Macrame Tree Ornament

https://youtu.be/B-ruTzWJ2pk

A tiny macrame tree ornament is one of those crafts that looks way fancier than it actually is. You only need rope, a bead, scissors, and a comb, and the whole thing comes together with one basic knot repeated a few times.

This is a great project if you want a handmade ornament that feels warm and natural, but you don’t want to spend the whole afternoon measuring a giant wall hanging. It’s small, forgiving, and easy to customize. Use natural cotton cord for a soft look, green cord for a Christmas tree feel, and jute and wood beads if you like rustic ornaments.

The main technique here is the square knot, worked around a folded piece of jute rope. Once the knots are stacked tightly together, you brush out the cord and trim it into a tree shape. That’s it. Simple, cute, and very giftable.

Gather your supplies before you start

This ornament works best when the materials have a little texture. Soft cotton macrame cord brushes out nicely, while jute rope gives the center a sturdy, rustic hanger.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Jute rope for the center hanging loop

• 20 pieces of macrame cord, each cut to 6 inches

• 1 bead with a hole large enough for the jute rope

• Sharp scissors

• A comb or pet brush for fringing the cord

• Optional tape or clipboard to hold the rope while knotting

  
  

For the jute rope, cut a piece long enough to fold in half and still leave a few inches below the knots. Something around 12 inches is usually comfortable to work with. You’ll trim it later, so don’t worry if it feels a little long at first.

For the macrame cord, 3 mm single-strand cotton cord is easy to comb out and shape. You can use 4 mm cord for a chunkier tree, but the ornament will look fuller and a bit less delicate. Braided cord can work, but it won’t brush out as softly, so single-strand cord is the easiest choice for this style.

The bead is partly decorative and partly practical. It sits at the top of the tree and gives the ornament a finished look. A natural wooden bead looks beautiful with jute, but painted beads, metallic beads, or even small clay beads can work too.

Quick tip: Cut one 6-inch cord first and use it as your measuring guide for the rest. That keeps the pieces close in size without pulling out a ruler twenty times.

Set up the jute rope and bead

Start by folding your piece of jute rope in half. The folded end will become the hanging loop for the ornament.

Tie a knot about 1 inch from the folded end. This creates a small loop at the top, which you’ll use to hang the ornament from a branch, hook, gift bag, or garland.

Pull the knot snug, but don’t make it so tight that the loop twists badly. A neat little loop makes the finished ornament look cleaner.

Next, slide your bead onto the two loose ends of the jute rope. Push the bead all the way up so it rests against the knot you just made. The bead should sit right under the hanging loop.

If your bead hole is snug, twist the two rope ends together while you push them through. You can also wrap the rope ends with a tiny bit of tape to make a firmer point, then remove the tape after the bead is in place.

At this point, you should have:

• A folded loop at the top

• A knot about 1 inch below the fold

• A bead pressed against that knot

• Two jute rope strands hanging down below the bead

  
  

Those two strands become the center of your ornament. You’ll tie the macrame cords around them to build the tree.

If the rope keeps moving around while you work, tape the top loop to your table or clip it to a clipboard. You don’t need a fancy macrame board for a small project like this. You just need enough tension to keep the center rope from sliding all over the place.

Tie the square knots down the center rope

Now cut 20 pieces of macrame cord, each 6 inches long. These will create the body and fringe of the tree.

You’ll use two pieces of cord at a time to make each square knot. Since you have 20 pieces total, you’ll make 10 square knots.

Take two of the 6-inch cords and find the center of each one. Fold them in half so the ends meet. Place the folded centers around the jute rope, with two cord ends on the left side and two cord ends on the right side.

Think of the jute rope as the trunk of the tree. The macrame cords are the branches. The square knot wraps around the jute rope and locks those branch pieces in place.

Make a Left facing square knot

(The video says to start with a right facing knot but that was an error I actually start with a left facing square knot but as long as you alternate it doesn't matter too much.)

Fold one of the cords in half and place the folded side to the left. Place the rope over the center of the cord. Fold the next cord in half and place it over the rope with the folded side to the right.

Pull the tails of the first cord through the loop of the second cord on the right and press the tails of the second cord down through the loop of the first cord on the left.

Pull the cords gently to tighten. This is the first square knot.

Don’t yank too hard yet. You want the knot snug, but you’ll still need to adjust it so it sits neatly under the bead.

That first knot can feel a little awkward if you’re new to macrame, but once you’ve done it once or twice, your hands will remember the motion. Right side, tighten. Left side, tighten. Then repeat.

Now do the same thing from the opposite side.

Make a right-facing half knot

Fold one of the cords in half and place the folded side to the right.

Place the rope over the center of the cord. Fold the next cord in half and place it over the rope with the folded side to the left. Pull the tails of the first cord through the loop of the second cord on the left and press the tails of the second cord down through the loop of the first cord on the right.

Pull tight.

Keep adding knots

Pick up two more 6-inch cords and repeat the same process around the jute rope.

Make a right-facing half knot, then a left-facing half knot. Pull it snug.

Keep working back and forth this way until all 20 cords have been added. You should end up with a short stack of 10 square knots, each tied around the center jute rope.

As you work, push each new knot up toward the bead. You want the knots to sit close together, with very little gap between them. This tight stack is what gives the ornament its tree body once the fringe is combed out.

If one side looks longer than the other, don’t panic. Small uneven spots disappear once you brush and trim the cords. This craft is very forgiving.

Tighten, slide, knot, and trim the center rope

Once all the square knots are finished, take a minute to tidy the ornament before brushing it out.

Start at the top and slide all the knots upward so they sit snugly against the bead. You don’t want space between the bead and the first square knot. The bead should look like it belongs right at the top of the tree.

