As everyone is spending more time at home at the moment in this series of In:Site Inspires blog posts we’re looking back at previous festivals and artists to see how they could inspire some at-home making activities and creative ideas. There is guidance on where to find or make your own materials as well as tips to get you started!

Milly was part of the most recent In:Site in 2019. She used repurposed and unusual materials to create large-scale macramé art works.

Macramé is a type of textile created using knotting techniques. There are many different knots that you can use in macramé, Milly introduced visitors to In:Site to the ‘square knot’ as well as encouraging them to try plaiting.

You can learn some of the basic macramé knots online such as in this YouTube video. 

There are so many options with macramé, you could create an artwork for your wall or a hanging plant pot holder – or even try out a smaller project first like a keyring! The website Macrame UK has a good range of tutorials and projects to get you started.

In Milly’s practice she used hosepipes, tubing and ropes – you could look at what there is around your home to start your macramé. String, rope or wool could be used to practise your knots. If you’re using cotton rope you could even think about dying the rope or painting it to add another exciting feature of your macramé. A fallen tree branch or even a clothes hanger could become a unique mounting pole!

Macrame is becoming increasingly popular in interior design, if you have time to give it a go please share your efforts with us using #InsiteInspires