In this article, I will share with you my recommendations for the 10 best macrame kits available on the market today, which include everything you need to get started on this great hobby. Happy crafting!
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If you are in a hurry, here is my quick recommendation for the best macrame kit for supplies. If you have more time, keep exploring!
Best Large Macrame Kit for Supplies
169pcs Macrame Kits for Beginners 3mm x 220yards Natural Cotton Macrame Cord Wall Hanging Kit, Best Macrame Supplies for Macrame Plant Hanger with Wooden Beads,Wooden Rings,Wooden Sticks,S Hooks
Table of Contents
Whether you are looking for the best macrame starter set for yourself, a gift for a loved one, or a new project or pattern, read on!
We will talk a bit about macrame, and describe each recommended macrame kit in some detail, but if you’re in a hurry here’s a quick list of my recommendations:
I recently took an introductory macrame class, and the teacher was a bit mischievous. She joked about how funny it is that macrame is now so trendy, and how when she first learned nobody even knew what BOHO meant. She said that back then they were more likely to say that macrame was “pretty, and basic.”
Then – true story – she glanced at what I was working so hard on and said “or sometimes, just pretty basic.”
Another big difference these days, in addition to macrame suddenly being so trendy and Bohemian chic, is that there are lots of really great macrame kits available, which can help even the beginner understand and learn how to do this fun, relaxing and rewarding creative hobby, and that come with everything you need to get started.
In this article, I’ll try to answer some basic questions, like:
What is macrame?
Is Macrame a Good Creative Hobby?
Is Macrame a Fun Hobby?
What do the best macrame kits include?
Who makes the best macrame starter kit?
What are the basic macrame knots?
What can you make with macrame?
Is Macrame Difficult to Do?
What kind of cord do you use for macrame?
Who makes the best macrame kits?
What is Macrame?
First I guess we should define macrame (or macramé) itself, which is a fiber craft which uses (hopefully) good quality cord, often cotton, in a series of knots (the most common are square knots and hitch knots) to make patterned textiles in various forms – often wall hangings, plant hangers, dream catchers, jewelry, or really anything you can imagine.
So a marcame kit is a wonderful package, often aimed at beginners, which includes everything you need to start knotting and make your own macrame pieces.
The best macrame starter kits will include the cord itself, as well as some basic bits and bobs you need in making various pieces – wooden beads, rods, circles and frames, hooks and other stuff. They will also have instructions on how to do macrame, including at least a few of the most basic and widely used knots.
Macrame kits are great ways to get yourself started and really learn this wonderful craft, and they make wonderful presents as well!
What do the Best Macrame Kits Include?
Really, even the best macramé kits are pretty simple affairs, and all of them have the same basic components:
- Macramé Cord
- Wooden Rings and Wooden, Plastic or Stone Beads
- Wooden Sticks / Dowels
- Written Instructions / Online Instructions/Videos
…so it comes down to the quality of all the supplies.
The macramé cord should be strong, soft and workable, and ideally a pure – even organic – cotton of very high quality. The best macrame cord will be easy to knot, look great and really last.
The beads, rods and various other pieces you knot into your creations should be designed in such a way that they are easy to work, for example beads with holes large enough to not cause frustration but still flow and fit well in the finished textile. They should also be well finished and consistently made and sized – believe me, these things are not a given, and some kits I’ve used have beads and other pieces that are cracked, warped, rough, oddly shaped and sized, and made with holes much smaller than the cord!
Finally, a macrame kit – especially the best beginner friendly kit – should have clear and easy instructions, and hopefully a good company and nice customer service behind the product in case you need more help. They may have specific patterns and plans for making, say, a plant hanger or a dreamcatcher, or they may just have materials and general instructions.
When this all comes together, you can learn macrame so easily, have so much fun, and end up with a really beautiful finished project – craft items you’ll be proud to show or to give as gifts!
