Large Macrame Rainbow Wall Hanging – Rope Rainbow
Learn how to make a large macrame rainbow wall hanging from rope and yarn! If you prefer a smaller one, check out this macrame rainbow charm tutorial. This post contains affiliate links.
While large macrame rainbow wall hangings are definitely a current trend, there’s something so timeless about rainbows, and toning them down just gives them more appeal.
Today, I’m sharing how to make a rope rainbow that’s large and supported so that it’s stable. While I originally made this as part of my series sharing Princess A’s first birthday part, it has appeal otherwise.
In this post:
- Tips for making large rainbow wall hangings
- What you need to make rainbow wall hangings with rope
- How to make a stable large macrame rainbow
Right now, the macrame rainbow wall hanging is in A’s room, and it looks lovely there. It’s a charming wall hanging for playrooms, nurseries, family rooms – or any space you want to look cheerful! It can even add a touch of home to a classroom!
I made this large macrame rainbow to match our first birthday party color scheme. I used light blue, teal, rust, and mustard yarn to make this. And while the party scheme was much more bright, this deeper take on the scheme totally worked – and even balanced out all the bright!
The colors might not match but they do coordinate as they are darker, more muted takes on the actual party colors. The tones work.
It’s also much prettier as wall decor like this, and it made more sense than trying to match the colors exactly but only almost matching it.
The large macrame rainbow wall hanging was made as decor for A’s party. We used it as part of her accidental cake smash photo shoot (more about that and the rainbow cake topper here).
We also had it sitting just above her high chair so that all the high chair photos came out adorable! The darker colors of yarn made it really pop. You can check out the high chair tutu we made too!
And finally, check out the first birthday hat we made. You can use the leftover yarn from your large macrame rainbow for the pom pom – which we made with tulle instead!
Tips for making large rainbow wall hangings
This tutorial is pretty flexible. First of all, you can go crazy with the colors.
I’d recommend sticking to 3-5 colors, depending on the size you make it.
First, swatch your yarns to see how you like it. Then, arrange them in order. Finally, decide on the weight of rope. I alteranted between Dollar Tree’s thinner and thicker rope.
To connect the colors of your large macrame rainbow, you can either sew them together or hot glue them. I chose to hot glue them. It is harder to keep neat and polished with hot glue, so if you’re making these to sell, you should probably sew it.
You may also want to include wire in your design. I used flat aluminum wire and held it against my rope as I wound it.
There are two ways to wire up your rainbow:
- I glued my yarn in place at the start. If you do this, glue the wire too.
- If you prefer to avoid hot glue since it can get messy, glue a cut-to-size piece of wire to your base rope for starters and then wrap without gluing.
Rope rainbows can be addictive to make – so don’t say I didn’t warn you! Enjoy the tutorial, and if you have any questions or comments, simply comment below!
And if you love this, give the macrame heart keychain tutorial a try too!
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What you need to make rainbow wall hangings with rope
- Rope – quantity is in direct correlation to the size of your arch so figure it out from there! I used Dollar Tree’s but if you don’t have one near you, and want smaller quantities, you can get it on Amazon too.
- Yarn in 3-5 colors. I used:
- Dollar Tree light blue (similar here)
- Super saver rust
- Super Saver mustard
- Homespun teal
- Sturdy wire – I used flat aluminum wire
- Scissors
- Comb – I used a hair comb, but one that’s designed for brushing out macrame rope would do a better job
- Cellophane or masking tape
- Good fabric scissors
- A ruler is recommended
- Clamps are recommended
- Hot glue gun – I used this one
How to make a stable large macrame rainbow
1. Tape off the length of rope that you want to trail/hang to form a fringe. Start wrapping. If you’re not using glue, you can start with a lark’s head knot and wrap the working end of the yarn around the loose “tail” end.
I first wrapped my first rope to see how I liked it and measured the others only after.
2. Add a length of wire. Either insert it into your first few wraps and then continue wrapping around it. You may want to glue it in place at the tip. Or, glue the wire securely to the rope along the whole length and wrap around the duo.
3. Continue wrapping, avoiding visible rope.
When you reach the end, trim your wire. Glue the end. (the whole wire should be covered.)
4. Measure and wrap your other colors. Note: your wrapped ends should meet. Remeasure as you go along. When you’re done, line up your ropes alongside each other and glue them together.
You’ll probably want to clamp them together until the glue sets.
5. Glue on one color at a time and clamp.
6. When you’re done, remove the tape and start unravelling your rope.
7. Comb out the ends to really loosen them. Use a ruler to help you trim them straight.
To hang it, I simply left the center of the top arch unglued and tied a piece of string around it.
Your large macrame rainbow is complete – and I’ll bet it’s gorgeous too! What will you be making yours for? Comment below!
How to Make a Macrame Rainbow
Craft a super fun macrame rainbow as nursery decor or a first birthday party prop! This is so easy and is supported with wire to make it more stable. Some supplies can be purchased from the dollar store and the rest from Amazon. The wrapping can take time, but can be done in increments. THe rest is quite simple!
Materials
- Rope - quantity is in direct correlation to the size of your arch so figure it out from there!
- Yarn in 3-5 colors. I used:
- Dollar Tree light blue
- Super saver rust
- Super Saver mustard
- Homespun teal
- Sturdy wire - I used flat aluminum wire
Tools
- Scissors
- Comb - I used a hair comb, but one that's designed for brushing out macrame rope would do a better job
- Cellophane or masking tape
- Good fabric scissors
- A ruler is recommended
Instructions
1. Tape off the length of rope that you want to trail/hang to form a fringe. Start wrapping. If you're not using glue, you can start with a lark's head knot and wrap the working end of the yarn around the loose "tail" end.
I first wrapped my first rope to see how I liked it and measured the others only after.
2. Add a length of wire. Either insert it into your first few wraps and then continue wrapping around it. You may want to glue it in place at the tip. Or, glue the wire securely to the rope along the whole length and wrap around the duo.
3. Continue wrapping, avoiding visible rope.
When you reach the end, trim your wire. Glue the end. (the whole wire should be covered.)
4. Measure and wrap your other colors. Note: your wrapped ends should meet. Remeasure as you go along. When you're done, line up your ropes alongside each other and glue them together.
You'll probably want to clamp them together until the glue sets.
5. Glue on one color at a time and clamp.
6. When you're done, remove the tape and start unravelling your rope.
7. Comb out the ends to really loosen them. Use a ruler to help you trim them straight.
To hang it, I simply left the center of the top arch unglued and tied a piece of string around it.
Notes
If you want a more polished result, sew your macrame rainbow instead of gluing it.
This color combination has a very autumn vibe. Switch it up as you'd like!
I created this using two weights of rope. You can vary the weight (or thickness) of your rope for interest.
Using different textured yarn ives it more interest. For a more cohesive and subtle look, simply stick to the same yarn type, rope weight, and a simpler color palette.
