How To Make A Macramé Hanging Hammock Chair
Hanging basket chairs are popular for good reason - they are comfortable and relaxing and it is so easy to make a macramé hanging hammock chair... Here's how:
14/08/2021
thesorrygirls.com
Practical for both indoor and outdoor use, hanging basket chairs have become a very popular home and garden accessories these past few years. Making a hanging hammock chair, which is pretty much the same thing, is easy to make using basic macramé knots and this type of chair doesn't require any expensive steel or copper rings that some other types of macramé hanging hammock chairs.
What is also practical about making this chair using macramé knots is that you can choose between paracord or the type of rope you want to use for the hanging seat and also make it as large as you want. Builders have a large selection of natural ropes or shop online to find your nearest supplier. You can also find a wide selection of paracord colours and designs at Takealot.com. Prices vary so be sure to check for the best pricing since you need a lot of cord or rope for macramé.
YOU WILL NEED:
3 of 32mm pine or meranti dowels, cut to 760mm length
1 of 16mm pine or meranti dowel, cut to 914mm length
6 metres of rope or paracord, to hang the chair, min 12mm diameter
128 metres paracord or cotton or polyester rope, min. 6mm diameter
120-grit sandpaper or sanding sponge
Wood glue
Fixings for hanging the chair indoors or outdoors
TOOLS:
Drill/Driver
16mm diameter spade bit
Jigsaw or handsaw
Scissors
Clamps
Tape measure and pencil
Safety gear
HERE'S HOW:
Step 1
Cut all the dowels to length beforehand and sand the edges smooth. On [2] of the larger dowels place a long strip of painter's tape along the entire length to make it easier to mark a straight line. Mark at 50mm and 90mm in from both ends on both dowels. On [1] of the larger dowels, mark at 90mm in at both ends.
Step 2
Using the 16mm spade bit, drill holes through the marks.
GOOD TO KNOW: Place a piece of scrap wood underneath the dowels before drilling to prevent the underside of the holes from splitting.
Step 3
In this next step, you are going to join together the frame for the seat of the macramé hanging hammock chair. Below shows how the small dowels are placed in the holes in the larger dowels. Pour a bead of wood glue in the holes where the smaller dowels are pushed through to leave a 20mm piece of the top. After assembly, put aside for the glue to dry overnight.
Step 4
Thread and knot lengths of rope or paracord through the inner hole on both sides of the top dowel. You can use this to hang the frame to make it easier to start macramé knots for the hammock seat.
Step 5
Cut 16 x 8 metre lengths of rope or cord to start the knots on the frame. The first knot you will use is a Larks Head knot to attach all 16 lengths onto the dowel as shown below.
Step 6
The remainder of the seat is made by using a Box knot until you have enough length for the seat about 1.8 metres in length.
Step 7
Working with groups of four cords at the same time, knot to the bottom dowel frame. Make sure the cords are not twisted before tightening. For an extra-strong knot to secure the seat to the dowel, split each strand of four in half and tie in two separate knots. Repeat until all the cords are tied off on the dowel frame.
Optional
To finish off the seat and to make the fringe, skip the first two cords and create a row of box knots but leaving off the two last cords at the opposite end. On the next row skip four strands at both ends and on the skip the first and last six strands. Repeat this process to create an inverted triangle.
The hanging hammock chair is now ready to hang from a ceiling beam or roof truss using heavy-duty fixings and double-checking for safety before use.
Step-By-Step Video
The Sorry Girls (thesorrygirls.com) have posted a comprehensive video on making the macramé hanging hammock chair. Use the measurements stated above since the original is in Imperial and not metric measurement.