Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy wednesdays: knot trivet

trivet11
last month i bought lauren a set of “the family creative workshop” books for her birthday. we’ve been having a blast learning all sorts of new things as we make our way through the incredible variety of projects collected in the volumes. one section we were particularly excited to explore was all about knots, which we’ve long admired both for their usefulness and their beauty. this project is based on a “carrick bend” and is great for creating trivets and placemats, but you could just as easily hang it on your wall to be admired for its decorative charm.

have fun!
derek & lauren

CLICK HERE for the full project after the jump!

trivet21

here’s what you’ll need:

-14 feet of 1/2” rope for an approximately 8” trivet
(we recommend you play around with different lengths and thicknesses of rope until you find a size and style you like. the cotton rope is great for this project, but we couldn’t resist the nylon rope with its amazing patterns and colors.)
-scissors
-needle
-thread

*please bear with us on this one. describing how to tie knots can sound complicated and confusing, but with a little patience and a hard look at the photos, we’re certain you’ll figure it out.

1. lay the rope on your work surface with the longer end trailing off to your right.

step1

2. form a loop with the right (longer) piece as shown.

step2

3. bring the left side of the rope under the center of the loop.

step3

4. pass the left end over the right end and then under the right side of the center loop.

step4

5. continue weaving the left end across the loop, passing it over, then under and finally over the next three rope intersections.

step5

6. weave the long right hand side of the rope back through the loops following the path you’ve created with the left end.

step6

7. pull the length all the way through forming the 4th and final loop, and continue weaving the left end through until you run out of rope.

step7

8. once you’ve finished the weaving process and run out of rope, secure all rows of rope with a needle and thread in a few strategic spots so that the pieces stay close together and won’t unravel.

I love the trivet in the first photo…it’s very nautical, but not cheesy (as a Navy wife, you wouldn’t believe the cheesiness that is out there). I am going to make these for a “Welcome to Annapolis” gift basket…and keep a set for myself, too!

Hi Ashley-

The rope ends sit on the underside of the trivet and are secured with a needle and thread. If you’re using nylon rope, you can prevent the ends from fraying by melting them with a flame from a match or lighter. Hope this helps!!

I suppose if you triple the length of the rope, and the size of the rope, you could make a small door mat…that would be uuber cute, then get a piece of cork, glue/sew it to the cork, cut cork to the shape, and magically its amazing!.

Love it!

Laureen: Daytona Trim on 39th street is a great NYC source for rope of different colors and sizes for this project.

Hardware stores and marine supply stores are a great sources for rope, too.

I love this craft! Could you tell me what ratio of rope you leave to start? I know you leave the right side longer, but by how much before you begin? Thank You. Can’t wait to try this…
P.S. I too am a visual learner and the pics were great!

i just made three of these. it worked much better with 1/4 inch and 3/16 inch rope than 1/2 inch rope. the 1/2 inch rope was too thick and bulky. the final product would not lie flat. i did not have that problem with the 1/4 inch and 3/16 inch rope. also, with the thinner rope, i was able to complete the pattern with about 6-8 ft of rope.

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