Beginner's guide to the art of macramé
Macramé is a highly versatile art form made with fiber cords. It can be used to make a variety of home decor items, including wall hangings, plant hangers, and purses. Using simple materials like cotton twine, jute, hemp, or yarn, macramé can be as simple or complex as the artist makes it. Rather than weaving or knitting, macramé pieces utilize various knotting techniques.
How it works
Macrame is pretty simple. It all depends on your choice of material and some knots. You can make wonderful art pieces by simply knotting away a few cords. Working cords are the cords that you move around to tie knots. Filler cords fill in the gaps between working cords and knots. Sennit is a knot or group of knots that are worked in repeat.
Material needed for the art
Materials include cords made of cotton yarn, jute, linen, hemp, or even leather. Depending on the thickness you desire, you can choose from 2-ply, 3-ply, or 4-ply cords categorized by the lengths of fiber twisted together. Larger work of macramé starts out on a wooden or metal rod. Smaller projects use push-pin boards or a knotting board to mount the cords.
Important knots
Lark's head: Folding a cord in half, place the loop over a rod. Bring the loop around the back and pull the cord ends through the loop to tighten. Half hitch: Make two Lark's heads. Bring the outer left cord over the fillers and under the right cord. Loop the outer right cord under the inner cords and over the left cord and tighten.
Important knots
Square: Two opposite half-hitches make a square knot. Spiral: Making half knots continuously results in a spiraling column. If you do the left half knot, continue with the left half knot a few more times to see the effect. Overhand knot: Fold the cord into a loop and pull the ends of the cords through the loop and tighten.
Home décor ideas
If you have a large empty wall looking all sad and needy, get a classy macramé wall hanging to adorn the wall. Are you a plant fanatic and have run out of space to keep your plants? Hang them from the ceiling through macramé plant hangers. They are easy to make and give the space a very airy and elegant look.
Macrame gifting
You can make a variety of gifting items just by knotting! Macrame is often used to make jewelry with a combination of knots, beads, pendants, or shells. You can make plant hangers, wall organizers, purses, clothing, toys, etc. Next time you ponder on what to gift to somebody for their birthday or wedding, consider a handsome-looking macramé art piece.
