Macramé a Mario Bros Play Block

The sequence above shows how to do the basic double half hitch knots I used; I also recommend you check out video tutorials on YouTube. I’m right-handed, but I find it easier to hold the structural or “foundation” yarn taut with my right hand while doing the fiddly knotting with my left. You can do it the other way around if you find this more comfortable.

For the structural yarn, cut 48 threads of black yarn, each 28″ (70cm) long. Two black threads will end up inside every macramé knot. Each panel consists of 3 rows of a dominant color (for example red on the Mario panel), then 14 rows where the colors are swapped over to make the picture, then 3 more dominant color rows at the bottom. Each panels is 24 knots long and 20 high.

Here’s how the first row of red knots completed. The structural yarn is tied temporarily in 2 clumps of 24 threads to stop them from shifting about.

Each pixel stands for a double half hitch knot over the structural wool. Leave 3 plain rows above and below the picture, and 4 knots on either side of it.

The photos above shows the first picture row being made by swapping between the red background color and the black color of the Mario pixels. Tuck the ends of the black yarn behind the panel as you finish each row. These can be tied together at the back of the panel when it’s complete.

Once 3 rows of red are completed you can undo the big knots in the structural wool and begin the Coin panel, starting at the first row of red and moving away from the Mario.

Four complete picture panels fit on the 28″ black structural yarn:

I made the Question Block panel in the same way on 8″ (20cm) lengths of yellow structural yarn, and the Star on 8″ blue structural yarn.

The cube’s sides are joined by simply knotting end of row to end of row. First tie the 2 small panels on either side of Mario to make a cross shape

Then tie the cube together at the corners, inside out, leaving the Fire Flower panel loose.

Turn the cube right side out. Fill it up with stuffing, then join the sides of the Fire Flower panel to the rest of the cube (Figure ), and tuck in the ends. You’re done!

I’ve used various different stuffings in my play cubes, including packing foam, plastic bags, leftover fabric, and even dry pasta for a noisy play cube.

You can make these as big as you like or as tiny as you can manage. Use thin wool or very thick, it’s up to you. Make your knots on a single thread for tiny cubes, on 2 threads as I’ve done here, or on 4 threads for big cubes. I’ve made cubes in different sizes, and cuboids as well — all the better to build Mario forts with.