Have you heard of “macrame”? This is a crafting technique made by knotting cotton ropes only by hand. Unlike knitting, which uses bamboo knitting needles or crochet hooks, this technique requires no materials other than cotton ropes. As well, macrame crafts are easy to make because you only need to know how to tie a knot. Even more impressive is the possibility of producing many different crafts due to macrame’s simplicity. Let's discover more about macrame!

● Representative Macrame Crafts

1. Wall Hanging

Wall hangings come in various shapes, sizes, and styles. To begin, hang the cotton ropes on a cylindrical wooden rod and after continuously tying the knots, the shape shown in the picture will appear. Depending on the type of knot, the shape of the wall hanging can vary widely. Additionally, since the length becomes shorter while tying the cotton ropes, it is best to start by cutting them to twice the length you want. These decorations are excellent to hang on a wall or door and use as an interior ornament.

2. Bag
Bags are always handy to have. Macrame bags are made of cotton ropes, so they are conveniently stretchy. If you have a sewing machine or a glue gun, you can make your bag much more sophisticated, or you can simply finish the bag by tying the cotton ropes at the bottom of the bag. You can also attach magnets or zippers to make it appear firmer.

3. DoorBell

Hanging Like a wall hanging, this is an ornament that is perfect to hang on walls or doors. Usually, to make this type of doorbell hanging, knots are tied over a circular ring. You can wrap the ring entirely with a cotton rope, or you can wrap a part of the ring to ensure the cotton rope hangs down longer.

● Make DoorBell hanging with Expert

In Deokjin-dong, Jeonju, there is a workshop called “Neuwe” where you can make various types of macrame, weaving, and punch needle crafts. Expert Lee Bom recommends a macrame doorbell hanging for beginners because it can be used in any season and is made using only the basic knot, the square knot. Following the guidance below, let's try making it!

1. Fold the cotton rope in half, leave about 20cm of space (it’s called   a start rope) and switch the rope from behind the ring to the front.

2. Once the knot is made, loop the rope through to the back of the knot.

3. Loop the rope from behind the ring forward again.

4. There will be an empty loop at the top of the ring. Pass the rope through the loop and firmly pull the string to secure the knot.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, noting that the size of the knot is constant and that there is empty space in the ring.

6. When you're almost done filling the ring with knots, tie the last knot loosely.

7. Pass the start rope into the last knot and tie it tightly.

8. Put the string of the bell into the needle and insert the needle with the string into the rope and make a knot.

9. Cut the remaining ropes into equal lengths, and insert the ropes into the metal ball. (It's easy to do if you tape the end of the ropes.)

10. Tie the remaining rope together so that it can be hung on a wall or door.

● Expert’s Comments

Regarding macrame, Lee said, “rather than the kind of craft you make, the kind of knot determines the level of difficulty. Generally, beginners use the square knot, lark's head knot, and spiral knot the most. These knots are essential for almost any craft. That's why even beginners can make wall hangings and bags, so don’t hesitate! Why don't you try macrame for your next craft?”

As discussed, macrame is very simple, and everyone from beginners to masters can get into macrame. The highlight of macrame is that even if the same craft is repeated, the appearance can vary widely according to the knot method. As an added bonus, when you concentrate on tying knots, you will forget unnecessary thoughts. All that matters in that moment is macrame. Doesn’t that sound appealing?

| Ha Yae-one Editor, Yang Seo-jung Reporter