of pulling and tugging. Measure and cut your cord into forty strands of 32 yards of length. Fold them in half, attaching each one evenly to the stabilizing bar at the fold. Leave 12 inches of space free on each end of the bar. Attach the cords by wrapping the fold around the bar and tucking the hanging ends into the loop of the fold. Tug securely on the ends. As soon as you fasten each cord to your bar, wrap the excess length in a figure-of-eight around your thumb and small finger until only a few inches remain. Tie the excess loosely around the wrap to prevent the cords from becoming entangled while you work. Do this with each cord.

Macrame Body

• Review tying knots and begin. If you are not familiar with macrame, look at the article "How To Tie The 10 Most Useful Knots" in the resource section. Work Row One across left to right in groups of four strands. Row Two is staggered so skip the first and last two strands, leaving them hanging loosely. Each row follows the same pattern. Pull your knots tightly and work evenly. You may need to occasionally adjust the knot size and placement to allow for any irregularities. The key is to keep your work straight, squared and evenly spaced. Continue until your hammock is the desired length, between 5 to 7 feet. Don’t make it too long or you will have difficulty finding adequate space to hang it at the proper height.

Tying Off

• Attach the second stabilizing bar. If you haven’t needed to do so already, re-arrange your working space. To do this, loop as much of your finished “middle-section” out of the way as possible. Attach an extra length of cord through the center of a row near the finished edge. Tie it up to the already attached stabilizing bar.

  You will be using a double half-hitch knot to attach the final bar, so review the instructions for tying this knot before proceeding. Place the bar on top of the cords close enough to the last row of square knots that they almost touch, yet allow room to work. Tie each strand in a double half-hitch knot working left to right until all cords are attached. Leave 12 inches of free space on each end of the stabilizing bar.

  Finally, finish securing the bar by tying another row of three square knots across in the same manner as row one of the first bar. Trim all cord ends leaving approximately 24 inches freely hanging. Tie these ends with overhand knots in groups of five for added security.

Strength Testing

• Test the hammock before hanging it for use. Do this by alternately attaching each stabilizing bar to a strong beam. Get someone to assist you as you pull and hang from the cords. When you are satisfied both the bar and hammock are strong enough to support adequate weight, you are ready to hang your hammock.