Things have been pretty quiet around here…and I’ve been kind of bummed about it. Life has been crazy busy. Did I mention I started a new full-time job? I’m determined to keep up with everything on the blog lately but really I’m just way behind. And just plain tired. Overall it’s been a very positive change and life is good, I’m just trying to keep up…but then again, aren’t we all? :)
This is a project I’ve been meaning to share for a month…and one that I was so excited to complete! A DIY macramé plant hanger. Have you heard of macramé? It’s basically the craft of “knotting” and while it can be complex, it can also be super simple (hello, double knot). Macramé was really popular in the 1970′s but it seems like it’s made really made a comeback in the last couple years. It’s also widely used for jewelry.
Some of the knots in macramé are insanely complicated and cool, but I wanted to start with something manageable (aka easy). We have so many plant hooks on the ceiling of our bungalow apartment and I’m determined to use each and every one. While I’m not there yet, my new macrame plant hangers are helping me reach that goal.
To do this project, you’ll need some type of macramé cord, rope, or twine, which was surprisingly hard to find . First I tried ordering a bright colored cord, but it was far thicker than I thought it would be. I found the cord I had hoped for in the bead section of JoAnn Fabrics (I used 3mm natural cord). You’ll also need scissors, tape measure, and wooden beads, if you’d like.
I’m a visual learner, so here are the steps via photos…
Tie a knot joining 8 pieces of cord (I cut mine around 4′ long each – I would recommend overestimating according to how low you want it to hang it, as you can always cut off more later!). Separate by sets of two and begin tying square knots at about the same distance from the knot. Then connect new pieces of cord into two, around the same distance as the first set of knots. You will do this two more times until you essentially have a diamond inside of a square shape (shown above).
Once you’ve finished tying the base of knots, this is where you can get more creative. For additional flair, thread wooden beads onto your cord and tie square knots on each side of the bead(s). You could create patterns of beads with different colors, or even just do a series of intricate knots going up the cords (find ideas for more knots here). It would also be cool to paint or dye the cords ahead of time for pops of color!
Next, flip the knot of cords over so that the tassle is underneath. Place your potted plant inside the “net”. Gather all of the strings at an equal length so the plant is flat. There are many different ways to hang the top, but I chose to use a large metal key chain ring (these can be found at a hardware store). After watching tutorials, I tied a wrapped knot on the top to secure the ring for hanging. And voila! Suddenly the room feels like a tropical jungle.
It’s such an easy project with a big impact result! Again, there are so many different ways to create a macramé plant hanger, and this is just how I did it.
I hope you give this a try! Hanging plants are just so cheery, don’t you think?
xo
P.S. I’ve got some more fun garden posts coming up this month!
(top and bottom photo via my Instagram)