So let’s get right into it, with the best macrame kits I’ve found, listed here from least to most expensive, with a bit of description for each kit. At the end of the article, in the Bonus section, we’ll get into the question of whether you can make money with macrame, but first…
Overview: Best Macrame Making Kits in 2022
- Maoqian 169 pc Macrame Kits for Beginners with Natural Cotton Cord, Wooden Beans and Rings
- MacraWish Macrame Keychain DIY Kit with 100% Cotton Macrame Cord
- Tephran 227 pc Macrame Starter Set Natural Cotton Cord Beads Dowels Rings
- Frocy DIY Macrame Wall Hanging Kit 100% Cotton Cord Wooden Dowels & Beads
- Aesthetic Creative Store Macrame Kit for 3 Plant Hangers 109 yds Cotton Cord
- Achart BOHO DIY Owl Macrame Wall Hanging Kit
- Earth Crafts Macrame Set Complete DIY Handbag Kit
Best Large Macrame Kit for Supplies
169pcs Macrame Kits for Beginners 3mm x 220yards Natural Cotton Macrame Cord Wall Hanging Kit, Best Macrame Supplies for Macrame Plant Hanger with Wooden Beads,Wooden Rings,Wooden Sticks,S Hooks
Best Macrame Keychain Kit
Includes 100% Cotton Macrame Cord 4mm, Macrame Keychain Supplies, Instruction Booklet, and Video for 3 Popular-Style Keychains
Best Macrame Kit for Various Projects
227pc Macrame Wall Hanging Kit. Macrame Plant Hanger Kit Supplies 225y Macrame Cord 3mm Beads Wood Dowels Rings E Book. Macrame Starter Set Hanging Plant DIY Craft Kits Adults Beginners
Best Macrame Wall Hanging Kit
2x Macrame Wall Hanging Kit + Froocy Macrame Starter Kit Includes: 100% Cotton Macrame Cord 3 mm + 2 Wooden Dowel + 8 Wooden Beads
Best Macrame Plant Hanger Kit
Makes 3 Macrame Plant Hangers with Easy to Follow Instructions for Adult Beginners - Includes 109 Yards 3mm Cotton Macrame Cord, Natural Wooden Beads & Custom Instruction Booklet
Best Owl Macrame Wall Hanging Kit
Macrame Wall Decor Boho Wall Decor Handmade Woven Wall Art Boho Ornament Wall Pediments Boho Decorations for Home (Beige, 12''x 30'')
DIY Macrame Kit - Craft Kits for Adults Beginners with Macrame Patterns Videos Cord Handles and Hobby Bag - Adult Starter Handbag Purse Kit
Best Macrame Kit for Supplies
- Design Pattern: None, just basic supplies
This Maoqian supply kit is the least expensive macrame set I would recommend – yeah, I have seen some ultra-cheap sets which seem to be featured on so many macrame starter set buyer’s guides, but the one you see most often (should I say the brand? Uhm, ok – it’s Tuparka) has such fragile, small and difficult to use parts that it’s pretty much unusable.
But not so with this Maoqian set, with high quality parts all the way through. Soft, workable cotton cord, strong and well finished plain wooden beads, rings and dowels, and lots of beautiful decorative beads as well. And the instruction book, while not having any specific design patterns, is one of the best I’ve seen at describing the basic knots.
A great way to learn macrame, and a great quality kit, the Maoquian is my top choice for budget macrame starter kits on the market today.
For an even better value, Maoqian also makes a bigger 169 piece macrame kit, and for only a few dollars more:
Best Large Macrame Kit for Supplies
169pcs Macrame Kits for Beginners 3mm x 220yards Natural Cotton Macrame Cord Wall Hanging Kit, Best Macrame Supplies for Macrame Plant Hanger with Wooden Beads,Wooden Rings,Wooden Sticks,S Hooks
Best Macrame Keychain Kit
Best Macrame Keychain Kit
Includes 100% Cotton Macrame Cord 4mm, Macrame Keychain Supplies, Instruction Booklet, and Video for 3 Popular-Style Keychains
- Design Pattern: Keychains
This inexpensive MacraWish macrame set is one of the best macrame kits for beginners, with very clear instructions on how to complete an easy and rewarding first project.
It doesn’t have miles of cord or tons of parts – just exactly what you need to make three nice looking keychains while learning the basics of macrame. The cord, though, looks and feels wonderful, and the hardware included is of very high quality.
The booklet is very clear and helpful, and there’s also an included link to a very well made instruction video.
Overall the MacraWish keychain kit is the perfect basic macrame set for the beginner – a great way to learn, and a great gift idea as well!
