Macrame is a versatile form of fiber art that can be used for making items like wall hangings, jewelry, purses, keychains, bookmarks, plant hangers, curtains, tablecloths, and much more. Using materials like cotton, hemp, jute, leather, and bamboo, you can make both simple and complex designs, as the crafter prefers. You can also add various beads and buttons to make the piece even more interesting.
This knotting art originated in the 13th century when the Arab weavers knotted excess thread along the edges of the shawls, veils, and towels into decorative fringes. Then, the Moorish conquest took this art to Spain and Italy and then throughout Europe. Queen Mary II taught her court ladies this art in the late 17th century. Later on, 19th-century British and American sailors made hammocks, belts, and bell fringes during long days at sea, so they spread macrame to China and New World.
In the 20th century, macrame’s popularity resurrected in the 70s with the emergence of the hippie movement. It became popular to have macrame jewelry often featured handmade glass beads, shells, and stones. The art began to fall out of fashion in the late 80s, only to be revived by millennials.