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Macramé Cord Length Calculator

Enter the finished length, the multiplier from your own knotted sample and how the cord is folded: get the cut length per strand, the spools to buy and the number of cords across a dowel.

Cut length per strand

Cut length per strand

420 cm

4.2 m

Spools to buy

Spools if leftovers are spliced

2

20 m in total. Counts leftovers spliced end to end.

Spools if no cut is spliced

2

4 whole cuts per spool

Your multiplier from a sample

Your multiplier

4 ×

Cord used ÷ knotted length, for your cord, knot and tension.

Cords across a dowel

Cells across

15

Actual gap 2 cm, up to 500 cells.

Estimates from the multiplier you give. Always knot a sample first: cord, knots and tension change the result.

How it works

  1. Knot a short sample, then enter the cord it used and the length it made to get your own multiplier.
  2. Enter the finished length, the multiplier, the folding (single or folded in half) and any fringe.
  3. Read the cut length per strand, then enter the number of cords and the spool length to see the spools to buy.
  4. Enter the width and the largest gap you accept to get the number of cords across, then copy the plan.

What people use it for

  • Wall hangings and plant hangers

    Cut every strand once, with the multiplier of your own knot and cord instead of a rule of thumb.

  • Buying cord for a batch

    Know the total length and the spools to order before you start a series of pieces.

  • Planning the dowel

    Find how many cords fit across a dowel or ring at the spacing you want.

Questions

How is the cut length calculated?
Cut = folding × (finished length × multiplier + fringe). Folding is 1 for a single strand and 2 for a cord folded in half (a lark's head). 50 cm finished, multiplier 4, folded, 10 cm fringe: 2 × (50 × 4 + 10) = 420 cm.
Which multiplier should I use?
Yours. Knots, cord thickness and tension change how much cord a piece eats, so no multiplier is universal. Knot a sample, divide the cord it used by the length it made (120 cm used for 30 cm knotted = 4) and use that ratio.
Why two spool counts?
The first is the minimum by total length: total ÷ spool length, rounded up. It assumes you can splice leftovers, which you cannot always do. The second keeps every cut in one piece: it counts the whole cuts one spool gives (floor of spool ÷ cut) and divides your cords by it.
Does the spacing guarantee the density?
No. It divides the width by the largest gap you accept and rounds up, so the real gap is a little smaller. How tightly the cords sit depends on their thickness and on the knots.