Macrame Cord Length Calculator
Enter your finished project length, number of cords, and knot density to get the exact cut length per strand and the total cord to buy - no manual formula needed. Nothing uploaded.
Results
Show in inches
Learn more: how much cord a macrame project needs
The density multiplier
Each knot pulls cord out of the working length, so a strand has to be cut several times longer than the finished piece. Macrame for Beginners' guide to measuring cord lengths gives roughly four times the project length as a general rule, and eight times when the cord is folded in half with a lark's head knot. It adds that patterns with many knots need more cord, that thicker cord needs more, and that braided and 3-ply rope uses more length per knot than a single strand.
The tool turns that into three presets. Loose spiral knots use 4x, medium square-knot work 6x and dense wrapped patterns 8x. The 4x and the doubling for folded cord follow the guide, while 6x and 8x are the tool's own estimates, so test a knot with your cord if the pattern is tight.
For a 20 inch strand at medium density (6x), tied straight and not folded, each strand is cut at 20 x 6 = 120 inches. Four strands come to 480 inches, and the 10% margin brings the purchase to 528 inches, or 44 feet.
Folded cord
With the lark's head mount, each cut cord is folded in half over the ring or dowel, so one cord gives two hanging strands. The tool doubles the cut length for that reason. The input then counts cords to cut, not hanging strands.
Take the same 20 inch piece at 6x with 4 folded cords. Each is cut at 20 x 6 x 2 = 240 inches, the total is 960 inches, and with the margin you buy 1,056 inches, or 88 feet. That gives 8 hanging strands, each with the same working length as in the straight example. If you enter 8 cords by mistake, the tool will double the amount.
FAQ
Why add a 10% margin?
Tension and knot size vary, and the guide says to cut more than you think you need and to allow extra for fringe. A short strand part-way through means redoing it, so the margin is cheap insurance. The 10% is the tool's default, so add more for a long fringe.
Does the type of project change the multiplier?
No, knot density does. A tightly knotted bracelet and a tightly knotted plant hanger both use the dense multiplier, applied to different finished lengths. Cord thickness and type change the real figure too, per the guide.
What if my pattern mixes loose and dense sections?
Work out each section on its own with its own density and add the lengths together. One blended multiplier tends to under-supply the dense sections and over-supply the loose ones. The guide also describes a precise method: tie a knot, mark it, untie it, measure the cord it used, and multiply by the number of knots.