Making a Macrame Plant Hanger

Does the image of a macrame plant hanger remind you of your grandmother’s house and outdated 1970’s decor? The 1970’s may seem like ancient times, but macrame is much older than you might realize. It dates back to the 13th century and originated with Arab weavers. This age-old art form involves creating textiles with knotting instead of weaving or knitting. Thread, cords and rope are tied into knots to create ornamental items such as jewelry and wall hangings.

Designers say that macrame plant hangers are a hot trend this year. The vertical plants and hanging baskets were touted as a stylish gardening idea for this spring. So, it looks like what’s old is new again, and maybe it’s time to take another look at the art of macrame.

It’s easy to craft a simple macrame plant hanger at home with some of Macrame Plant Hanger Kits. You can use any combination of colored or neutral threads and adorn it with beads or sparkly gems. Follow these simple steps, and you’ll soon have a macrame plant hanger of your own.

Step One:

Gather some macrame thread, scissors, a two inch ring, pins and a knotting board. Determine how long you want your plant hanger to be, and cut six lengths of thread, making each about five times longer than the length you chose for your finished plant hanger.

Step Two:

Fold each of the six cords in half and gather the ends for a total of 12 ends. Slide the metal ring through the ends of the cords down to where they are folded in half. Create an overhand knot to secure the ring in place.

Step Three:

Split the cord ends into three sections of four cords. Take one section of four cords and pin it to a knotting board.

Step Four:

Create a simple square knot with the four pinned cords to form the top of the hanger. Before unpinning these cords, form another square knot below this one. Repeat this step with the next two sections of cord, pinning them to the knotting board and making two square knots on each. Make sure that all of the knots are at the same height.

Step Five:

Now you are going to divide and re-match your sections of cord. Take two cords from one section and pair them with two cords from the another section. Continue to divide and pair the sections of cords until you have three new sets of four cords.

Step Six:

Form a secure base on which your pot will rest by creating two square knots with each new grouping of cords. Again, keep the knots on the same level so that the flower pot will not tilt when placed in the hanger.

Step Seven:

Gather all 12 cord ends and tie them with a final knot eight inches above the base. Position this knot directly below the center of the base.

Final Touches:

Trim the ends of the cords as desired and decide how to embellish the planter. Choose colorful beads to thread onto the cords. To keep the beads from sliding off, you can either knot the ends or braid pairs of cords together.

Mounting the Hanger:

Your macrame plant hanger can be mounted from a hook or a beam in either an indoor or an outdoor location.