Macrame planters, sort of

By Chelsea

Hello there! Today I'm sharing my version of a wildly popular fad going on right at this very moment. If you were born prior to the 70s, you may be familiar with macrame. Macrame has been around for centuries, both as a functional technique and an artistic one. Both sailors at sea and English royalty alike have practiced macrame. Macrame popularity faded a bit after the 70s craze, but it's back in full force!

Image from Houzz

There are hundreds of tutorials online that teach the art of macrame, especially for hanging planters. If you'd like to learn, you're in the wrong place. I totally cheated and am here to share how! Don't get me wrong; I would love to learn and plan to. But, I already had this one particular item that wasn't getting used, and I just hate seeing things go to waste.

So, I'd like to show you how to use a hammock! If you already have one that you're not using, great! If not, just hit up a few yard sales. You're bound to come across one quickly.

Lay it out straight, and cut 3 cords close to the wood piece they're coming through, (I found that garden shears cut straight through the cord, which makes the cutting much easier than even strong scissors). Then, cut straight down from your inside third cord. I cut about 18-20" down, then cut toward the outside edge, making a large rectangle. At this point you'll have lots of loose ends. Gather two up at a time, and tie them together in a simple knot. Do this until all the ends are 'partnered up' in a knot together Then, fold your rectangle up, bringing the long ends together, and tie your initial three cords that you cut into the opposite long end,, (I just used simple knots, nothing fancy). 

The end product is a really fun, slouchy, roped planter! I hung them on a pair of hooks flanking the mirror in our entry/living room, then just nestled the pots inside. 

I absolutely love how haphazard these turned out.

I've heard that cheaters never prosper, or so the saying goes. But in this case, I have a new pair of planters that I adore and took me all of 20 minutes. Isn't it fun to find exceptions to the rule?!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

~Chelsea