Then check the knots one by one. Tug gently on the cord ends to tighten anything that feels loose. You don’t have to pull with a lot of force. Just make sure the knots feel secure and the stack holds its shape.

When everything is tight and pushed into place, tie a knot in the jute rope underneath the last square knot. This bottom knot helps keep the macrame stack from sliding down.

Trim the extra jute rope below that knot. You can cut it close for a clean finish or leave a small bit showing like a little tree trunk. If you like the rustic look, leaving about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch below the knot works nicely.

This is also the moment to straighten the ornament. Hold it by the top loop and let it hang. If the center rope twists, gently rotate the knots until the front looks even.

Now it should look a bit like a shaggy little column of cord. The tree shape comes next.

Comb out the cords until the tree looks full

Use a comb to separate the macrame cord ends. Start at the bottom of the cord pieces and work upward, gently combing the strands apart.

If you start right at the knot and pull hard, the cords can tangle or stretch unevenly. Brushing from the ends first makes the process easier.

The goal is to make the cord look soft and full, almost like fringe. As the fibers separate, the ornament will get wider and fluffier. That fullness is what helps the final tree shape stand out.

A regular comb works fine for most cotton cord. If your cord is thick or stubborn, a small pet brush can separate the strands faster. Just go slowly so you don’t pull the knots loose.

Comb both sides and the front until the cords spread out evenly. Then shake the ornament lightly or tap it against the table to let the fibers settle.

A few tips for a fuller look:

• Comb the cords in several directions, not just straight down.

• Use your fingers to spread the fringe before trimming.

• Flip the ornament over and comb the back too.

• Don’t trim until the fringe is fully brushed out.

  
  

If you’re using jute or a rougher fiber for the outer cords, it may not become as soft as cotton. That’s okay. It’ll have more of a natural, twiggy look, which can be really pretty on a rustic tree.

Trim the fringe into a tree shape

This is the most satisfying part. Once the cords are brushed out, trim the sides into a rough triangle so the ornament looks like a little tree.

Hold the ornament by the hanging loop or lay it flat on your work surface. Use sharp scissors and start with small cuts. It’s much easier to trim more off than to fix a side you cut too short.

Shape the tree so it’s narrower near the bead and wider near the bottom. The sides don’t need to be perfectly straight. In fact, a slightly soft, uneven edge can make it look more handmade and natural.

Try this trimming method:

1. Start near the top and angle your scissors outward as you cut down one side.

2. Repeat on the other side, matching the angle as closely as you can.

3. Trim the bottom into a soft point, flat base, or gentle curve.

4. Hold it up and check the shape.

5. Make tiny adjustments until it looks balanced.

   
   

For a classic tree shape, cut the fringe into a triangle with the widest part near the bottom. For a more modern look, make the sides straighter and the bottom cleaner. For a whimsical style, leave the edges a little wispy.

If you accidentally trim one side too much, adjust the other side to match. Handmade ornaments don’t need machine-perfect symmetry. They just need to look intentional.

After trimming, comb the fringe once more. You’ll usually find a few long strands that escaped the scissors. Snip those away, fluff the cords with your fingers, and your ornament is done.

Easy ways to customize your ornament

Once you’ve made one, it’s hard not to make a few more. This DIY Macrame Tree Ornament is easy to change with different cords, beads, and finishing touches.

Here are some simple ideas:

Use colored cord

Change the bead

Add scent

Make a set

Add a trunk

Try forest green, cream, rust, burgundy, or soft sage for a seasonal look.

Use a wood bead for rustic style, a gold bead for sparkle, or a painted bead for color.

Tie the finished ornament near dried orange slices or cinnamon sticks for a cozy gift topper.

Cut some cords slightly longer or shorter to create trees in different sizes.

Leave a little jute rope showing at the bottom instead of trimming it completely hidden.

You can also use the finished ornament in more ways than just on a Christmas tree. Tie it onto a wrapped gift, hang it from a cabinet knob, add it to a wreath, or string several onto twine for a simple garland.

If you’re making these with kids, you may want to prep the cord pieces ahead of time. The square knot may take a little practice, but the brushing and trimming steps are fun and easy to help with.

Common little issues and how to fix them

Macrame is pretty relaxed, but tiny ornaments can get fussy because everything is close together. If your tree isn’t looking right yet, it probably only needs one small adjustment.

The bead slides around

Tie the top knot a little tighter, and make sure the bead is pressed firmly against it before adding the square knots. If the bead hole is large, the first square knot underneath will help hold it in place.

The knots look twisted

This usually happens when you repeat the same half knot instead of alternating sides. Make sure each square knot has one right-facing half knot and one left-facing half knot.

The tree looks too thin

Comb the cords more thoroughly. You can also use slightly thicker cotton cord next time, or make your cuts a bit longer than 6 inches if you want a wider tree.

The bottom looks messy

Comb again after trimming, then snip only the strands that stick out. Don’t try to fix everything in one big cut. Small trims give you more control.

The ornament curls to one side

Hold the top loop and gently pull the fringe downward. Then adjust the square knots so they sit centered on the jute rope. A light press under a book for a short time can also help flatten the fringe.

What your finished ornament should look like

When you’re done, the ornament should have a small hanging loop at the top, a bead tucked underneath it, a tight stack of square knots in the center, and soft brushed fringe trimmed into a tree shape.

The best part is that each one comes out with its own personality. Some look neat and tidy. Some look fluffy and rustic. Some look like tiny farmhouse trees. That’s the charm of making them by hand.

Make one as a test, then cut enough cord for a batch. Once your hands get used to the square knot rhythm, these little ornaments come together quickly. Put on a movie, make a stack of them, and you’ll have handmade gifts, tree decorations, and package toppers ready to go.