{"title":"How to Make a Macrame Pillow Cover","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/macrame/how-to-make-a-macrame-pillow-cover","category":{"slug":"macrame","name":"Macramé"},"creator":{"name":"Ashley Embers","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxRJFZ_0hr99TFgCe6CXKQA","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mt_-JApYd8"},"tldr":"Make a no-sew macrame pillow cover with square knots, half hitch diamonds and a fringe edge. Cord lengths, sizing tips and ten photo steps.","totalDurationSeconds":496,"difficulty":"medium","tools":["wooden dowel","sharp scissors","measuring tape","masking tape"],"materials":["cotton macrame cord (4-5mm)","pillow insert"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Gather a Pillow Insert and Macrame Cord for the Pillow Cover","text":"Start with a pillow insert and a roll of cotton macrame cord. The insert is your size guide for the whole project. Measure its length, then plan to cut each cord about four times that measurement. A wooden dowel gives you something to tie onto while you work, though any rod or even a length of cord stretched tight will do."},{"number":2,"title":"Cut Macrame Cords and Fold Each One in Half","text":"Cut all your cords to length at once. You need enough to wrap around the pillow, so the mounted row should be about twice the pillow width. Fold each cord in half to make a loop. That loop is what goes over the dowel in the next step, and the two tails hang down to be knotted."},{"number":3,"title":"Mount the Macrame Cords on a Dowel With Lark's Head Knots","text":"Lay the dowel flat. Put the loop of a folded cord under the dowel, bring the tails over and through the loop, and pull snug. That is a lark's head knot. Repeat with every cord, pushing them close together along the dowel. Leave the knots even and tight so the top edge of the pillow cover is straight."},{"number":4,"title":"Tie the First Row of Macrame Square Knots","text":"Take four cords at a time. The outer two do the tying and the middle two stay still. Cross the left cord over the center, pass the right cord over it, under the center and up through the loop. Then repeat in the other direction to finish one square knot. Work all the way across the dowel."},{"number":5,"title":"Tie Alternating Square Knot Rows for the Top of the Pillow Cover","text":"For the next row, skip the first two cords and take two cords from one knot and two from the next. Tying across neighbouring knots links the rows into a net. Keep alternating until you have covered about a third of the pillow length. Leave a couple of cords free at each edge so the panel can wrap around later."},{"number":6,"title":"Tie Half Hitch Diamonds in the Middle of the Macrame Pillow Cover","text":"Divide the hanging cords into even groups and tape each one so they stay separate. In each group, hold one outer cord diagonally across the others and tie half hitch knots onto it, working toward the center to make a V. Tie a double square knot in the middle, then bring the diagonals back out to close the diamond."},{"number":7,"title":"Finish the Row of Macrame Diamonds","text":"Repeat the diamond in every group across the panel. Hold the insert behind the work to see how the diamonds will sit on the front of the pillow. When the row is done, tie more rows of alternating square knots below to match the top band. This section goes faster than the diamonds."},{"number":8,"title":"Knot the Back Panel of the Macrame Pillow Cover","text":"Take the piece off the dowel and turn it so the finished front faces down. Fold the two sides in so they meet, then keep knotting down the back the same way: square knot rows, a diamond row, and square knots again. Use the free edge cords to tie the side seam closed as you go."},{"number":9,"title":"Cut the Top Loops and Tie the Pillow Cover Closed","text":"Cut each lark's head loop at the top so you have two loose ends. Tie the ends from the front panel to the ends from the back panel, closing the top edge of the cover. Keep the ties even. Ashley later unpicks these ties for a softer ruffled edge, so leave the ends long enough to fringe."},{"number":10,"title":"Insert the Pillow and Trim the Macrame Fringe","text":"Slide the pillow insert into the cover. It will be snug, because knotting pulls the panel in. Tie the bottom cords front to back to close it, cinching the cover tight around the pillow. Trim the fringe to an even length with sharp scissors, then brush the cut ends out with your fingers."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-10-10T16:02:45.282Z","published":"2026-10-10T16:02:38.369Z","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."}