The art form is still practiced today although I dare say many of us relate it to hippie jewelry! Macro-macrame might be easier for beginners but the real "jewels" are the micro-macrame jewelry designs using much finer cord. There are many variations of macrame including nautical, Celtic and Chinese knotting which also lend themselves very well to jewelry making.
There are tons of hemp and macrame jewelry tutorials online. Here is a selection to inspire. One great macrame resource site is Free Macrame Patterns.com. There are numerous tutorials on stitches and projects including the macrame button rings above.
Beads Unlimited (UK) on Cut Out and Keep has a wonderful gold leather macrame necklace and bracelet tutorial that's perfect for those just starting out.
Macrame is a great way to dress up the cords when working with gemstone and other donuts. Tammy Powley over at the Jewelry Making About.com site has a super macrame donut necklace tutorial that's not difficult. Her addition of long beads is inspired as is the use of the Josephine knot to connect the ends!
I also liked Tammy's Primitive Resin Bead and Woven Linen Necklace tutorial because the design is versatile - use different colored beads or even vary the shapes. It's a good project to learn the square knot. She also wrote a very handy guide, the Macrame Knot Library if you need a refresher on basics.
Adding proper jewelry clasps to macrame projects will improve their appeal. Check out Tammy's macrame toggle bracelet for the instructions.
Learn How to make a Peruvian macrame bracelet. For more Jewelry How-To Videos & Articles, visit WonderHowTo.
RECOMMENDED BOOK RESOURCES
Annika DeGroot's Micro-Macrame: 30 Beaded Designs for Jewelry Using Crystals and Cords
Joan Babcock's Wired Micro-Macramé Jewelry: Enhancing Fiber Designs with Wire
Other knotted jewelry tutorials
- How to Make Friendship Bracelets
- Use Your Fingers to Make this Macrame Necklace
- How to Make Finger Looped Bracelets
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips
I've tried macramé, but it turns out knotting like that isn't really my thing. Eventhough I made so many friendship bracelets as a kid. But I must say that Joan Babcock's new book made it directly to my bead book wishlist. Love her mix of wirework and colourful macramé!
ReplyDeleteOn her website, you can also buy downloadable e-projects, which include a couple of fab brooches incorporating wire: http://www.micro-macramejewelry.com/eProjects/eProjects.html (Not sure if you've mentioned that before, in that case I'll just add that as a tip to anyone who's missed it.) ;)
No I haven't mentioned it before. But thanks for the tip! Combining wire with macrame is utterly inspirational!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mention of my book! There's also a free tutorial on my website (www.annikadegroot.com) for the Aspen Choker, but in all honesty, it is a fairly advanced piece.
ReplyDeleteAnd Donna Littlewood at www.knotgypsydesigns.com has some gorgeous free tutorials, too.
BTW, Joan Babcock's new book is FANTASTIC!!!
thanks for keeping interest in macrame, it is such a wonderful hobby. I write a blag dedicated to all things macrame, including patterns, instructions, ideas and inspiration. this month we are featuring step by step knot instructions for someone looking to pick up the basics:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.macramelovers.com/blog/how-to-macrame/macrame/
hope your readers enjoy!
I've been having a lot of fun with micro macrame. I couldn't find a whole lot of patterns that fit my style. So I started looking at other types of jewelry making and started creating my own patterns. My husband encouraged me to create a site and share them, so he helped me get it started. You can see some of my newest unique creations, that are less bulky that a lot out there, on my site. Demure Designs
ReplyDeleteYou are so right that micro macrame is much less bulky than the traditional kind!
ReplyDelete