Rebecca Millar - Elemental Macramé: 20 macramé and crystal projects for balance and beauty

Rebecca Millar

When I tied my first few knots, I never knew what macram would come to mean to me. Its more than just my creative outlet, its my meditation and the way I express myself. Its become such a huge part of my life and I dont think any other craft couldve done the same for me. We just seem to fit. Ive always been creative being dyslexic, from a young age Id shy away from academic work and pour everything into my drawings or making my Halloween costumes from scratch. When I was a teenager, Id even make my own outfits that looked a little ridiculous but I loved them. In my early 30s, while pregnant with my son Loki, this art form changed my life. I now want to help you fall in love with macram too.

My love of all things magical also started at a very young age. I would read books about wicca and paganism that led me to have an interest in crystals and their energy. My sister and I would collect gems from a local shop and place them around our room. Crystals are believed to have healing powers and theres a stone to help with almost any problem we come across in life. They look beautiful while they do this, too.

Crystals are the perfect match for macram: the natural cotton fibres teamed with stones and crystals are stunning together. I have used my love of crystals in lots of my work and have featured them in several of these projects. When making a new project, I really like to think about where that wall hanging, plant hanger or accessory will be used. For example, I have tigers eye in a small plant hanger next to my desk for knowledge. I also have rose quartz in many places around my home to spread happiness.

In this book Ive divided the projects into the five spiritual elements: earth, air, water, fire and spirit. Each of these elements has its own meaning and each stone used in these projects can be connected to this. Earth is known for its abundance, solid foundation, fertility and nurturing. Air is known for new life, the power of the mind and communication. Water is for the subconscious, purification and psychic powers. Fire is known for creation, destruction and transformation and, lastly, Spirit for infinity, pure energy and unlimited potential.

This book is great for those wanting to learn macram or evolve it into something more. It not only teaches you some of the basics of macram but also introduces you to crafts that you can bring into macram, such as weaving webs and wire wrapping crystals. I hope this book inspires you to make something unique feel free to break away from the exact pattern and make little changes, whether it be the colour of the string you choose or the style of knots you use.

Most of the projects in this book are made with 4mm (in) luxury macram string; however, a few are made with different widths. Normally, the bigger the project, the thicker the string, and on the larger projects, Ive listed more string under Materials than you need, to allow for any errors. Ive used single-ply cotton string from UK manufacturers, as its the most popular choice for macram due to its softness and durability, and it creates beautiful, seamless patterns.

Natural string is my favourite to work with as it brings a bohemian/Nordic vibe that I love. Coloured string is great for those who want to add a bit of personality to their designs and is something I enjoy working with. I have great fun putting together different colour palettes and deciding what will work best for new projects. Feel free to change the colours in these projects to suit your home.

Youll need a base for most of these projects, such as a hoop, moon hoop, metal shape or driftwood. Hoops and moons can be made from many different materials, for instance, when I made my first large dreamcatcher, I used a hula hoop reinforced with tape. Very thick cardboard can be used for moon shapes and I now choose to use MDF hoops in my large projects that I cut myself using a jigsaw, but these can be bought from various craft stores andwww.vanircreations.com.For smaller projects I use thinner metal hoops and shapes. I also use huge steel shapes fromwww.etsy.com/uk/shop/bramblesky,like the one used for the Serenity Wall Hanging.

I often use driftwood and wooden dowels for large macram wall hangings. Look for driftwood at a local beach and wooden dowels are found at local DIY stores or on online marketplaces.

I use crystals, yarn, thick sewing thread, beads, feathers, craft wire and fabric dye. You can find these on online marketplaces, local craft stores and atwww.vanircreations.com.

YOU WILL NEED

FOR ALL PROJECTS

• Scissors
• Tape measure

FOR SOME PROJECTS

• Sticky tape
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Needle
• Large bowl
• Spray bottle
• Rubber gloves
• Salt
• Warm water

In some ancient communities, the five points of the pentagram represents the five earthly elements. The top point being spirit (or ether) and the other four being earth, air, water and fire. Each element has its own properties and stones that relate to these.

The element of the north and winter

Fertility, wealth, abundance, strength, wisdom

Signs of the zodiac are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn

Crystals:Agate, black tourmaline, calcite, diamond, emerald, green onyx, halite, jasper, jet, malachite moss agate, obsidian, peridot, petrified wood, picture jasper

The element of the east and spring

Intuition, knowledge, renewal, change

Signs of the zodiac are Aquarius, Gemini and Libra

Crystals:Amazonite, amethyst, aventurine, calcite, citrine, mica, opal, rhodonite, tigers eye, topaz, turquoise, white fluorite

The element of the west and autumn

Healing, expression, peace, compassion

Signs of the zodiac are Cancer,Scorpio and Pisces

Crystals:Amethyst, aquamarine, azurite, blue agate, blue and pink tourmaline, celestite, chalcedony, chrysocolla, lapis lazuli, lepidolite, moonstone, mother of pearl, opal, pearl, sapphire, selenite, sodalite