Spoil mom with a DIY macrame plant hanger for Mother’s Day

Brush up on your knotting skills and try making a DIY macramé plant hanger for your mother. You will need:

• Four pieces of two-meter cotton cord (3.1 mm thick)
• One inch brass ring
• Two pieces of 30 cm rope
• Scissors
• Plant of your choice – we used a Sweatheart Creeper (Philodendron scandens oxycardi)
• Pot plant container

Getting to know the Sweatheart Creeper Sweatheart Creepers (Philodendron scandens oxycardi) can be identified by their unique heart-shaped leaves. They are fast-growing climbers and one of the most popular foliage plants used as room or conservatory decor. This plant is adaptable, tolerates low levels of light for long periods and thrives in summer or winter room temperatures. Step by step to making your macramé masterpiece: Step 1. Begin your DIY macramé plant hanger by cutting the pieces of the cotton macramé cord. You will need four two-meter cords and two 30 cm long cords. Step 2. Fold the four two-meter cords in half and loop it through the bass ring. Step 3. Secure your cords in place by using the wrapped or ring knot. This is a simple knot that has a sophisticated, finished look. You will need your 30 cm piece of cord for this knot. How to tie a wrapped, looped knot:

1. Place the short cord over the looped cords with the short tail to the left, the loop pointing down and the long tail to the right.
2. Wrap the long tail around the looped cords and around the loop of the short cord.
3. Continue wrapping the long tail, pulling it tight and leaving the bottom loop of the short cord uncovered.
4. When you are happy with the length of your wrapped knot, thread the long tail through the loop at the bottom.
5. Pull up on the short tail to tighten the knot and pull it underneath the wraps.
6. Cut off the tails as close to the knot as possible.

Step 4. Next, hang your rig on either a hook, door knob or a friend’s finger. Group your eight cords into groups of two and tie the cords together using a simple knot. Continue this until you end up with four separate knots and make sure they are all the same distance from the top. Step 5. Now you will continue to your second row of knots. Take two adjacent knots and one cord from each knot and tie the cords together. Repeat this until you have four knots and make sure they are the same distance from your first row of knots. Step 6. Make sure your pot plant fits and if it does not fit, adjust the second row until you feel your pot plant is secured and will not fall through the knots. Step 7. To finish off your DIY Mother’s Day macramé plant hanger, you will need to tie all of the cords together with one final knot. End off with a wrapped or looped knot. Step 9. Trim off the excess cord to create a tassel finish. And finally, insert your plant with care. Carefully arrange your plants’ branches between the groups of cords and make sure that the hook you hang the plant from is secure and able to handle the plant’s weight. For more fun DIY projects, visit the Life is a Garden website www.lifeisagarden.co.za   DID YOU KNOW? Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics. To receive news links via WhatsApp or Telegram, send an invite to 061 694 6047 The South Coast Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram– why not join us there? Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist. (Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)