Macrame Cord Length Calculator

About this calculator

Macrame patterns typically call for cutting each cord to roughly 4 to 6 times the finished project length — the rule-of-thumb multiplier this calculator applies — because knotting (square knots, half hitches, spirals) consumes far more cord than the flat distance it covers; denser knot patterns need a multiplier toward the higher end of that range.

For cords that are folded in half and mounted onto a ring or dowel with a lark's head knot, the calculator doubles the per-strand length before totaling, since each mounted cord actually uses two working strands. Macrame crafters and fiber artists use this before cutting to avoid running short mid-project or wasting cord by over-cutting.