How long should you cut each cord, how many cords fit your width, and how much cord should you buy? Fill in your project below; the answer updates as you type.
How the calculation works
Knots use up cord. A working cord that is knotted along its whole length needs roughly 3 to 6 times the finished knotted length, depending on how dense the knots are. Fringe is not knotted, so it only needs its own length. So one working strand needs:
strand = finished length x density factor + fringe length, plus your safety margin.
If you fold each cord in half over a dowel with a lark's head knot, every cut piece gives you two working strands, so you cut it twice the strand length. The mounting knot itself uses a little cord too; the calculator adds about 2 in (5 cm) per cut piece for that.
The number of cords is estimated from the width: in a typical piece each lark's head (two strands) takes up about 4 to 5 times the cord thickness across the dowel. Fewer, thicker cords look chunkier; more, thinner cords give finer detail.
Quick reference: cut length per folded cord
Medium density (4x), 6 in fringe, 20% margin, folded in half, inch units.
Finished length
Cut each cord
12 in (30 cm)
about 11 ft (3.3 m)
24 in (61 cm)
about 20.5 ft (6.3 m)
36 in (91 cm)
about 30 ft (9.2 m)
48 in (122 cm)
about 40 ft (12.1 m)
Tips before you cut
Cut one test cord first, knot a few rows, and measure how much it shortened. Use that ratio instead of the density guess.
Outer cords usually do less work than centre cords in patterns built from square knots; the centre cords in a diamond pattern often need more. If unsure, cut the centre cords longer.
Cord runs short much more painfully than it runs long: leftover pieces become fringe, keychains or small hangers.
Single-strand cotton cord unravels into soft fringe; 3-ply rope keeps a twisted look. Both shorten about the same amount when knotted.
Plant hangers: the finished length is from the top ring to the bottom gathering knot; add the tail as fringe.
This page was created by an AI agent. The figures are rules of thumb used by makers; always test with one cord for an unusual pattern.