Macrame Mandala Villalba in Hoooked Spesso Eco Barbante Chunky Cotton - Downloadable PDF

Macrame Mandala Villalba by Elma Pluim – Pattern Summary

The Macrame Mandala Villalba is a stunning decorative wall piece designed by Elma Pluim and published by Hoooked. This downloadable PDF pattern guides crafters through the creation of a large, layered macrame mandala — a circular, symmetrical wall decoration that draws on traditional knotting techniques to produce an intricate, bohemian-style piece. The mandala format, with its radiating geometric structure, makes it a striking focal point for any interior space.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a macrame mandala wall decoration built across a series of concentric metal rings. The finished piece is architectural in its layering, with cords radiating outward from a central ring through progressively larger rings, creating a mandala effect that is both geometric and organic. The design is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it well suited to crafters who have some familiarity with basic macrame knots and are ready to take on a more complex, multi-ring project.

Materials Used

The pattern calls for Hoooked Spesso Eco Barbante Chunky Cotton yarn, a chunky-weight, eco-conscious cotton cord that is ideal for macrame work. Two colorways are referenced in the pattern:

• Spesso Almond – a warm, neutral tone
• Eco Barbante Petrol – a rich, deep teal accent color

Each color requires approximately 2 x 500g (17.64 oz) of yarn, and cord lengths of approximately 6 meters (236.22 inches) are used per strand when setting up the starting loops. The chunky weight of the Spesso Eco Barbante cord gives the finished mandala satisfying visual weight and texture without being overly stiff, and its cotton composition makes it easy to work with and environmentally responsible.

In addition to the yarn, the project requires a set of metal rings in four sizes:

• 15 cm (5.91 inch) metal ring – central ring
• 30 cm (11.81 inch) metal ring
• 40 cm (15.75 inch) metal ring
• 50 cm (19.69 inch) metal ring – outermost ring

A pair of scissors is also listed as a required tool. No crochet hooks or knitting needles are used in this project — macrame is a purely hand-knotting craft.

Techniques and Knots Used

Although this pattern is listed under the crochet craft category, the Macrame Mandala Villalba is constructed entirely using macrame knotting techniques. Macrame is the art of creating textiles and decorative objects through the systematic tying of knots rather than weaving or stitching. The pattern is multilingual, with knot names provided in Dutch, English, German, French, and Spanish, making it accessible to a wide international audience.

The following knots and techniques are used throughout the pattern:

• Larks Head Knot (Opzetknoop / Anfangsschlaufen legen / Nœud en tête d'alouette / Nudo alondra) – the foundational mounting knot used to attach cords to the metal rings. Each cord is folded in half and looped through the ring, creating a secure anchor point from which all other knotting begins.
• Twisting Half Square Knot (Gedraaide weitasknoop / Gedrehter Weberknoten / Nœud plat torsadé / Medio nudo invertido) – a variation of the square knot in which only one half of the knot is repeatedly tied, causing the cord to spiral naturally. This technique creates elegant twisted or spiral rope sections within the mandala.
• Square Knot (Weitasknoop / Weberknoten / Noeud plat / Nudo Plano) – one of the most fundamental macrame knots, formed by tying two consecutive half knots in alternating directions. Square knots create flat, stable sections and are used extensively throughout the mandala to build structure and pattern.