When creating the wedding of your dreams, adding your own creative stamp to your wedding can look great and save you money. From DIY wedding invitations to flowers, favours, centrepieces and decorations, getting creative with your wedding day can give your day a more personal touch.
At Huntsmill Farm we love seeing everyone’s decorations in the barn. Seeing our couples showcasing their DIY efforts really brings our venue to life. With DIY weddings increasing in popularity, our Wedding and Events Manager, Emily, has created a beginners guide to creating a DIY macramé hanging hoop to help with some inspiration for your wedding craft projects! For this pattern you will use only two types of knot; a larks head knot and a double half hitch.
How to create your own DIY macramé hanging hoop
To create your own DIY macramé hanging hoop you will need the following items:
- 1mm of macramé cord
- A pair of scissors
- A tape measure
- Clear sticky tape
- 2 hanging hoops of different sizes – for this design we have used an 8 inch and a 6-inch hoop
To start creating your macramé you will firstly need to arrange the 2 hoops together, binding them with tape at the top of the join.
Then cut 20 individual cords from your macramé cord, each cord being 58 inches in length.
Take the first cord and fold it in half to create a loop at the top.
Using a lark’s head knot slip the loop under the rings, and use two fingers to pull the ends through the loop. Once through, tighten and secure in place.
Thread the cord under the bottom of the first ring and over the bottom of the second ring and separate the ends of the cords.
Next take the tail of the right cord and take over the hoop on the right side, then take the tail over to the left side and pull through the loop in the middle to create a double half hitch. Repeat this pattern using the left cord.
Pull the cords together at the bottom and repeat the process with 9 further individual cords until you have 10 cords in total.
Take a new cord and fold it in half to create a loop, and use a lark’s head knot to secure it to the rings in the same position as the other 10. Take the left-hand cord and pull it over the original cords and secure to the bottom of the first ring using a double half hitch.
Continue the process with a further 9 cords. Once complete, arrange the cords at the bottom and top so they are all in line with no gaps between each knot. Now you should be able to see the crossover pattern complete and even.
Next create a small gap at the top in the middle of the cords. You should have 10 knots either side of the small gap.
Cut a small strand of cord around 7 inches long, and fold it in half to create a loop.
Push the loop through the back of the small opening at the top and pull the ends through the loop, then tighten and secure in place. Now knot the ends at the desired length to create your hanging knot on your DIY macramé hanging hoop.
Hang in place and cut the remaining hanging cords to the length and design you wish. This design looks great with straight hanging cords or vertically cut cords.
And voila!!! Your DIY macramé hoop hanging should be complete. You can always take your design one step further by creating further patterns using the hanging cords or embellish the hoop with artificial foliage to fit in with your theme.
We’ve seen macramé used in lots of different ways to decorate the barn, it creates a great rustic theme against the stonework of the walls. Previously we had a bright, bold and colourful styled shoot with Festival Brides, who used macramé as part of the theme to decorate our barn photographed by Sam Bennett Photography and Film. Our talented Emily actually made the macramé ceremony backdrop for this shoot! The use of macramé, flowers and colours looked beautiful in our barn, and helped to create a statement style.
If you have a go at creating your own DIY macramé hanging hoop for your wedding, we’d love to see your photos of how it’s turned out! Keep an eye out on our blog for more DIY tips and ideas for your wedding decorations.
