An old knotting technique from the Orient conquered home and garden as early as the 70s and has experienced a strong revival in recent years: macramé.

But what is this exactly?

You can find everything you need to know about the art of macramé knots here. This post answers what macramé is, what it looks like, and where it comes from.

What is Macrame?

The Traditional Art of Knotting

The traditional macramé works of art are more and more often seen in the form of home interiors in households and in society. These are knotted works of art, such as wall hangings, dream catchers, jewelry, or hanging baskets (also called plant hangers), which are cleverly made with knotted knots.

Homemade friendship bracelets or Shamballa bracelets with special gemstones are also seen worn by celebrities and athletes. So it can be seen that this old classic of knotting technique has recently regained the attention of society and has become more and more popular.

Macrame (or macramé in the Spanish spelling) is a kind of knotting art that originally comes from the Orient. It is a textile technique in which threads are combined to form various knot patterns. Thus knots are joined together until a finished part is produced. The macramé works of art can take the form of jewellery or home decoration.

Knotting sounds complicated – but with a little practice it is not at all.

With a little skill and creative ideas, you can use this knotting technique to create great decorations for a unique and cozy home for little money.

The History of Macramé

Macramé developed in the 13th century from an old oriental weaving technique. This kind of knotting art appeared in Europe by crusaders and Moors. In Europe the macramé art enjoyed several heydays in the past years. Since a few months this wonderful form of knotting technique has been on the upswing again and enjoys great popularity again.

Macrame has been found in history in China, the macrame artwork appears in the form of Shamballa bracelets, where it is believed that these will bring good luck for the New Year, and In Latin America, where the artwork can be found in various forms of jewelry such as friendship bracelets, earrings or necklaces.

How Does Macramé Work?

With the macramé knotting technique you always knot with four threads:

• 2 passive carrier threads: They usually serve as an inner “guide”. Carrier threads do not form loops or are tied – they practically carry the working threads.
• 2 active working threads: They form the knots and various patterns. They are knotted around the carrier threads

The four threads are always next to each other. The two outer threads left and right are the working threads. The two inner threads are the carrier threads.

What Do I Need for Macramé?

For each macramé DIY you need a few tools, macramé yarn, and some optional accessories like beads or branches.

Your macramé tools:

• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Adhesive tape, rubber bands, wooden ring, or safety pins for fixing or holding

Which Cord or Yarn Do I Need for Macramé?

Not only the knot design forms individual patterns, but also the cords used and their textures.

Here is a list of commonly used cords and yarns for Macrame:

• Cotton threads
• Jersey yarn or cotton jersey
• Rope (Lirolen)
• Satin ribbons
• Wool
• Threads
• Ropes
• Scoubidou bands
• Bast

Is the strength of the macramé thread important?

For bags, storage, hanging baskets or wall decoration thicker threads are more suitable. If you want to decorate clothes or fabrics with applications, thinner threads are advantageous.