Pattern · Beginner · 90 min
Four-cord plant hanger: the classic cradle
Four cords, three kinds of knot, one afternoon. This is the version that holds a 14 to 18 cm pot at a stable height and still looks right when the plant grows into it.
Published 9 Sep 2026 · · 3-ply twisted cotton 4 mm
At a glance
- Kind · Pattern
- Level · Beginner
- Working time · 90 min
- Cord · 3-ply twisted cotton
- Thickness · 4 mm
- Finished size · 24 × 82 cm
- Sample · one hanger for a pot 14 to 18 cm across
| Piece | Length | Qty | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working cords | 320 cm | 4 | |
| Ring | — | 1 | 4 cm brass or wooden ring |
Lark's head mount
Fold each 320 cm cord at the midpoint and mount all four on the ring. You now have eight working ends. Knot: Lark's Head Mount
Top wrap
2 cm below the ring, bind the eight ends into one bundle with a 3 cm wrap, then let them fall into four pairs again. Knot: Wrap knot
Upper cradle
Work a chain of five square knots in each of the four cord pairs, starting 12 cm below the wrap. Knot: Square knot
Basket crossing
Cross neighbouring pairs and work two square knots in each new pair to close the basket under the pot.
Base wrap
Gather all eight ends and close with a 4 cm wrap, leaving a 7 cm tassel below it. Knot: Wrap knot
Cord budget before anything else
Four cords at 320 cm is the number that works for almost every pot in the 14 to 18 cm range. The finished hanger is 82 cm from the ring to the bottom of the tassel: 12 cm of bare cord, 25 cm of upper cradle, a 10 cm basket, and 35 cm of base and tassel. Drop to 280 cm per cord if you are making the 60 cm version for a small herb pot.
Why the wrap comes before the first square knot
Binding the eight ends 2 cm below the ring does two jobs. It hides the mount loops so the top looks deliberate, and it re-establishes an even four-way split after the cords have been handled. Without it the four pairs drift apart and the pot hangs about 3 cm off-centre, which is very obvious once there is weight in it.
Setting the basket height
The basket is what actually holds the pot, so its height decides everything. Measure your pot: a 15 cm tall pot needs the upper cradle to end about 2 cm above the pot's rim and the basket to close 4 cm below the pot's base. That places the crossing point 25 cm below the wrap on a standard 15 cm pot, so measure before you tie, not after.
Hanging and weight
A finished hanger in 4 mm cotton cord with the wrap closures carries about 6 kg comfortably, which covers a 20 cm pot full of damp soil. Hang it from a hook rated for at least twice the loaded weight. If the hook is in plasterboard, use a toggle fixing rather than a screw, because a plant that is watered weekly is a permanent dynamic load, not a static one.
Where it goes wrong
- Cutting the cords to 300 cm and running out before the base wrap on a standard 15 cm pot.
- Tying the basket closed before the pot is inside, so the pot cannot be seated afterwards.
- Hanging from a screw in plasterboard; the load is permanent and the soil gets heavier after watering.
Check before moving on
- The ring sits level with the four mount loops evenly spaced around it.
- The pot sits in the basket with the rim 2 cm above the last row of square knots.
- The tassel below the base wrap is the same length on all sides.