Best Macrame Dream Catcher Kit
Best Macrame Dream Catcher Kit
Includes 200 Yards Macrame Cord, Gold Ring
- Design Pattern: Dream Catcher
Nghtmrkt makes really wonderful macrame sets – two of them have made their way onto my list of best macrame kits. And this dream catcher kit is a really great choice if you’re just starting out, and not only want to really learn a wide variety of basic knots and techniques, but make something beautiful for your home while you’re learning.
There’s actually very little to this kit – no beads or dowels or other bits, just really luxurious and beautiful looking undyed cotton cord, a single golden metal ring and a fantastic instruction manual, which is clear and very well illustrated, and makes learning fun and effective. There’s also a link to video instructions, but the book is so good you might not need them.
The Nghtmrkt dream catcher set is a brilliant basic macrame starter set for the newbie, and one of the best macrame kits I’ve found for really learning and really having fun.
Best Macrame Kit for Various Projects
Best Macrame Kit for Various Projects
227pc Macrame Wall Hanging Kit. Macrame Plant Hanger Kit Supplies 225y Macrame Cord 3mm Beads Wood Dowels Rings E Book. Macrame Starter Set Hanging Plant DIY Craft Kits Adults Beginners
- Design Pattern: Various – Wall Hangings, Plant Hangers, Keychains, Place Mats, etc
While the last two recommendations in this buyer’s guide for macrame kits have been pretty focused, with just what you need to make a keychain or a dreamcatcher, this big Tephran starter set is very different, with lots of different beads, dowels and rings and plenty of cord to make lots of different things.
GJB is rightly proud of the fine cord this kit includes, which is strong and substantial, well finished and of premium unbleached cotton – really about as good as it gets at any price.
But to me, just as good are the strong, smooth and very usable beads and wooden fittings. The beads themselves come in plain blonde wood, or with patterns or different colors, and make for very versatile adornments for so many different projects.
The instructions and online tutorials are very good, but only cover the basics of macrame, and don’t include any actual patterns or specific projects – at least not that I could find. But of course you can find a gazillion (yes, I counted, and it’s exactly a gazillion) patterns and specific projects online in one form or another.
A really great starter set for the beginner and one of the best marcame supply kits for intermediate to advanced crafters, this GJB 132 piece set is a very good value, and makes learning and making super-easy and fun, as well as making very high quality items.
Best Macrame Wall Hanging Kit
Best Macrame Wall Hanging Kit
2x Macrame Wall Hanging Kit + Froocy Macrame Starter Kit Includes: 100% Cotton Macrame Cord 3 mm + 2 Wooden Dowel + 8 Wooden Beads
- Design Pattern: Wall Hangings
A premium quality kit for making two different, if equally beautiful, wall hangings, this Frocy set is a little more advanced than earlier recommendations in our macrame kit buyer’s guide. Actually it is still a good place to start, and the excellent instructions do cover the basics, and quite well.
But a couple of the patterns included are pretty complex – not at all high level, really, let’s just say advanced beginner. So if you are a pretty confident crafter, even if a total tyro when it comes to macrame, this set is a little challenging and a lot rewarding.
And the wall hangings are really quite lovely, larger than you might expect, and quite impactful, but with a refined quality which works well with almost any home decor – as do the unbleached cotton cord and the natural blond wood fittings.
A beautiful package that makes beautiful wall hangings, this Frocy macrame kit is highly recommended.
Best Macrame Plant Hanger Kit
Best Macrame Plant Hanger Kit
Makes 3 Macrame Plant Hangers with Easy to Follow Instructions for Adult Beginners - Includes 109 Yards 3mm Cotton Macrame Cord, Natural Wooden Beads & Custom Instruction Booklet
- Design Pattern: Plant Hangers
When we think macrame, we often automatically think macrame plant hanger, and really the two are made for each other.
And this Aesthetic Creative plant hanger kit is about the best one I’ve found, with clear and easy to follow plans for making three simple, beginner level plant hangers that look just fantastic when they’re done. Nothing terribly advanced as far as knot work, no highly complex weaves or arrangements, not a ton of embellishments, just nice, minimalist pieces, and a perfect kit for learning and really getting into this most rewarding of crafts.
Of course everything you need is included to make not just one beautiful macrame plant hanger but three, like 109 yards premium unprocessed cotton cord, natural wooden beads and full instructions, and it is all really good quality, and geared toward making nice, well balanced, attractive pieces even if it is your first time.
If you’ve plants that need hanging, or if you just want one of the best marcame starter sets on the market, the Aesthetic Creative kit is a perfect choice.
