How to Make a Macrame Lawn Chair

Make a macrame lawn chair for your yard! This upcycling project is easy, and you can customize it too.

DIY Upcycle: How to Make a Macrame Lawn Chair

Macrame Chair DIY Project

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I’ve been noticing a lot more macrame furniture out there lately. I love macrame and a macrame lawn chair is one of those DIY crafts that I have always wanted to try!

In the spirit of getting my place cleaned up for spring, I decided to upcycle some of my lawn chairs that have seen one too many summers. The chairs have perfectly good metal frames and just need new webbing, making it them perfect macrame project candidates!

As I searched for macrame pattern inspiration, I noticed there’s a major lack of detailed instructions. So I decided to experiment and create my own pattern.

I went ahead and mocked it up so you won’t have to go through the same exhaustive search I did. You can download it HERE (for free).

Supplies:

200 yards of 6mm macrame craft cord (I did 100 yds of each color)
2 19.00mm crochet hooks
Metal lawn chair frame
scissors
lighter
pattern (download mine here)

Let’s Get Started!

Step 1: Remove Fabric from Chair

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Using scissors, remove the webbing or fabric from your chair. Clean the frame.

Step 2: Start Weaving on Straight Parts of the Chair

To start your chair, you’ll want to place your roll of macrame cord on the ground inside the macrame chair frame. This is the easiest placement of the cord for the entire weaving process.

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Starting on the seat bottom frame, make a double square knot, leaving about 6″ of slack at the end. Keep in mind that you are only going to weave on the straight parts of the chair frame, leaving the rounded edges bare.

Step 3: Continue Weaving Top of Frame

Now take your cord up, below the center bar and up over the top of the frame. (See pictures below)

Then, loop the cord over the top of the chair frame and pull it around to the outside. Push your crochet hook through the loop you just made.

Be sure to pull the cord tight so the hook doesn’t fall out. Also, in order to make sure you will be able to get your hook through the next time around, make sure the loop is resting on the fattest part of the hook.

Trust me, this will make your life much easier as you continue!

Step 4:

Bring the cord back down, underneath the center bar, and over the front of the seat frame. Wrap the loop over the frame and pull it under to the outside of the first couple of cords.

Just as you did before, push the crochet hook through the loop, having it rest on the fat part of the hook. Pull the loose cord tight and continue.

Step 5: Work on the Chain Stitches

Now, bring the cord back up the chair just as you did before — underneath the center bar and up over the top of the frame. This time, pull the loop around the frame and back in between the cords.

Grab the new loop with the crochet hook and pull it through the first loop making your first chain stitch.

Same as before, make sure this new loop rests on the fattest part of the hook. Pull the free cord tight and continue back down the chair frame.

You will repeat this same procedure across the frame until you’ve created enough cords for your pattern. (For our pattern we needed 26 pairs)

Your first couple of chain stitches may have three cords, the rest will only have two. This is fine, just be sure to count the number of cords you need for your pattern correctly.

Step 6: Secure the Vertical Weave

Once you’ve made it close to the end of the chair frame, it’s time to finish off and secure the vertical weave.

When it looks like you need to do one more pass, take your cord and measure out how much cord it will take to complete the last pass. Then add about 6″-8″ to that length and cut the cord.

Take the cord and continue your last weave just as you did before. When you get to where you make your chain stitch, pull the end of the cord all the way through the loop.

Make sure it’s tight. This may be where you are done if so, skip to where we tie the cord off.

If you still have one more loop to make, take the remaining cord and continue on down the chair and make another loop.

Once again, pull the chain stitch all the way through with your hook. Pull the cord to make sure it’s tight, and make a double square knot super close to the base of the cord.

To seal off the cord, you have a couple of options.

You can take the remaining end and weave it on back down the frame of the chair. Or, you can trip the cord and seal it with a lighter. This is completely up to you.

Starting the Horizontal Weave:

The steps for starting the horizontal weave are exactly the same as the vertical weave, the only difference is that this is where your pattern comes to life! So you will be doing some extra weaving (and thinking) during these steps.

Some things to keep in mind as you start your horizontal weave is that you will start at the front seat of the chair and have your roll of cord either to the left of you or underneath the center of the frame as you did before for the vertical weave.

You will start on the bottom seat and work towards the back and finish it off just as you did the vertical weave. Then you will start the back of the seat frame as a separate weave.

Step 7: Start the Horizontal Weave

Start the horizontal weave on your macrame lawn chair just as you did before by tying a double square knot to the frame, leaving about 6″ of slack. This is where your pattern starts, so weave your loop under and over across the chair until you get to the other side of the frame.

Just as you did before, take the loop over the frame and to the outside of the cords. Push the crochet hook through and pull the cord to keep tight.

Because you are weaving your cord, the other end of the cord is already back on the side you started.

Make a loop and pull it over and around the chair frame to the outside of the cords. Push your crochet hook through and pull the cord tight.

Start your next weave going back across to the other side of the frame. This is where your chain stitches start just as they did on the vertical weave.

Pull your loop around the frame and back in between the cords. Grab the loop and with your crochet hook and pull it through the loop, creating your first chain stitch.

Continue back to the other side and do the same.

Work across the bottom of the chair until you’ve come to the end of the bottom frame. When you finish the pattern, end it like you did the horizontal cords by cutting the end and singe.

Step 8: Weave the Back of the Seat

The pattern really makes your chair come to life!

Start the back of the seat just as you have the bottom seat and the vertical weave. You will start this part from the base of the chair, rather than the top of the chair.

Finishing the top of the chair is the same process as before.

And that’s it! The weaving can be confusing on the first part of this DIY.

Eventually, you will get the hang of it as you weave your way through the other parts of the chair frame. Simply follow the steps carefully and revel at your masterpiece!

Enjoy your new macrame lawn chair!

What other projects do you love to DIY for the summer? Share them with us in the comments section below!

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