CRAFT:

Marsha Smith shows how to make quick and easy macramé hangers for pot plants that are simple and look stunning.

a quick and easy macramé pot plant hanger

Materials

Macramé cord (available from craft stores such as Spotlight) Metal rings

Collection of coloured wool

Ruler

Scissors

With a few simple materials and some basic knot tying, you’ll have this craft mastered in no time. These hangers fitted pots measuring 10cm diameter x 9cm high.

Steps

1 Gather your materials and decide what colour combinations you’d like to achieve. Groups of three or four colours work best.

2 Cut four 1.5m lengths of macramé cord and fold them in half so all the ends meet. Thread the folded end through a metal ring to make a loop (pic 1). Now bring the ends back over the ring and through the loop (pic 2). Pull tightly so all strands sit nicely together (pic 3).

3 Using a double knot, tie a piece of coloured wool tightly around the eight strands of cord as close to the ring as possible (pic 4). Leave a small length of wool hanging down. Tightly wind your wool around the strands of macramé cord and over the wool hanging down, leaving no gaps (pic 5), to create a firm wrap. When you have reached the desired length of colour (about 3cm), tie off the wool, using the piece that is hanging down.

4 Repeat this step again with another two or three colours of wool. Make sure there are no gaps between each colour (pic 6). Note: The total length of coloured, tied wool is about 7-8cm top and bottom. The bands can vary in thickness – it’s up to you. Snip the ends of your last wool colour as close as possible to the wound band.

Tying the basket

5 To create the basket that will cradle your pot, start by fanning out the strands of cord in pairs (pic 7).

6 Measure about 18cm from the base of your coloured wool, then tie the paired strands together with a simple knot (pic 8). Repeat this method on the remaining strands so the knots are aligned.

7 Separate the two strands below these knots and position next to a strand from the adjacent knot (pic 9). Tie this new pair together to create a second row of knots that are approximately 5cm from the row of knots above.

8 Take the two single outside strands of cord (pic 10) and bring them together to tie (pic 11).

9 Repeat step 6 to make a third row of knots, again 5cm below the row above.

10 Gather all the strands together and tie a piece of coloured wool 5cm from the knotted row above (pic 12). Wind and tie the coloured wool around the macramé strands as you did in step 3. To finish, trim the ends of the macramé cords to an even length, if necessary.

To make longer, stronger hangers for bigger pots, add two more strands of macramé cord for extra strength and make the strands longer, tying additional rows of knots.