“Do anything, but let it produce joy.” – Walt Whitman
Instead of printing Christmas cards this year I decided to take a break and try something new. I thought I would make my family macramé wreaths and ornaments. I watched quite a few YouTube videos before I found the one I liked best. If you would like to make this ornament here is the link to my favorite instructional video.
I altered the video instructions just a bit and used #5 macramé thread on a 2.7 inch wood ring. I then cut fifteen 14 inch pieces, plus one 26 inch piece for the holding cord.
A good life is like a weaving. Energy is created in the tension. The struggle, the pull and tug are everything.
— Joan Erikson
Here is a timelapse video of the process:
As you can see below, the first one I made was not perfect, but I got better at it as I went along.
After making a handful of the wreath ornaments I got ambitious and thought I would try a bigger wreath. I again watched A LOT of wreath making tutorials and found this one that I liked the best.
I altered the "recipe" of the video a bit because my ring was smaller than hers. I used a 6 inch hoop and cut thirty-five 44 inch pieces of thread (7 cords for 5 sets). I also used #6 thread. Here you can see me starting the wreath by attaching my threads to the hoop.
When the wreath was finished I wanted to take a photo with something in it to show the scale. Otus volunteered to help out with that.
"The world is bound in secret knots." — Athanasius Kircher
For the first wreath I used unpainted beads because I thought my Mom would like the subtle tones. For the second one I made for my Dad I used red wooden beads. Here you can see my makeshift setup. I just happened to have a physical therapy band handy and it worked to hold the wreath as I knotted each set.
Below you can see both front and back.
I learned so much from making these wreaths and it brings me joy just looking at them. I have always loved wreath/donut shapes. I not only like the beauty of the wreath itself, but I also think it is a celebration of the empty space in the middle. It is a contrast of cacophonous joy surrounding peaceful space and silence. I hope your holiday season is filled with both joy and peace, and I send each and every one of you a warm hug from Nessy!
Love weaves itself from hundreds of threads.
—David Levithan
