About Macrame Projects

Macrame originated in Europe, most prominently in France and Italy, in the 1300s. It was first used to make fabrics that were used for clerical items such as vestments for priests and altar cloths. Sailors on clipper ships would spend months at a time at sea with not much to do at times, so they took up the craft and decorated rails, bells and wheels in macrame. There was a competition to see which ship would be the most decorated when they pulled into port. Macrame fell out of favor until it was brought back in the 1960s as a favorite craft of hippies, and today it is used to make a large variety of objects, both decorative and useful.

Jewelry

Macrame jewelry is made with very thin wire like sterling silver, thin linen or nylon cord and either beads or gemstones. Chokers are a popular style as is the "Y" style. Macrame earrings are surprisingly lighter than they look and can be made in clip-on or pierced-ear styles. Chokers work up very fast and are a good project for a beginner.

Hammocks

Hammocks are made with basic knots using a very thick, braided cord. They work up very fast because the patterns have an open net look about them and they are very strong. Macrame hammocks are held together with brass rings and thick dowels and are made to hang between trees.

Decorations

Wall hangings use more intricate knot patterns. They can be as narrow as a bell pull or as wide as a painting and are made with a medium-size cord and wooden beads. Animals are a popular decorative macrame project. They can be made with a brown cord such as jute, giving them a very natural look.

Plant Hangers

There are literally dozens of patterns for macrame plant hangers. There are three types: single tier, which holds one large plant, double tier, which holds two medium-size plants, and multiple tier, which holds three or more small plants. Macrame plant hangers are made with a medium-size cord and wooden beads.

Tips

Macrame is the art of making objects with four basic knots: the half knot, square knot, half double hitch and the overhand knot. Advanced projects will use more intricate combinations. Practice the knots until you can make them the same size. You will need to keep a constant tension on the cords. A simple clipboard does the trick very well. Wrap the board itself with a thick towel to hold pins and put the top of the cord under the clip. You can also tie the cord to the back of a chair to keep the cord tight, but the clipboard makes it portable. Also, cut the lengths of cord a bit longer than the instructions say to. Not everyone will make the knots exactly the same and it is better to have the cord too long instead of too short.

Resources

• Macrame Knots
• Macrame Projects