Best Macrame Wall Hanging Kit – Take Two!
DIY Macrame Wall Hanging Kit, 220 Yards Macrame Cord, Wooden Dowel
- Design Pattern: Wall Hangings
It might be because I’m a wee bit over-enthusiastic when it comes to macrame, or when it comes to all of these really great kits, but I really had intended this to be a list of maybe the five best macrame kits available, and now we’re at, what, eight? But really, that’s it!
Well, nine, if you really count the links…
Take this kit, for example – do I really need two wall hanging sets that are almost the exact same price? Well, yes I do, thank you very much! The Frocy kit above makes really strikingly attractive wall hangings, and offers a somewhat higher level of challenge, and this Nghtmrkt kit makes really strikingly attractive wall hangings, and offers a somewhat higher level of challenge. Oops!
Yeah, I probably could have cut one, but they are both fantastic beginner/intermediate macrame kits, that even advanced knotters might really enjoy, and I could never decide which to exclude. Of course, if you’re like me, you will probably end up with both.
Either way, though, the Frocy or this very high quality Nghtmrkt set, you will end up with a macrame kit with superior quality materials and excellent instructions, which will lead to beautiful wall art that you can enjoy – and be proud of – every day!
Best Owl Wall Hanging Kit
Best Owl Macrame Wall Hanging Kit
Macrame Wall Decor Boho Wall Decor Handmade Woven Wall Art Boho Ornament Wall Pediments Boho Decorations for Home (Beige, 12''x 30'')
- Design Pattern: Owl!
Just above, in my recommendation of the Nghtmrkt wall hanging kit, I subtly suggested that I’m a little too enthusiastic about these kits, that I perhaps love too many of them and should even cut back on my recommendations. But there can be no doubt that any list of the best macrame sets must include at least one owl, right?
Actually it’s kind of amazing how many macrame owl kits you can get – maybe macrame comes from some ancient indigenous language, and originally meant owl. But of all of them (Full disclosure – I’ve only tried a couple of them. Ok, a few of them.) this is the best.
To be fair, they all probably include pretty high quality materials, just like this Achart kit does, and lots of them make pretty darn handsome owls. So yeah, maybe it’s just personal preference, but this owl is so beautiful!
Plus, the pattern works brilliantly – this is a more intermediate kit, but not that difficult, and the different patterns and levels lay so flat, and come together so perfectly, that it looks like a much more advanced and difficult project than it really is.
Simple but also kind of fancy, elegant but whimsical, this Achart owl is one of my very favorite macrame kits, very high quality, fun, a little challenging and quite rewarding. And besides, owl!
Best Macrame Handbag Kit
DIY Macrame Kit - Craft Kits for Adults Beginners with Macrame Patterns Videos Cord Handles and Hobby Bag - Adult Starter Handbag Purse Kit
- Design Pattern: Handbag (multiple colors)
The final recommendation in my buyer’s guide for best macrame starter sets – the Earth Crafts DIY macrame purse kit – is a bit of a surprise, in that it is a real beginner’s kit, simple, straight forward and imminently completable, but leads to a handbag so beautiful and so fine that it looks like it was professionally made, like you pisces it up in a boutique. When you tell your friends that you made it yourself, they’ll just flip!
And possibly, in, I’m sure, a very subtle and offhand manner, start talking about their upcoming birthday.
I guess this is the only kit that doesn’t use undyed natural cotton, but it does have really premium grade cord that has been beautifully dyed. In fact, the link I’m providing leads to one of the colors (dove), but on the same page you can see, and choose from, five other colors – one of them, as it turns out, being undyed natural white.
In addition to the quality, beauty and usefulness of the finished product, one of the things I really like about this kit is that it really just requires the most basic knots, and a little patience and persistence. In this way it is a wonderful way for a beginner to learn the most important basic techniques, to practice and to fall into the kind of meditative, deeply calming and centering effect that makes macrame so delightful.
A beginners kit with truly advanced results, and a premium quality package all the way through, this Earth Crafts macrame purse kit is very highly recommended!
Tutorial: Some Basic Macrame Knots and Useful Links
One of the best things about any of the choices in this list of best macrame sets is the instructions – I’ve really focused on recommending sets that have not only really great quality materials, and fun and rewarding projects, but excellent printed and online tutorials as well.
