Red macrame heart decoration

Macrame Heart

Share some love with a macrame heart! This fringed macrame heart is SO EASY to make. In fact, since you only need to use one simple knot, it’s the perfect macrame project for beginners – even kids!

Just bend a pipe cleaner into a heart shape and attach macrame cords with a lark’s head knot (we’ll show you how in the tutorial below). It’s a really pretty decoration for Valentine’s Day, wedding showers, or any other time you want to show your love and appreciation. Macrame hearts also make fun homemade gifts!

Red macrame heart decoration

 

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How to Make a Macrame Heart

Make a macrame heart using one simple knot! It’s such a cute and easy craft for Valentine’s Day or any day!
Author: Debbie Chapman

Materials:

Check Out The Video Tutorial:

Looking for more macrame crafts? Here’s a few of our favourites:Macrame FeatherHow to Make a Macrame BraceletMacrame RainbowDIY Macrame Earrings

Instructions:

Step 1: Find what you need

  • Gather your supplies and materials.
    Macrame Heart SuppliesMacrame Heart Supplies

Step 2: Make a heart from a pipe cleaner

  • Make a bend at the one third point of your pipe cleaner to make a check mark shape. The point will be the heart’s bottom.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Shape the rest of the pipe cleaner into a heart shape, overlapping the two ends of the pipe cleaner.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner around each other to secure them. Adjust the heart until you’re happy with the shape.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart

Step 3: Attach macrame cord to the pipe cleaner heart

  • Cut 45 to 50 pieces of macrame cord, each of them 4 inches long.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • This macrame heart is made by attaching the cords to the pipe cleaner with a lark’s head knot.To start, fold one of the cords in half.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Place the center loop of the cord under the pipe cleaner. (You can start anywhere.)
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Bring the ends of the cord up and through the loop.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Pull the ends tight to finish off the knot. Adjust the knot so that the cord is close together and the ends point out from the heart.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Continue adding cords to the pipe cleaner heart with the same knot.Keep adjusting the knots as you work to make sure they’re close together. This will ensure that as little of the pipe cleaner as possible will show through.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Keep adding cord using the lark’s head knot until the whole heart is full.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart

Step 4: Attach a hanger to the macrame heart

  • Cut a 10 inch long piece of macrame cord and fold it in half.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Attach the cord with a lark’s head knot at the top point of the heart.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Tie a regular knot at the end of the longer cords. This will be the hanger for your macrame heart.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart

Step 5: Comb out and trim the fringe

  • Flip the heart over and bring the hanger into the center of the heart. Comb out the cords to create a fringe.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Hold the heart in the palm of your hand and flatten the cords so that they’re nice and straight. Be sure to keep the hanger in the middle.Trim the cords to an even length. (Our fringe is about 1 inch long).
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Set the heart down again and comb out the fringe.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Make any final adjustments to the shape of the fringe.
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart
  • Your macrame heart is complete!
    Macrame HeartMacrame Heart

Helpful Tips:

  1. Make a bunch of macrame hearts and string them onto more macrame cord or twine to make a Valentine’s Day garland!
  2. Cut off some of the pipe cleaner for a small macrame heart, or twist two pipe cleaners together to make a larger macrame heart wall hanging.
  3. Want to easily make a perfect heart shape? Wrap the pipe cleaner around a heart shaped cookie cutter! Check out our Pipe Cleaner Star Ornaments post for instructions on how to do this.

Red and pink macrame heartsRed and pink macrame hearts

What size is this macrame heart?

Each macrame heart has small size differences, because the size of your heart depends on the exact size and shape of the pipe cleaner heart. The inside of our hearts is about 3 inches across, and the outside is about 5-1/2 inches across. They are about 5 inches tall (7 inches including the hanger).

Red Valentine's Day macrame heart with other macrame hearts around itRed Valentine's Day macrame heart with other macrame hearts around it

Is it easy to learn macrame?

Yes, macrame is actually pretty simple to learn! Most macrame projects are made up of a few basic knots.

This macrame heart is the perfect first craft for macrame beginners, since you only need to use one simple knot. The lark’s head knot is generally used to attach cords to a frame or to each other. If you’re looking for another easy macrame project, a macrame feather is a great choice.

Side angle of fringed macrame heartsSide angle of fringed macrame hearts

Do I need to stiffen the fringe of this macrame heart?

Because the fringe isn’t very long it looks pretty good without stiffening it, so we’ve left ours as is. If you want the cord to really keep it’s shape, Aleene’s Stiffen Quik fabric stiffening spray is a great option. Following the instructions on the bottle, simply spray one side, let it dry, and then spray the other side.

You can also use a spray starch or even hairspray to give the fringe some stiffness.

Red and pink heart shapes made from macrame cord and pipe cleanerRed and pink heart shapes made from macrame cord and pipe cleaner

Where can I buy macrame cord?

Michaels and other craft stores generally sell a small amount of macrame cord, but not every size and colour will be available. Etsy and Amazon are great online options to buy macrame cord.

There are also a lot of macrame specific shops and websites. Try Googling “macrame cord your city name here” to find a local store!

How to make a macrame heartHow to make a macrame heart

These macrame hearts are so pretty and really simple to make! Make them in Valentine’s Day colours like red and pink (or a combination of the two!), or choose your favourite colour.

Red macrame heart for Valentine's DayRed macrame heart for Valentine's Day

Here’s even more macrame craft ideas:

Macrame Feather

How to make a macrame featherHow to make a macrame feather

DIY Macrame Coasters

DIY macrame coastersDIY macrame coasters

How to Make a Macrame Keychain

DIY mermaid tail macrame keychainsDIY mermaid tail macrame keychains

Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!

Low Mess Crafts for Kids BookLow Mess Crafts for Kids Book

Where to buy:

You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:

Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |   Books- A- Million  |   Indiebound  |  Indigo  |  Amazon Canada