This macramé deck chair is the prettiest seat of the summer—renew an old deck chair with knots
Give an old deck chair a fresh sling with macramé. Finish the seat with long fringes that dance freely in the summer breeze.
Size: knotted section 98 cm × 43 cm + bottom fringe approx. 20 cm.
Macramé deck chair—materials:
Kieppari recycled cord by Suomen Lanka, natural white (no. 2) 108 m and linen beige (no. 3) 96 m
scissors and tape measure
sturdy but thin cardboard or, for example, a ruler of suitable height
deck chair (second-hand find)
Macramé deck chair—instructions:
1. Cut 18 strands of natural white cord and 16 strands of linen beige cord, each 6 m long.
2. Attach the cords to the top rail of the chair from left to right in the following order: 6 white, 8 beige, 6 white, 8 beige and 6 white cords. Use reverse lark’s head knots: fold the first cord so that 3.5 m lies to the left and 2.5 m to the right. Fasten the second cord as a mirror image, with 2.5 m on the left and 3.5 m on the right. Attach the remaining cords in the same alternating way.
Row 1: *Take 4 cords and tie 1 square knot*. Repeat *—* 16 more times = 17 square knots.
Row 2: Leave 2 cords straight, tie 16 square knots on the row.
Row 3: Work as Row 1. Cut a strip of cardboard at least 20 cm wide and 2 cm high, or use a ruler of the same height, to help with the next row.
Row 4: *Take 4 cords and tie 1 square knot 2 cm below the knots of the previous row*. Repeat *—* to the end of the row.
Row 5: Work as Row 2.
Row 6: Work as Row 1. Repeat Rows 4–6 another 14 times = 98 cm.
3. Fasten the cords that come from the square knots to the top rail of the chair from left to right as follows: *take the first cord from a square knot and attach it to the top rail with a reverse lark’s head knot. Leave the two middle cords of the same square knot untied. Then take the last cord of that square knot and attach it to the top rail with a reverse lark’s head knot*. Repeat *—* to the end of the row.
4. Work one row of square knots under the bottom rail of the chair = 17 square knots.
5. Trim the cords to about 22 cm and tie a knot at the end of each one.
Macramé knots used in the instructions
Single-strand lark’s head knot
Bring the cord over the rail from the front, then forward on the left side. Pass the cord over the rail from the back and through the loop you just formed; tighten.
Reverse lark’s head knot
Make a fold in the cord, take the fold over the dowel from the back, feed the cord ends through the loop and tighten the knot against the dowel.
Square knot
With four cords, make a two-part knot.
Step 1: Pass the left cord over the two center cords and under the right cord. Next, pass the right cord under the center cords and through the loop on the left to the front. Tighten the knot by pulling the cords in opposite directions.
Step 2: Pass the right cord over the center cords and under the left cord; pass the left cord under the center cords and through the loop to the front. Tighten the knot directly beneath the previous one.
