Toolbox Tutorials: Learn to make a simple macramé plant hanger

6sqft’s new series Toolbox Tutorials shares step-by-step guides for simple, affordable DIY projects. This week, Igor Josifovic and Judith de Graaff, founders of Urban Jungle Bloggers and authors of the new book “Urban Jungle: Living and Styling With Plants,” teach us how to make an easy macramé plant hanger. Have a project you’d like to share? Get in touch with us at [email protected].

In small apartments, the valuable real estate on shelves and windowsills gets used up fast, but don’t let this deter you from bringing in some greenery. Even if your flat surfaces aren’t available, there’s always room for a hanging plant, which can be suspended from the ceiling, a wall or window, or a doorknob that’s not used on a daily basis. To do this, we’re showing you how to make macramé hangers for anything from regular terracotta pots to colorful salad bowls that have rounded bottoms.

STEP 1: For this DIY project we used an old cotton T-shirt to create fabric yarn. One T-shirt is enough for one plant hanger. Lay your T-shirt flat on a table and cut off the sleeves with a pair of scissors. Then start at the bottom and cut all around the T-shirt in a spiral, with a width of a half to three-quarters of an inch. Continue until you reach the sleeves. You now have one very, very long thread. You will see that the fabric curls up nicely when you gently pull it.

STEP 2: Start with four 10-foot lengths of fabric yarn. Fold them in the middle and tie them all together in one knot, keeping a little loop. You should now have eight strings to work with. For the next step, it helps if you attach the loop to a nail in the wall or to a doorknob.

STEP 3: Divide the strings into four groups of two. Tie a simple knot in each pair at about 16 inches below the main loop knot. You will have four knots that line up horizontally. Make sure each knot is tight.

STEP 4: Take one string from two adjacent knotted pairs, and tie them together in a knot about three to four inches below the previous knot. Repeat this until all of the bundles are tied together. This creates a zigzag pattern among the strings.

STEP 5: Tie all eight lengths together with a small tie cut from the same fabric yarn, or make one large final knot with all the strings. Pull each string individually to ensure that the knot is as tight as possible. Use scissors to trim the strings to your desired length. You can add beads or ribbons for added style and texture.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Igor Josifovic and Judith de Graaff, founders of Urban Jungle Bloggers, are the authors of “Urban Jungle,” a book packed with green inspiration, plant styling ideas, and handy plant information for anyone who wants to bring more greens into their homes and daily lives. The book takes readers on an inspirational voyage through five green homes across Europe showcasing how beautiful, individual, and creative green living can be. The book also offers a plethora of easy-to-copy plant styling ideas for your home, as well as plant profiles and simple plant care tips.

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Photography by Judith de Graaff