Wrapped Rope Macrame Knot Necklace

I've been spending a lot of time at home this year and macrame has been one way to pass the time and keep myself entertained away from a computer screen. This necklace is super easy to make and the end result looks modern and polished. The first time I made it I had two separate pieces of rope, but I realized it was much easier to keep the rope as a single piece for the ready-made loop it creates at one end. Lots of opportunity to make this your own with different colors or a different length. Give it a try.

• 60-80 inches cotton rope of 3-10mm thickness. Look for braided variety as opposed to twisted. The braided has a smoother texture and cylindrical shape. The twisted type could work, but the end result won’t be as smooth looking.
• Cotton embroidery floss in assorted colors
• Ruler
• Tape
• Scissors

Decide how long you want the necklace to be. The rope will be doubled, and you’ll also need extra length to allow for the knot. I went with a length of 32 inches when doubled (64 inches total). You may want anything from 30-40 inches doubled (60-80 inches total).

With the rope folded in half, measure up from the middle about 5-6 inches and mark with tape on each piece of rope. Essentially we are just marking the approximate middle of the necklace for embroidery work. No need to be super precise here.

Now, wrap the embroidery floss around each length of rope, filling in between the two tape marks.

To start, leave a short tail of embroidery floss hanging down, and then wrap the floss tightly around the rope and tail. Always wrap in the same direction and pull tightly. You may need to occasionally check your work and scrunch up the floss more tightly. The goal is to completely hide the rope underneath.

To change colors, trim the current floss leaving a small tail, and then start wrapping with a new color, again leaving a tail, making sure that the new floss is wrapping around both the old and new tail. You shouldn't need to make actual knots - wrapping the tails tightly secures them well.

Getting fancy: once you get the hang of it it’s super easy. You can even wrap a different color up and down over a completed section to make contrasting stripe designs.

When you get to the other piece of tape, tie off the floss end and tuck the knot and ends back under the wrapped section for a seamless look.

Wrap the other rope segment in the same way.

Time to make the knot that forms the center of the necklace. Start with the doubled loop end at the top of your working area, and make a b shape, with the loose ends passing behind the top looped piece.

Then take the loose ends and pass them to the right back through the center of the b. Tighten a little bit. It's important to make sure that the same piece of rope always stays on the outside when making your curves, so try to keep it flat as you work and adjust the outer rope as needed.

Next, angle your loose ends back to the left, and pass them through the same opening again. Tighten a bit but don’t pull all the way or it will unravel.

Finally, take the loose ends and pass them back to the right one more time through the newest loop you just created. That’s it! You can leave the knot pretty loose or tighten it up a bit more.

To finish off the looped end of the necklace, we’re going to make a gathering knot with embroidery floss, leaving a loop opening at the end. I left about an inch of loop and then wrapped about a half inch with the gathering knot.

To make the gathering knot, start with a tail of floss pointing upwards with a loop at the bottom. Then wrap the floss tightly like normal around the rope from top to bottom, making sure to leave the top tail and bottom loop exposed. When you’ve finished wrapping, thread your working end through the bottom loop, then pull on the top tail. The bottom loop and working end should pull up underneath the wrapped section. Pull on the top and bottom to tighten, then trim the ends and tuck them under the wrapped area for a seamless look.

On the other side with the two loose ends, make a double knot, trying to make a somewhat round shape that will fit into the loop at the other end. When it's right, tighten the knot and then trim the ends.

That’s it, the necklace is finished! Now put it on and flaunt your good work.