How to Make a Toy Net

Read a macramé knot-tying guide or watch the knot-tying videos in the resources at the end of this article if you are not already familiar with the most common macramé knots. The most common knots used in macramé are the half hitch, the square knot, the spiraling square knot, the lark's head knot, and the hangman's noose knot.

This project will use the lark's head knot and the square knot. It will also use a knot called the fisherman's bend, which is most commonly used when tying hooks onto fishing lines. Keep in mind that any knot you choose to use will be fine, even a granny knot, if it is easier for you or your child. The important thing is to have fun; otherwise, you would just run down to the local dollar store and buy a toy net, right?

Cut two 8-foot-long guy lines. These will be the top and bottom of your net. Use T-pins to hold one line in place along the 6-foot side of the macramé board, with 1 foot of line hanging loose at each end.

Cut 48 6-foot-long pieces of 6mm macramé yarn, jute cord or coaxial cable. Fold each piece in half. Holding the looped end of one piece at a time, make a lark's head knot by running the loop under the guy line, then drawing the two hanging cords through the loop until the knot is tight. (See the resources section for a link to a video tutorial on tying the lark's head knot.) Continue tying lark's head knots every two inches along the guy line until all 48 lines have been tied.

Beginning with the right hand string of the first lark's head knot and the left hand string of the second, make a square knot about six inches from the guy line. Square knots are made by making an "L"-shape with the left hand line, winding the right hand line under the "L" and over it, making the left line become the right and vice versa. Repeat by making an "L"-shape with the new right hand line, winding it over and under the left and pulling tight. This should make a flat knot.

Refer to the video tutorial if you have any problems, or simply use any other knot that you prefer. There is no wrong way to make these nets, since they will be holding a light load of stuffed animals and dolls. Continue across the row of lark's head knots until the right and left lines of every two lark's head knots have been tied with square knots. The outermost left line and the outermost right line will not be tied in this step.

Starting with the outermost left hand line, take it and the right hand line of the previous row of square knots and tie them in a square knot, six inches lower than the first row of square knots. Continue across until all pairs of lines have been tied. Continue tying rows of square knots every six inches, skipping the outermost left hand line and the outermost right hand line every other row.

When you have only six inches of line left, attach the net to the second guy line using fisherman's bend knots. Tie the left ends of the two guy lines through an "O" ring; using a fisherman's bend knot, then repeat for the right hand lines and a second "O" ring. This will make an eye-shaped net. Attach the net to the wall using cup hooks. Fill the net with stuffed animals and dolls. If you have any problems, see the tutorial in the resources at the end of this article. The fisherman's bend video begins about halfway down the page, after the Spanish knot.