DIY Macrame Wall Hanging Ideas With Retro and Boho Designs

When designing and decorating our homes we’re quite commonly left with empty areas. Typically, it’s the empty wall sections that need a little bit of attention to truly stand out and make the room feel complete. In most instances, a DIY macrame wall hanging is the perfect answer.

Macrame Wall Hanging

They’re simple projects that can take many different shapes and there’s always a way to make this home decor unique. We’ll have a look at a few designs and ideas that we hope you’ll find exceptionally inspiring.

What are macrame wall hangings?

Macrame is a simple cotton material you can use to create wall art, hanging planters, clothing and various accessories. 

It’s commonly useful for wall hangings where it gets tied in knots to create a design. And it typically attaches to a dowel or wood piece which it hangs from.

These macrame wall hangings are common for bohemian themed areas. But they’re also beautiful with just about any house decor.

How to Hang a Macrame Wall Hanging

There are a few different ways to hang your macrame, whether you want to secure it to the wall or hang it from the ceiling.

  • Connect a key chain to the hanging attachment of your macrame and hang it from a hook.
  • Use a wire or clothesline cord and attach it to each end of the dowel. Then hang it from a hook, pushpin or nail.
  • Hook the loops at the top of your macrame design to hooks.
  • Use a coat hanger instead of a clothesline cord. 

There are numerous and clever ways to hang your macrame designs.

How to Clean a Macrame Wall Hanging

Cleaning your macrame wall hangings isn’t usually difficult. And you can clean it in just a few minutes. 

Most wall hangings are easy to spot clean with cool water, damp cloth and detergent.

If you want to deep clean your wall hanging, fill up a bucket the size of your macrame with cool water.

Then let the macrame soak in the water with a little bit of soap or detergent.

Next, wring it out until the water runs clear of dust and soap. You can dry it with a cotton towel and let it hang until it’s completely dry.

Inspiring Macrame Wall Hanging Designs

Driftwood and Cotton Cord Wall Art

Driftwood and Cotton Cord Wall Art

The combination of driftwood and cotton cord has a nice casual vibe to it. And you can use it to create all sorts of lovely gallery wall hanging decorations, like this one on danslelakehouse.

The design is really simple but that’s the beauty of it. All that you need to make something similar is a branch or a piece of driftwood (if not a dowel would work too), cotton cord and dye of any kind in any color you prefer.

Detailed but Simple

Detailed but Simple

The beautiful thing about macrame wall hanging projects is that you can create various patterns and multicolor designs. These have detailed designs but it is still a simple project suitable for beginners.

The supplies you need include a wooden dowel and scissors. You’ll also need 100 yards of 6mm colored macrame cord and 50 yards of 4mm neutral cord. You can find all the instructions and the details on clubcrafted.

Floral Wire for Shapes

Floral Wire for Shapes

You can also make some pretty interesting shapes using macrame cord in various different colors. Of course, sometimes the cord alone is not enough. You can use floral wire to create the shape that you want and to make sure it holds.

And you can cover it up with colored cord. That’s the technique that was used to make this perfect piece. It’s a minimal multicolor design, but nevertheless interesting and eye-catching wall hanging. Check out aprettyfix to find out all about it.

Related: Fun And Fresh Kitchen Wall Decor Ideas You Need To See

Rainbow Wall Hanging 

macrame rainbow wall hanging

There are quite a few noticeable similarities between this wall hanging home decor and the previously mentioned one. The design in this case has a distinctive rainbow-inspired look.

Another difference is that this project makes use of thick cotton rope rather than regular cotton string, although either option could work.

You can also customize the rainbow however you want if you decide to craft something similar. Change the colors, add more and enjoy coming up with different combinations. You can find more details on akamatra if needed.

Delicate and Bohemian

Macrame Wall Hanging

If you want something that looks delicate and bohemian, consider this beautiful macrame wall hanging design from hellonest. It’s a lot easier to make than you might think to make this gallery wall home decor.

And it doesn’t take long once you get the hang of it. You’ll need one to two skeins of 3mm macramé cord, a wooden dowel and scissors to make something just as beautiful. As always, you have the option of using dyes to color the cord if you want to.

DIY Clay and Macrame Wall Hangings

Macrame Wall Hanging

Just because you’re making a macrame wall hanging doesn’t mean you can’t also include other materials into your home decor. How about using some air-dry clay to add a few quirky bits to the design?

It doesn’t need to be anything fancy or complicated. Use a rolling pin and cookie cutters to make cute shapes out of the clay, let them dry and then hang them together using cotton cord. Check out gatheringbeauty for more macrame wall hanging ideas and inspiration.

Heart Shaped Wall Art

Macrame Wall Hanging

A lot of macrame wall hanging have these abstract patterns which can look really cool. But they don’t necessarily resemble anything. However, if you want to you can also create home decor a bit more specific, like this lovely heart-shaped pattern suggested on iheartmaggie.

