Make Your Own: Macramé Cord Decoration

The main material for today's crafting is cord. We'll leave the color and thickness up to you. We chose two-millimeter green, which goes well with the plant. Feel free to choose from our selection of macramé cords.

Tip: You can weave your decoration onto a wooden dowel or a ring. We found our little branch in the forest. :)

Photo: Artmie.sk

First, cut a cord that will be the base of our decoration. Attach it to the wooden base so both loose ends hang down. Cut cords from the cord to weave in. Since the leaf gradually narrows, we prepared long, medium, and short cords, all in the same quantity (the length depends on the size of your decoration; for example, 10 x 35 cm, 10 x 30 cm, and 10 x 25 cm).

Photo: Artmie.sk

You need two cords of the same length to make one row. Fold both in half. Place the first cord under the base cord, with its loop sticking out on the opposite side. Lay the second cord over the top, then thread its loose ends through the loop of the cord underneath. In the same way, thread the loose ends of the first cord through the open loop. Check our picture to make sure you're following the steps correctly (your decoration should look exactly like this now).

Tip: Remember to place the cords in exactly opposite directions. Each side should have a loop and a loose end.

Photo: Artmie.sk

If the cords are positioned correctly, pulling both ends will create a knot around the base cord. Since we’ll be pushing the remaining knots up against the first one, leave plenty of space between the wood and the first knot (so it looks neat).
If your first knot turned out well, you can move on to the next ones. Since the leaf is wide at the top, start with the widest knots, then use medium ones, and finish with short ones to complete the decoration.

Tip: Each time you make a new knot, slowly push it against the previous one to prevent unsightly gaps.

Photo: Artmie.sk

Once you’ve tied all the cords, your decoration should look something like this:

Photo: Artmie.sk

We’ve finished the most challenging part, but now comes the patient work of combing out the cords. Professionals use a special brush, but we chose a regular comb, which you can find in any home. As you comb, remember to hold one side of the decoration so the cords don’t come untied.

Tip: Gently comb from the end of the cord. This will make the job go faster. :)

Photo: Artmie.sk

How much the cords can be combed out depends on the type of cord. Once the individual strands are separated, the decoration gains volume that you can then work with.

Photo: Artmie.sk

After combing out both sides of the macramé decoration, simply trim it into shape with scissors. We trimmed our monstera leaf and shaped it with a comb. Don’t forget to comb out the base cord and trim it along with the others. Finally, we set the decoration with hairspray.

Tip: Hairspray worked really well for us in the final step. ;)

Photo: Artmie.sk

Watch the video to see how we did, both when making the leaf and creating other macramé decorations:

Macramé technique is really simple and well suited to creative activities with children. All you need is a few knots to create anything from leaves and feathers to intricate dreamcatchers and wall hangings. Join us and give it a try!

Lea