macrame luggage rack

Luggage racks are like dental fillings. Yep. You don’t go around dreaming about one; but when a need arises, you really wish you had it. And let’s face it, there aren’t too many fun, creative luggage racks out there. Do you really want your guest room to feel like a Holiday Inn? I think I have the perfect solution… this one-of-a-kind boho macrame luggage rack. 

Want me to let you in on a secret? The frame is not even a luggage rack frame. It’s an old wooden restaurant tray stand. When hotels or restaurants go out of business, often these old stands pop up in antique and thrift stores – for very sweet prices. When I saw this one, I immediately knew it would transform into a luggage rack for my beach house. The wheels started turning, and here’s what followed.

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supplies needed

• wooden tray stand
• 360 ft rope – 3/16 in.
• scissors & masking tape

step 1 – paint the stand

The vintage wooden stand needed a face-lift, so I first sanded it, smoothing out all nicks and scratches. Then I painted it a dark charcoal gray. 

step 2 – prepare the rope

Cut the rope into 36 pieces, each measuring 10 feet in length. To prevent fraying, tape all the rope ends with a piece of masking or painter’s tape. Next tie two of those pieces together, leaving about a 10″ tail, as shown in photo below. Do this for all the pieces, so you will end up with 16 tied strands.

*A NOTE ABOUT ROPE:  For this project, I used a poly blend rope. It ties nicely but is not the best choice if you want to fray the tassels.  If you want a frayed, more bohemian look, use a 100% cotton rope instead of nylon. I suggest this brand.

Next, tie each knotted piece onto one side of the tray stand, as shown below, using a regular double knot. Do this for all 16 pieces.

step 3 – row 1 

Square knot. That’s all you need to know. This entire project uses this one, basic macrame knot. And here’s a great tutorial for the Square Knot. Beginning with the first four individual cords on the left, tie a Square Knot. Continue making a full row of them. You will end up with nine in total.

step 4 – row 2

Beginning with the third individual cord from the left, make a Square Knot. Continue making seven more Square Knots, so this row will end up with a total of eight. Because these knots fall in between the knots on the first row, they are called Alternating Square Knots.

step 5 – complete all rows

You now have two horizontal rows of knots. Repeat step 3 & step 4 five more times. Then make a final row of Square Knots, beginning with the first individual cord on the left. 

In macrame, the weave can be tight or loose. For this project, I kept the weave fairly loose, as seen in the photo below. The key is to be consistent with all knots.

step 6 – finishing

Beneath the last row, starting with the first two individual cords on the left, tie every two cords together with a small regular knot. Do this for the entire row.

Next, tie the rope pieces to the other side side of the stand the same way you did in the beginning.

Finally, trim the rope ends on both sides of the rack to about 3.5″ in length. 

There are so many knotting patterns that could be used for this project, but the simplest ones are sometimes the loveliest. Enjoy this project, and share photos if you try one yourself!

The biggest compliment is a little share – please pin the photo below!