Make This:

Classic Knotted Belt

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This classic belt has a nautical influence and is a great wardrobe staple. Make your own so it’s the perfect size to fit you.

Belt made with nautical style macrame knotting.

Materials and Equipment:

– sugar ‘n cream yarn – 80 yards, this is “ecru”

– 1.25-1.5 inch wide buckle or pair of D rings

– ruler

– scissors

– a dull needle with a large eye

– pins (optional)

– cork panels (optional)

– fray check (optional)

 

I worked this belt by pinning it onto a cork panel. All you really need is resistance, though, so you could just as easily tie a loop of yarn to the belt and hook it over something like a doorknob.

Cut 8 pieces of yarn that are 2x as long as they need to be (you’ll be folding them in half.) I was able to make about 42 inches of belt from yarn that was cut 10 yards long and folded in half so that each working strand was 5 yards long.

 

Fold the strands in half and use a lark’s head knot to tie them to one of the rings (or to the buckle, if you’re using that instead.)

(If you’re using a buckle you can skip ahead to where you start making square knots.)

 

To secure the second ring you need to loop the pairs of yarns through it, in a similar way to how the lark’s head was made. Make a half hitch knot (NOT a double half hitch knot) to the right with one strand, then to the left with the next strand.

This image shows the first (left) half of a knot.

This image show two pairs of strands, both tied with half hitch knots to the second ring. It’s going to be pretty wobbly and loose, don’t worry about that.

Pull up the strands so they’re taught and tie a square knot with those four strands. This will lock them in place.

Repeat that with the other 3 sets of 4 strands.

 

(If you’re using a buckle, tie 4 square knots all the way across and continue with the rest of the project as normal.)

Work a total of 7 whole rows of alternating square knots, then continue the alternating to a point at the center.

Tie a row of double half hitch knots over the farthest left strand with the other strands on the left.

Allow the strand you just tied knots around to join the strands on the right side.

Tie a row of double half hitch knots over the right most strand with the rest of the strands on the right.

Let the right side strand join those on the left, and repeat with a second row of double half hitches.

Make 4 rows of flat square knots, each containing 4 full square knots.

Work 2 rows of double half hitches below.

Switch back to alternating square knots – work a square knot over the first 4 strands to the left, then set the 2 farthest left aside and work a square knot over the next 4 strands.

Work a square knot on the first 4 and second 4 strands.

Repeat that on the right side of the V.

 

Then start from the top – work 6 more rows of alternating, then down to a point and continue as before.

When the belt is long enough to go around your waist switch to just doing alternating square knots for a few inches. If you’re using a buckle you’ll be able to push the buckle prong through the mesh, and if you’re using 2 D rings it’s flexible enough to tighten down securely.

 

When you have a few extra inches of length to handle the buckling mechanism, you’ll also want add a nice sturdy tab at the end. To make this, work at least 6 rows of double half hitch knots.

This is the back of the 6 rows of double half hitch.

Thread the farthest right strand onto the needle. Weave it through the next diagonal row of loops above it (if you weave it through the row it’s coming out of you will be undoing knots you made.)

Pull the yarn through but don’t over-tighten.

Repeat this with each strand of yarn on the right.

Do the same thing on the left. You’ll have to overlap with the first set of strands. Make sure everything weaves at least to the center.

When it’s all woven it you’re ready to trim. I added some fray check along where I was going to trim for security, but that’s optional.

The tails are trimmed and the belt is ready to wear!