I learned how to do macrame from my mother’s hippie friend Patti. I loved the way she worked with fibers, whether she was knitting a hat of angora wool, weaving on her enormous loom, or teaching us to do crochet and macrame. She had a way of feeling the fiber that showed how much she loved working with her hands, and produced items that went on to be gifts for her friends and family. As I got older, I tried out more fiber crafts, and I think her influence on me is pretty clear. I still crochet and weave, and recently I’ve gotten back into macrame – I’m also glad that it has become popular again, because it’s one of those things that everyone can enjoy and pass on to their children, or even your friends and neighbors. You don’t have to buy the cheaply made products from popular stores, you can make your own, which look better, hold up longer, and cost less.
The Think Make Share Blog offers a DIY post about a simple macrame project that would be great for beginners, with enough variations to keep even seasoned macrame creators busy and interested. Their chic macrame keychains are easy to create, easy to vary and personalize, and inexpensive to make. For one macrame keychain, you’ll need the following items:
- Key ring
- Cord (Think Make Share suggests using cotton piping cord)
- Beads (these can be wooden, glass, clay, or paper)
- Embroidery floss or yarn
- Scissors
With a few simple knots, a tassel flourish, and bold colors, your keychain will be done. You can make one of these for each of your family members (matching colors), some to give as gifts to teachers, older relatives, or pet sitters, or you can sell them online or at craft fairs. The sky’s the limit with these elegant little additions to your keyring. You can find complete written instructions as well as a video tutorial for a variety of macrame keychains at the Think Make Share Blog.