152pc Macrame Kit vs Buying Cord Separately: Which Is Worth It?

I'm Marlene, and I have a confession to make. I bought my first macrame cord one skein at a time, the way I buy most craft supplies, and I ended up with three half-finished plant hangers and a drawer full of cord ends too short to use. When the ZXCDINO 152pc Macrame Kit arrived at my door, I expected another box of pretty pieces I would sort once and then forget. It turned out to be the most useful craft purchase I made all year. This is the comparison I wish someone had handed me before I started: the ZXCDINO kit versus buying cord separately, and which one is actually worth it.

Short answer: the kit wins for a brand-new weaver, for a gift, or for anyone who wants one box that covers a whole first project. Buying cord separately wins when you already have a stash, when you need a very specific color, or when you only want to make one tiny piece. I tested both ways over the last few months, and both have a place. The trick is knowing which place you are in.

	ZXCDINO 152pc Kit	Buying Cord Separately
Cost	One box with 220 yards of cord, beads, and a manual covers a first project and leaves leftovers	You buy only the cord a project calls for, so small projects cost less upfront
Cord included	One 3mm x 220 yard roll of cotton cord, soft and quick to untie	You choose the thickness, length, and fiber for each project
Instructions	Printed manual with 11 basic knots for beginners	No printed guide, but free video tutorials are easy to find
Extras	Beads and extra unique materials included for finishing touches	No leftover pieces to store or sort
Material quality	Natural cotton, no smell, safe and non-toxic, no dyeing or bleaching	You can read reviews and pick a cord brand you already trust
Flexibility	A complete all-seasons home decor set in a box	Mix cord colors and sizes to match your exact wall and style
Best for	New macrame weavers and gift givers	Crafters with a stash of cord already

How I Compared Them

I did this comparison the same way I do most craft decisions. I set up two projects side by side on my folding table in the spare bedroom I call the craft room. One project used the ZXCDINO kit straight out of the box. The other used cord I bought separately, chosen piece by piece for the same kind of plant hanger. I kept the same hook, the same pot, and the same window light so the only real difference was how I bought the supplies.

I also noticed the things that usually get left out of the listing photos. How much cord did I have left over? Did the instructions actually make sense at ten o'clock at night? Was I digging through drawers for beads, or were they already in the box? Those small details decide whether a project gets finished or put away in a bag.

Where the ZXCDINO Kit Wins

The first thing I noticed was the cord. The kit comes with one roll of 3mm x 220 yard natural cotton cord, and that is a lot more than it sounds like. I made a plant hanger with a diamond pattern, a small wall hanging with fringe, and a set of four coasters, and I still had cord left for another project. The cord is soft, quick to untie, and has no smell, which matters when you are working at the kitchen table while dinner is in the oven. The listing says it is safe and non-toxic, with no dyeing and no bleaching, and I believe it because my dog Biscuit did not give it a second look. That is high praise from a beagle who steals ribbon off the floor.

The second thing was the instruction manual. It covers 11 basic knots, and it is written for people who have never held cord before. I have been crafting for about 25 years, and I still used it for the first knot. The package also includes beads and extra unique materials, so I did not have to dig through my button jar to finish the hanger. For a beginner, that is the difference between a finished project and a bag of good intentions.

Where Buying Cord Separately Wins

Buying cord separately makes sense when you know exactly what you want to make. If you only need a short piece for a keychain or a small wall hanging, a single roll from the kit is more than you will use, and you will have to store the rest. If you want a specific color to match your living room, the kit cord is what it is. Buying separately lets you pick the shade, the thickness, and the fiber for each project, and you can build a stash over time without committing to one box.

It also wins if you already have a craft room full of supplies. I have drawers of ribbon, yarn, and cord from years of projects, and sometimes the best cord is the one I already own. When I bought separately for a second project, I used up leftover pieces and did not add another box to the shelf. For someone who weaves often, that is a real advantage. The kit is a complete start, but a stash is a working system.

What I Learned About Leftover Cord

One thing surprised me: how much cord comes in the kit. A 3mm x 220 yard roll sounds like a lot, and it is. I made a plant hanger, a small wall hanging with fringe, and a set of four coasters, and I still had enough for a second plant hanger. That leftover cord is the real value of the kit. It means the box is not a one-project purchase. It is a starter stash in a box.

The beads were the part I did not expect to use. I am not a bead person. I usually skip the extra pieces in craft kits. But the beads in this kit were exactly what the plant hanger needed to keep the cords from sliding. I used them on the bottom of the hanger, and they made the whole thing look finished. If you are the kind of crafter who always throws away the extra pieces, this kit might change your mind.

