How to Make a Macrame Headband
Macrame is a craft that involves tying a series of knots in twine or hemp in varying patterns. While making crafts with macrame is not a challenging endeavor, to make this headband you need a basic understanding of how to macrame. People have been macraming for hundreds of years. It is usually used as a decoration for fabrics or jewelry, and often has shells or beads braided into the macrame for decoration.
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Things You'll Need
- Wooden board
- Two nails
- Hammer
- Roll of hemp
- Binder ring
- Paper clamp
- Beads with large eyes
- Craft adhesive
- Headband
- Scissors
- Needle and thread
- Ribbon (optional)
Instructions
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1
Hammer the nails at the top of the board. This is the easiest way to secure your knots and still work your string for tying. The nails should be no further apart than the width of your headband. The nails and board are not part of the macrame process; instead, they give you a flat surface to work with.
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2
Measure the hemp. Cut two pieces -- one should be three feet long, and the other should be six feet long. If your headband is thinner or larger than average, then add to or subtract from this length. Fold the two pieces in half and tie in a slipknot around the binder ring. Note: a binder ring has a small snap that allows you to later take the ring off. Be sure not to tie the hemp to the ring.
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3
Stretch the smaller pieces (there will be two smaller pieces now that they've been folded in half and knotted) down to the end of the board and secure with the binder clip. This will leave you with two larger pieces to use to tie the knots on the far left and right of the middle piece. You will need to feed the two outside pieces under and around the secured middle piece, so be sure that it is not binded too tightly with the binder clip.
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4
Begin knotting the macrame. Be sure to use the same pattern. A square knot is the most common, but the style of knot doesn't really matter as long as you do the same kind for the entire project. A common pattern is five knots + bead, but one of the neatest things about macrame is that there is not a single style that one could call a uniform style. Feel free to experiment with the types and numbers of beads used.
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5
Tie off the macrame knots. Secure each end with several stitches of thread to keep it from unraveling. Remove your macrame from the clamp, nails and binder ring. Depending on the width of the twine, you will have a long, flat piece of macramed hemp with beads interspersed throughout. Depending on how tightly you tied the knots, as well as your level of expertise, the actual width will not be uniform. If it is wider than the headband, center it so that none of the headband is visible. If it is smaller than the headband, use a strip of ribbon each side to hide the plastic headband.
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6
Glue the hemp macrame to the headband. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and allow to dry for at least 24 hours.
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Tips & Warnings
Macraming something is a project that most people need to see before they can do it. The actual activity is fairly easy once you have the hang of it. Most local craft shops will have classes or you can watch videos. Once you see how to tie the knots and practice a little, macrame is a great project for younger crafters.
Be sure to have adult supervision when using scissors, hammer and nails or spray adhesive.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
