Macramé, once banished to your granny’s stoep, is back and cooler than ever. Old school knotted plant hangers are popping up all over the place, probably because they’re pretty to look at and offer you a space saver on your counters and windowsills. We’ve deciphered the tricky-looking technique and simplified it for you to follow along. Master the art of macramé this weekend and never be stuck for a gift idea again.

What you’ll need:
15 m rope or string – ideally not too thick as you don’t want your knot at the bottom to be too chunky!
Pot plant

Method:
Start by cutting the 15 m string/rope into 8 equal lengths

Line all the pieces up and knot the bottom to create a tassel. For a less bulky knot, tie just one of the strands around all the rest.

Lay the strands down on a large working surface (a clean floor, or a large table). Arrange the rope using a clock face as a guide and lay two strands at twelve ’o clock, three ’o clock, six ’o clock and nine ’o clock. For all of our knots, we opted to use a reef knot. See how to do this below.

Measure to 100 mm on your selected piece of string. Tie strands together with a double knot in the following pattern, as shown in the first image, A+B, C+D, E+F and G+H.

Next, tie A+H, B+C, D+E, and F+G together –see the second image. The second knot should be 80 mm apart from the first knot. the next knot is another 80 mm from the second one.

To finish off, tie one more knot at a mark measured 430 mm from the last knot.

Place the planter in the centre of the macramé rope; once it is filled with soil it will weight it down.

See more of our weekend projects here!