That said, I still want to take a minute to at least talk about the three most basic macrame knots, with absolutely bare-bones descriptions and instructions – not because you need them, or will even necessarily use them, but because it might give you an idea of just what’s involved in this simple, relaxing and fun craft. And, I admit, because I like explaining things…
After this super-quick guide, I will give a few links to some YouTube macrame tutorial videos which go into more detail, from people who are clearly in love with macrame, and who do a very good job in teaching and explaining macrame techniques – from the basics to more advanced levels.
Three Basic Macrame Knots:
What Are the Most Important Macrame Knots?
How Do You Tie a Cow Hitch?
How Do You Tie a Square Knot?
How Do You Tie a Spiral Knot?
The Lark’s Head (AKA Cow Hitch): An incredibly simple knot, for securing cord to a hoop or other cord, the Lark’s Head is done by:
- Cutting your cord to the right length
- Joining the ends together
- Laying a hoop, dowel or other length of cord, on top of the cut cord
- Running the two loose ends over the hoop, dowel or other cord and then through the cord’s closed end
- Pulling the ends tight, so that (usually) they are the same length
The Square Knot: Once you have attached two Cow Hitch knots next to each other, and have four hanging cords, you can make a basic square knot:
- Run the far right cord over the middle two and then over the left
- Run the left cord under the middle two and then through the loop made by the right cord
- Pull the cords to tighten them
- Run what is now the left cord over the two center cords and under the right cord
- Run what is now the right cord under the two center cords and through the left loop
- Pull the cords to tighten them
The Spiral Knot: The most complex looking macrame knot, the spiral may actually be the easiest, as it is simply a series of half square knots. Again, have four cords hanging together on a hoop, dowel or other cord, and use a pretty good length, like maybe a yard, so you have room to practice. Then:
- Run the far right cord over the middle two and then over the left
- Run the left cord under the middle two and then through the loop made by the right cord
- Pull the cords to tighten them
- Keep repeating this half square knot, always starting on the same side, and you will begin to see it spiral
- Every five or so half square knots, you will need to turn the whole thing a half turn, and so you are now effectively starting on the left side. And then, five stitches and another half turn later, you are back to starting on the right side, and so on.
And that’s it – with these four basic knots you can do almost anything in macrame. Of course there are tons of variations and twists – sometimes literal twists! – but these simple and easy knots are the foundation.
Some Great YouTube Macrame Tutorial Videos
Where Can You Find the Best Macrame Tutorials?
What Are the Best Macrame Videos?
How Can You Learn Macrame Online?
And, as promised, to close this article on the best macrame kits on the market today, I’m going to provide links for some of the best YouTube macrame videos – tutorials on basic techniques and simple projects from people who really know their stuff, and whose love and enthusiasm is quite infectious!
- Top 5 Tips When Getting Started With Macrame
- ~everything~ you need to begin your macrame journey ! tools + tips + measuring techniques
- DIY | macrame layered wall hanging
- Macrame Plant Hanger | Tutorial | Beginner | Square Knot | Twisting Knot
- Macrame necklace tutorial – the simple En eventail pattern
- Macrame Pillow Cover Tutorial
- DIY Macramé Coaster
- DIY Easy And Simple Macrame Dreamcatcher For Beginner
And just a couple of my favorite macrame channels on YouTube:
Thanks so much for reading this article – A Thread Artist’s Guide to the Best Macrame Kit on the market today. I really hope it has been helpful in finding the perfect pyrography kit. And please make sure to check out our website – Art Side of Life – for more helpful tutorials, buyers guides, informational articles and lots of other resources for all kinds of crafting and all kinds of crafters!
Other articles in the Craft Tools series:
- Choosing the Best Macrame Cord for Your Projects
- A Knit Artist’s Guide to the Best Chunky Wool Yarn
- A Stitch Artist’s Guide to The Best Heavy Duty Sewing Machine
- A Stitch Artist’s Guide to the Best Small Sewing Machine
- A Stitch Artist’s Guide to the Best Cover Stitch Machines
- A Crafter’s Guide to the Best Candle Making Kit
- A Crafter’s Guide to the Best Soap Making Kits
- A Crafter’s Guide to the Best Stained Glass Kit
- A Pyrocrafter’s Guide to Popular Wood Burning Stencils
- A Pyrocrafter’s Guide to the Best Wood Burning Kit