Hemp is becoming an increasingly popular material in the manufacture of clothing, jewelry and accessories. The strength and durability of hemp make it an ideal material for bag construction. Make durable, lightweight bags that will last a long time with hemp cord you can get from your arts and crafts, or needlework store. Macramé is the art of knotting twine to create craft items. You need only learn a few basic knots to be able to make your own macramé bag.
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Things You'll Need
Scissors
Hemp Cord
2 Handle Frames
Step 1
Cut your hemp cords into 4-yard lengths. The number of cords you will need to cut depends entirely on the size of your bag frame.
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Step 2
Fold one of the cords in half. Hold the loop side of the cord under the bottom of the frame. Feed the ends of the cord around the frame and back through the loop. Pull tight so that the cord is knotted to the bottom of the frame. This is a lark's head macramé knot.
Step 3
Attach the other cords alongside the first one in the same way until there is no more room left at the bottom of the frame.
Step 4
Starting on one side, take up the first four strands of hemp cord. Starting from the left, think of the strands as A, B, C and D. Take A and thread it to the right, over B and C and then under D.
Step 5
Thread D under C and B and then over A. Pull the knot tight. Thread D under B and C and over A and pull tight. This is called a square knot. Continue the knot with the other strands until the bottom of the frame is covered.
Step 6
Repeat square knots until the bag frame is covered with knotted hemp twine. Tie the end of the cords to the other bag frame handle. Trim off loose-hanging cord ends. Fold the bag in half so that the handles line up.
Step 7
Tie the sides of the bag together with the bits of cord you trimmed off your macramé knots.
Tip
You can increase or decrease the size of your bag by increasing or decreasing the length of the cords.
Use different colored cords for a bag with more visual flair.