What's Actually in the Box

Let me walk you through what you get, because the title does not tell the whole story. The kit includes 152 pieces: one roll of 3mm x 220 yard cotton cord, a printed instruction manual, a set of beads, and extra unique materials that you will not know what to do with until you start. The whole thing comes in a box, and the pieces are organized enough that I could find the cord without dumping everything onto the table.

Most craft kits I have bought over the years are either too small to finish anything or so full of filler that I throw half of it away. This one is not like that. The cord is the main event, and the beads are there to finish the project, not to pad the box. I sorted the pieces once, put the small ones in a lidded basket, and the box became my go-to supply for the whole month.

How the Kit Holds Up Over Time

I made my first project with the kit in early October and hung it in the window of my craft room. It has been up for a couple of months now, and the cord has not stretched out, frayed, or started to smell. The cotton is soft but it holds its shape, and the knots have stayed tight. For a piece that cost me nothing extra beyond the kit, that is the kind of durability I want.

The separate cord I bought for the second project was a different story. It was fine while I was working with it, but it came from the end of a roll I had stored for a while, and it showed its age. That is not a knock on buying separately. It is a reminder that a fresh kit gives you a known starting point, while a stash can be a mix of good, okay, and mystery cord.

What I'd Tell a Beginner

If you are new to macrame, the instruction manual is worth the whole kit by itself. It covers 11 basic knots, and each one is explained in a way that assumes you have never tied a knot on purpose. I learned more from that little book in one evening than I did from a stack of online tutorials, because it was right there on the table next to my cord.

Start with the plant hanger in the manual. It uses the basic knots, it does not need much cord, and it gives you a finished piece you can hang the same day. Once you have made one, you will understand why people get hooked on macrame. The second project is easier, and the third one is when you start making up your own patterns.

One more thing for beginners: do not worry about making it perfect. The first plant hanger I made with this kit had one knot that faced the wrong way, and I only noticed it after I hung it up. I left it. It gave the piece character, and it taught me more than a perfect project would have. The kit gives you enough cord to start over, which is the real gift.

The One Thing I'd Change

If I could change one thing about the kit, it would be the way the small pieces are packed. The beads and extra materials are loose enough that they can end up at the bottom of the box, and if you are not careful, you will be hunting for them when you need them. I fixed it by putting everything in a lidded basket on my shelf, the same one I use for ribbon. Do that before you start and the kit stays tidy for the next project.

How the Two Compare for Gifts

If you are buying a gift for someone who wants to learn macrame, the kit is the clear winner. A gift of cord alone says I bought you a supply. A gift of the ZXCDINO kit says I bought you a project. The box, the manual, and the beads make it feel like an occasion, and the person can start the same afternoon without stopping at a craft store.

Buying cord separately is a better gift for someone who already has a craft room full of supplies. For that person, a nice roll of cord in their favorite color is thoughtful and useful. But for someone who is just starting, the kit is the safer choice. It has everything, and it does not rely on the person already knowing what they need.

What I'd Tell a Friend at My Kitchen Table

If we were sitting at my kitchen table with a cup of coffee, I would say this: buy the kit if you are starting out, and buy cord separately if you already know what you are doing. Do not buy the kit because you think it will save you money on every project forever. Buy it because it removes the friction that stops a new project before it starts. The ZXCDINO kit is a beginning. The separate cord is for the middle.

And one more thing: do not let the idea of buying separately talk you out of the kit. I know crafters who feel like buying a kit is cheating. It is not. A kit is just a supply bundle with a plan. The plan is what most beginners are missing, and the ZXCDINO kit has the plan in the manual.

Who Should Buy Which

Buy the ZXCDINO kit if you are new to macrame, if you are buying a gift for someone who wants to learn, or if you want one box that covers a full first project and then some. It is also a good choice if you are tired of buying supplies piece by piece and ending up with mismatched leftovers. The 152 pieces give you enough to make something real, and the manual means you are not guessing.

Buy cord separately if you already have a stash, if you need a very specific color or thickness, or if you only want to make one small piece. It is also the better choice if you enjoy the process of choosing each supply and building your own little collection over time. Neither way is wrong. They just serve different crafters.

The Bottom Line

The ZXCDINO 152pc Macrame Kit is the better choice for most people reading this, because most people reading this are starting their first or second macrame project. Buying cord separately is the better choice for people who already have a stash and a system. I keep both in my craft room now. The kit sits on the shelf for the next time a friend asks me to teach her, and the separate cord lives in the basket for my own projects.