It’s subtle but it still manages to stand out and the design as a whole is versatile. This was made using 4mm cotton rope and if you want to see all the steps and how to make something like this for yourself there’s a tutorial that you can check out.

3D Effect Tassles

Macrame Wall Hanging

We really love the 3D effect that the tassels give to this macrame wall hanging. This home decor was actually made using a kit. But you can easily put together all the supplies and create a version of this design.

You can hang this from a branch or you can use a rod or a dowel if you prefer a smooth and straight line. You can find out more about the kit and everything else involved in the project from dreamgreendiy.

Crochet Pattern

bunny boho crochet macrame hanging

If you want something chic and beautiful to hang as a backdrop for one of the walls or to decorate a little section of the room with, consider bunting. Of course, not just any kind will do and since we’re focusing on macrame wall hangings right now.

This boho crochet pattern that we found on picotpals would be absolutely perfect. It’s a bit retro and a bit quirky and at the same time it’s delicate and elegant home decor.

Ombre Effect

Macrame Wall Hanging

Adding a little bit of color to your macrame wall hanging can look really nice with an ombre effect. You could pretty much use any kind of dye you want to since cotton absorbs color really well.

Of course, textile dye is preferred. To create the ombre effect you need to soak the cord in colored water and then start to gradually remove it, leaving in more the parts that you want to have a darker and deeper tone. Check out sugaranddinosaurs for additional details.

Herb Plant Hangers

macrame wall hanging for herbs

This is more than just a pretty wall hanging. It’s also a really cool design for a hanging herb garden. To make this you need a pole that you can attach to a wall (like a curtain rod for example) and lots of nylon rope.

To recreate this exact pattern, start by cutting 32 pieces or rope around 120” long, then tie them onto the pole and group them into 4 sections. Weave a V shape into each section using the Half Hitch Knot technique then repeat to add another row.

Tie a square knot at the center of each section and then make the sections that will hold the planters. Check out the instructions on myfrenchtwist.

Wood Stick Macrame 

wall hanging on a wood stick

Here’s another simple macrame pattern that looks really beautiful as a decorative piece. You can see here how it looks in combination with a wooden branch as support.

That gives it a little bit of character and adds an organic touch to the design. The bottom section is extra long which is nice if you want to highlight a room with a high ceiling.

That is subject to change as you can customize the design and proportions. For more details about this lovely pattern check out the tutorial on heylilahey.

Large Macrame Wall Hanging

Macrame Wall Hanging

Symmetry is a nice touch, especially in the context of designs like this one. This boho-chic macrame wall hanging looks beautiful especially if you pair it with driftwood rather than rods or dowels.

Use this as a backdrop for one of the walls in the bedrooms. Or you can add it to the living room to bring more warmth and texture into the decor.

Everything you need to know about this macrame wall hanging pattern and how to get it can be found on green-bird.

Cotton and Dowels

wall hanging made from cotton and wooden dowels

As you can see, a lot of the designs are basically just a different iteration of the same combination of materials: cotton string and wooden dowels. The combinations that can be created using these two simple things are infinite.

Take this design from placeofmytaste for example. It starts off like many others but then it takes a twist, quite literally. You can also come up with your own unique macrame wall hanging version or various patterns and designs that you like.

Woven Yard Wall Art

woven yarn wall hanging

Weaving can be a lot of fun if you’re doing it as a hobby or as part of a small DIY project. If you’re lacking the tools for weaving that shouldn’t stop you because there’s a super easy way to make yourself.

All you need is a little loom out of a picture frame and some crochet yarn. You’ll also need a dowel. You can then go ahead and start weaving some cool macrame wall hanging pieces like this one that has golden accents in it. You can check it out on earnesthomeco if you want the full tutorial.

DIY Macrame Hanging

pink and white macrame wall hanging

If you want your wall hanging to look more organic you can swap the dowel or the branch with a piece or heavy rope. This way it won’t be as rigid but it will still retain its shape quite nicely.

You can also combine several of the techniques on this list to create a beautiful custom macrame wall hanging. For example, you can dip the ends of the string in dyed water to create an ombre effect.

Or you can apply the dye directly using a brush. As for the macrame pattern, there’s a tutorial on greenweddingshoes. And it explains how you can get this particular design which has a lot of character and elegance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ

Is macrame popular again in 2022?

Macrame is a good material for boho-themed spaces. And it is expected to remain and even gain popularity as you can use the wall hangings for house plants.

How much does it cost to make a macrame wall hanging?

These wall hangings can cost anywhere from $10 to $80 depending on the design, size and color if you buy them outright. You’ll probably spend around the same to buy the materials to make your own. 

How do I secure my macrame to the wall?

You can use hooks, screws, pushpins or anything that secures into the wall to hang your macrame. 

Is macrame easy to do?

While the wall hangings look complex, it’s actually a simple project to learn. All you need to know is a few basic knots to create amazing macrame designs. 

Macrame Wall Hanging: Conclusion

These are simple projects you can refer to learn and complete quickly. Replace empty wall space with a beautiful handmade macrame wall hanging.