Macrame Making A Comeback

By: Susan Foster


Macrame Making A Comeback

The art of knotting different geometric matrixes without using hooks, needles, or hoops is the craft called macrame.

The skill of macrame dates back to the thirteenth century. The word macrame is Arabic in origin meaning "fringe". It's thought that Arabian weavers started the skill by knotting the additional material at the edges of loamed material. From these origins it eventually made it to Italy and France in the early fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Sailors began practicing the skill as it was a beneficial way to pass some of the long hours out at sea. The principal knots that the sailors used are the same knots of macrame today…the half knot, square knot, and the half hitch knot. The sailors passed on their skill to the Chinese who adapted the skill to their own unique style and culture. The skill became popular with the British during the nineteenth century.

Over the years the skill fell to neglect. It was renewed in the 1960s and '70s, which brought revitalization to the ancient skill. Its popularity waned some in the '80s and '90s, but the beginning of the 21st century has seen the return of its popularity into full swing, with limitless creative possibilities for the hobbyist, artist, and appreciator of the numerous diverse macrame products.

These days the hobby and skill of macrame means different things to different people. For many the skill is valuable in a variety of ways. Tying the various knots can strengthen hands and arms. Creating a macrame project can be very calming to the mind, body, and spirit! Macrame projects require few utensils and require supplies without any chemicals or fumes; it is absolutely an earth-friendly, natural skill.

Macrame projects vary from jewelry, plant hangers, home decorations, wall hangers, purses and belts. The colors and textures of macrame furnish a broad variety to choose from. Materials range from different thickness of jute and hemp, to twine, colored nylon and polyester fibers. These days not only are there wooden beads in projects, but glass and ceramic beads are also being incorporated into projects as well.

Macrame has evolved…yes it's all a part of the imaginative process sustained on different levels. Macrame is therapeutic, fun, creative, and satisfying for not only the expert but the novice as well. For those who just want to use and enjoy the completed products there are more and more choices for superior macrame to augment the decor of your home, wardrobe, and personal style!


Susan Foster has been a master macrame crafter since the 1970s. She's still producing new pieces and now providing house plant expertise. See her latest macrame projects and Top 10 Indoor Plant Care Tips at: www.macramenia.com.