Macrame is a quick and easy way to make great decorations for your home. In our video we show how to make a macrame hanging basket with succulents yourself.
DIY instructions for a macrame hanging basket [music: www.bensound.com]
In the 70s, macramé hanging baskets were very popular and no household would be without them. But then the decorative planter was forgotten for a long time and was even labeled as old-fashioned. But now the macrame hanging basket is experiencing a true renaissance and is developing into a coveted decorative object, especially among the younger generation. No wonder, after all, the macrame hanging basket is very easy to make yourself and can be individually adapted to your own taste by using different materials such as rope, cord or even leather straps. In addition, the hanging placement of plants saves an enormous amount of space, so that you don't have to do without cozy indoor plants even in small apartments. You can find instructions for a DIY macrame hanging basket and everything else you need to know about the new trend in this article.
What is macrame?
Macrame is on everyone's lips - but what is actually behind this term? In fact, macrame refers to a special knotting technique that was developed in the Orient and was used to make carpets, but also ornaments and jewelry. The Crusaders then brought this special form of handwork to Europe, where it experienced several heydays. In addition to jewellery, hanging baskets in particular became the figurehead of the artful knotting technique, which is still very popular today and is also a popular hobby.
Macrame hanging basket: DIY instructions
Macrame-style hanging baskets have numerous advantages: They are not only extremely decorative, but also particularly practical, as hanging the plants saves a lot of space. But also the fact that macrame hanging baskets are easy to make yourself means that this trend has many followers.
You need that for this
Many people don't dare to get creative with the macrame technique because they think it's too time-consuming and complicated. In fact it is possiblemake a macrame hanging basket without much effort.
You only need:
- Plants
- Flower Pot
- String or Rope
- Measure Tape
- Scissors
- Plant Clay
- Suitable plant substrate
- Possibly small wooden beads for decoration
Procedure for making a macrame hanging basket
If you follow the instructions, making a macrame hanging basket really isn't difficult: the first step is to prepare the materials. First, six pieces of equal length must be cut from the string. Each cord should be about 90 to 100 centimeters long (depending on how low the hanging basket is to hang later). In order to get an even length of all ribbons, it is advisable to carefully measure the individual threads with a measuring tape and then cut them to fit. Once all the strings have been prepared, they are laid next to each other and knotted together, about 10 to 15 centimeters in front of one end of the bundle. This so-called base knot later carries a large part of the weight of the flower pot, which is why it is particularly important to tighten the knot properly.
Now the actual work with the macrame begins: the cords are placed on a table and sorted. Now you form pairs of two from the strings that are directly next to each other. The pairs of two are now knotted about 10 centimeters away from the base knot. The distance to the base node can vary depending on the pot size, but care should be taken to ensure that the nodes in the teams of two are the same distance from the base node so that the pattern is as even as possible. Now the cords are placed next to each other on the table. Now another knot is made 10 centimeters from the previous knot. However, this time the pairs of two are not connected to each other, but to each other by connecting the facing cords to each other. To do this, tie the second thread of the first team of two to the thread next to it (i.e. the first thread of the second team of two). Then the second thread of the second pair is tied to the first of the third pair and finally a knot is made with the second thread of the third pair and the first thread of the first pair. Again, care should be taken herethat the nodes are level again.
Now comes the end knot: At the upper end of the strand, all the cords are tied together again. By not pulling the threads all the way through at this knot, a loop is created that will later serve as a holder for the macrame flower pot. If you prefer something a little more individual and exciting, you can further decorate the basic shape of the macrame hanging basket. Wooden beads, which can be worked into the ends of the threads, but also above and below the knots, are particularly suitable for this. The hanging basket can also be made colorful by painting it with natural colors, e.g. B. colored in the modern ombré effect. In fact, the macrame hanging basket offers thousands of design options so that you can let your creativity run free.
Instructions for the macrame hanging basket in brief
1. Cut 6 strands of the same length in a length of 90 - 100 cm.
2. Knot the base knot about 10 - 15 cm before the end of the strand with all strands.3. Sort threads and divide into pairs of two.
4. Tie knots in pairs of two about 10cm above the base knot.5. Now tie the adjacent threads of the different pairs together.
6. Make a final knot at the upper end with all threads. Do not pull the end all the way through so that a loop is formed for hanging.
Prepare plants for the hanging basket
After the macrame for the hanging basket has been completed, the plants need to be prepared for their new habitat. In this case, we decided on succulents because these plants are among the most popular indoor plants and are particularly suitable for hanging baskets not only because of their appearance, but also because of their easy-care nature. These should now move into a new pot that matches the size and style of the macrame you just designed.
When repotting succulents, the preparation of the new pot is of great importance: About a quarter of this should be filled with plant clay, which improves the drainage capacity of the soil and thus prevents waterlogging. This drainage layer is particularly important for hanging baskets, since the flower pots have no holes through which excess water can drain.Cactus or succulent soil is suitable as a substrate for the new plants. This has the advantage that it is precisely adapted to the nutrient and soil requirements of succulents and thus supplies them optimally.
"If the pot is about half filled with succulent soil, the first plants can move in. These are carefully removed from their old pot and, if necessary, carefully freed from their old soil - if possible without damaging the roots. Smaller succulents can also be planted in groups in a larger pot, while larger plants should be planted individually so that they have enough space to grow. Once the plants are in place, the gaps in the pot are filled with more cactus soil and gently pressed down with your fingers. Now the pot and plants can be placed in the macrame holder.
Which plants are suitable for a hanging basket?
If you want a macrame hanging basket, you are spoiled for choice: there is a seemingly endless number of different plants to choose from. In fact, succulents such as the coral cactus (Rhipsalis cassutha) are ideal for a hanging basket: combined in small groups, the robust plants not only look beautiful, the succulents also need little care. Hanging plants that are difficult to kill are also very popular, such as string of pearls (Senecio herreanus) or ivy (Epipremnum). And petunias (Petunia) are not only true classics when it comes to hanging basket plants, but also provide a colorful eye-catcher. A little more subtle, but still with pretty flowers, is the wax flower (Hoya), which is also happy about a hanging home.
If you're looking for more suitable plants for your hanging basket, check out our article on Hard-to-Kill Hanging Plants.
Many thanks to Floragard for the support!