Books and Resources to Start Strong
Learning macramé fundamentals from experienced instructors will accelerate your skill development and help you avoid costly mistakes. These books provide structured instruction, design inspiration, and business guidance specific to fiber arts entrepreneurs.
The Complete Modern Macramé by Arounna Khounnoraj
This book covers essential knotting techniques with clear step-by-step photography and introduces contemporary design aesthetics. It’s practical for both beginners building foundational skills and experienced crafters looking to expand their repertoire into wall hangings, plant hangers, and jewelry.
Shop The Complete Modern Macramé on Amazon →
Macramé for Modern Living by Arounna Khounnoraj
This follow-up focuses on contemporary home décor applications and intermediate techniques that appeal to current market trends. The projects here are directly saleable—plant hangers, wall art, and functional pieces that align with what online buyers and gift shops actually want.
Shop Macramé for Modern Living on Amazon →
The Business of Craft by Elizabeth Busey
While not macramé-specific, this guide addresses pricing, production, marketing, and scaling a handmade business. You’ll learn how to calculate labor costs, manage inventory, and avoid the trap of underpricing your work—critical for profitability.
Shop The Business of Craft on Amazon →
Fiber Art Design by Kathryn Wynn Helms
This book explores color theory, composition, and sculptural approaches to fiber work. Understanding design principles helps you create pieces that command higher prices and stand out in a competitive market.
Shop Fiber Art Design on Amazon →
Equipment You Need
Macramé requires minimal equipment compared to many crafts, but investing in quality basics will improve your output speed and the finish quality of your products. You can start with under $100 and expand your kit as demand grows.
Cordage and Rope
- Cotton rope: 3mm, 4mm, and 5mm diameters. Most popular for wall hangings and plant hangers. Cotton breathes, accepts dye, and has a natural aesthetic that customers prefer.
- Jute twine: Creates rustic, textured pieces. Essential for certain design styles and a lower-cost option for practice.
- Hemp cord: Durable, natural feel, used for jewelry and smaller decorative pieces.
- Macramé cord (twisted): Pre-made macramé-specific cord in various sizes, easier for beginners but slightly more expensive per pound.
Shop cotton rope and macramé cord on Amazon →
Work Surface and Hanging Tools
- Macramé board: A cushioned, pin-friendly surface to hold your work while knotting. Standard sizes are 12×18 inches.
- T-pins or quilting pins: For securing cord to your board during knotting. You’ll need 20–30.
- Mounting hardware: S-hooks, carabiners, or wooden dowels for hanging finished pieces during production and display.
- Work table: A dedicated surface at least 3 feet wide. Doesn’t need to be expensive, but should be stable.
Shop macramé boards on Amazon →
Shop quilting pins on Amazon →
Measuring and Cutting
- Measuring tape: At least 60 inches, for laying out cord lengths before cutting.
- Ruler or yardstick: For precise marking.
- Scissors: Sharp, heavy-duty craft scissors that cleanly cut rope without fraying. Separate pair from paper cutting.
- Rotary cutter (optional): Faster for cutting many cord lengths consistently.
Shop heavy-duty craft scissors on Amazon →
Finishing Supplies
- Macramé cord sealer or glue: Prevents rope fraying at cut edges. Some crafters use clear-drying fabric glue or specialized macramé finishes.
- Tape (masking or painter’s): Wrapping cord ends before cutting to prevent fraying.
- Wooden beads or metal findings: For decorative accents and jewelry applications. Optional but increases product variety.
Shop fray check and fabric glue on Amazon →
Optional but Useful
- Weight or clamp: Holds cord tension steady while you work. Some crafters use fishing weights.
- Comb or card: Helps separate strands and create texture in finished pieces.
- Dyes (fiber-reactive): If you plan to dye your own cord, Procion dyes work well on cotton.
What to Buy First vs Later
Start lean and expand as you confirm demand. This approach keeps initial investment low and lets you learn what your customers actually want.
- First: One macramé board, pins, scissors, measuring tape, and 3–4 colors of 4mm cotton rope in bulk (at least 500 feet each). Total: $40–60.
- First: One of the instructional books above to learn techniques solidly.
- Second (after first 10–15 sales): Additional rope diameters and colors based on customer feedback. Jute and hemp cords.
- Second: Dyes and dyeing supplies if you want to offer custom colors. This increases perceived value and justifies premium pricing.
- Later: Rotary cutter, additional boards, bead or finding inventory, and production-scale quantities of high-demand colors.
New vs Used Equipment
For cordage, always buy new. Rope and cord degrade over time, can harbor dust or mildew, and are inexpensive enough that used inventory doesn’t save money meaningfully. Your material cost is a small fraction of your final product price.
For work surface items—boards, pins, scissors, and measuring tools—used is fine if you inspect quality first. A used macramé board is perfectly functional if the cushioning isn’t compressed. Check secondhand sources like local craft groups, estate sales, or Facebook Marketplace. However, don’t compromise on scissors; dull scissors frustrate you and slow production. Invest in new, quality shears.
Buy rope in bulk from wholesale suppliers when you can confirm which colors and diameters sell consistently. Bulk pricing drops significantly at 1,000-foot quantities, but only order what you’ll realistically use within 6 months.
Where to Buy
- Etsy Shop Supplies: Specialized macramé retailers like “Macramé School” and “The Knotty Bloke” sell pre-cut cord bundles and kits suited to specific projects.
- Craft Supply Wholesalers: Wholesale.com, BlueStone, and Dharma Trading offer bulk cordage at lower per-foot costs if you register as a business.
- Local yarn and fiber shops: Often stock natural fiber cord and can provide recommendations. Building relationships with local shop owners sometimes leads to wholesale discounts.
- Rope manufacturers: Contact cotton rope manufacturers directly if you plan to order large quantities (2,000+ feet). Many offer bulk pricing and custom colors.
- Secondhand marketplaces: Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and local Buy Nothing groups for used boards, pins, and tools.
- Amazon: Convenient for starter kits and individual supplies, though per-unit cost is higher than wholesale.