Why Macramé Is Such a Good Place to Start

Macramé has a reputation for looking fiendishly complicated, but almost every plant hanger you have admired in a gift shop is built from three knots repeated in a pattern. That really is all there is to it. For a beginner, it is one of the kindest crafts going: the materials cost very little, you need no workshop or specialist tools, and you can work sitting on the sofa with the telly on. It is also one of the friendliest crafts to sell, because a finished hanger is light to post, almost impossible to break, and appeals to exactly the same customers who are already happily buying houseplants.

What You Actually Need

You do not need much, and you certainly should not spend much on your first attempt.

• 4mm braided cotton cord — about 28 metres for a single hanger. Braided is kinder to beginners than twisted, as it will not unravel while you work. Sold by the reel from craft shops and online suppliers.
• A 25mm wooden or brass ring — this becomes the hanging loop at the top. A plain curtain ring works perfectly if you are impatient to start.
• A plant pot — between 12cm and 15cm across is the sweet spot for a first hanger.
• Sharp scissors and a tape measure.
• Something to hang your work from — a hook, a door handle, or the back of a dining chair.

Steer clear of rope, jute or polyester cord for now. Cotton holds a knot firmly, keeps its shape, and takes dye beautifully once you are feeling adventurous.

The Three Knots That Do All the Work

Learn these three and you can make almost any hanger you have ever pinned to a mood board.

• Lark's head knot — fold one cord in half, push the folded loop under your ring from front to back, then pull both loose ends down through that loop and tighten. This is how every cord attaches to the ring.
• Square knot — take four strands. Bring the left strand over the two middle strands and under the right strand. Bring the right strand under the middle strands and up through the loop on the left. Pull snug. Now mirror it: right over the middle, left under and through. That complete pair of moves gives you one neat, flat square knot.
• Wrapping knot — used to gather cords into a tidy bundle. Lay a 60cm length of cord alongside your bundle with a short tail pointing upwards, wrap the long end tightly downwards over both the bundle and that tail for five to seven coils, then thread the long end through the loop at the bottom and pull the top tail so the loop disappears under the wraps. Trim the ends.

Step by Step: Your First Hanger

• Step one — Cut eight lengths of 4mm cotton cord at 3.5 metres each. Fold each in half and attach it to your ring with a lark's head knot. You will now have sixteen strands hanging down.
• Step two — About 6cm below the ring, tie a wrapping knot around the whole bundle using a 60cm length of cord. This forms the neck of the hanger. Do not pull it so tight that the cords buckle.
• Step three — Divide the strands into four groups of four. Tie a square knot in each group roughly 5cm below the wrapping knot. Keep the spacing consistent — measure the first one and use it as your gauge for the rest.
• Step four — Carry on down each group with four more square knots, leaving a 4cm gap between each. You should now have four even legs of five knots each.
• Step five — Slip your plant pot into the middle and rest it on the knots to check the height. Adjust before you go any further, because undoing knotwork is nobody's idea of fun.
• Step six — Where the pot settles, take the two outer strands from one leg and the two outer strands from the leg beside it, and tie a square knot to close the cradle. Repeat all the way round so the four legs join into a basket.
• Step seven — Gather all remaining strands below the pot and finish with a wrapping knot, leaving a generous tassel. Trim the ends level with sharp scissors for a clean finish.

Finishing Touches and Easy Variations

Small details lift a homemade hanger into something people genuinely want to buy. Try knotting a few wooden beads into the legs before you tie each square knot, or alternate rows of half square knots to create a soft spiral staircase effect down each leg. Dyeing the finished hanger with a plant-based dye gives a lovely muted finish that photographs well. If you want an extra pair of hands, clip your work to a clipboard or pin it to an ironing board — it stops the cords twisting and keeps your tension even.

Turning It Into a Small Business

Once you can make one hanger in under an hour, you have a product. Cost it properly before you price it: add up the cord, the ring, the beads, your packaging, and then your time at a rate you would be happy to be paid. A common mistake among new makers is charging for materials only, which quietly turns a craft into a chore.

Make in batches of five or six rather than one at a time, cutting all your cords together — it is far quicker and keeps every hanger consistent. Photograph them against a plain, light wall with a real plant in place, ideally near a window, and always in natural daylight. Sell in a few places rather than one, mix in a couple of colourways, and offer a simple gift-wrap option; plant hangers are popular housewarming presents. Finally, keep a note of what sells and what lingers. Your best seller will tell you what to make next far more reliably than any guess.