Macramé, what's the hype about? Let’s take a dive into it, see us as your personal tour guide into the world of crafts like the David Attenborough of rope.
For those who have by some miracle avoided the Macramé Instagram reemergence, it is a form of textile-making that involves knotting cords or strings into decorative patterns. It originated in Arabia. There is not much documentation about the origin of the craft. We searched high and low on google to find a spicy origin story like something out of vampire diaries but google let us down. It is believed that the movement of people in north Africa helped create the craft and it was a sought-after skill back in the day. However, we somehow feel that putting ‘macrame master' on your cv nowadays won’t have the same effect.
In Arab cultures, macramé was used to decorate and add embellishments to clothing, household items, and textiles. The intricate knotting patterns and decorative fringes were considered symbols of wealth and sophistication. Macramé was also used in religious and cultural rituals, and some believe that the knotting patterns held spiritual significance.
Roll forward to the age of the hippies and macrame is back with a bang! The hippie and bohemian lifestyle, which valued natural materials and handmade goods, made macramé the craft. Additionally, the simplicity of macramé, combined with its versatility and decorative potential, made it accessible and appealing to a wide range of people. People used macramé to create a variety of items, such as plant hangers, wall hangings, and even some questionable outfits. The craft's popularity was further fueled by the publication of numerous books and the availability of ready-made cords and supplies. The 1970s saw a true resurgence of macramé, and the trend has continued in various forms to this day.
The easiest way to get into this fabulous craft is to try it with a kit or come to a class to see if you enjoy it! We offer a creative macramé kit for £30 and we also run macramé classes where you learn to make a plant hanger in the 2.5 hour session for £35. Once you understand the knots, the world is your macramé oyster.