With Christmas just around the corner, I was looking the other day at Zara Home Christmas collection and this country-like, simple yet impactful Red Jute Bauble reminiscent of a bygone era instantly caught my eye, because this year my Christmas decor has a more rustic, back to roots kind of theme. Now you know that I am an enthusiast of finely, artfully crafted Christmas decor, but $16.90 for just one Christmas ornament is pretty steep. But then I thought ”Wait a minute, I can do this and for less!”. And so I did, because I am not only budget-minded but also very resourceful and I just fell in love with the simple macramé pattern of this superb yet hefty Christmas ornament by Zara Home.
Now since this handmade macramé Christmas ornament looks simply fabulous, exactly the same as the original ornament that inspired it and picture-perfect I may add, great for memorable family photos around the Christmas tree, I am happy to share with you the steps to create this plain yet distinctive rustic macramé ornament with spectacular effects all by yourself. But then of course, you can make as many as you want, depending on the size of your Christmas tree. I created 6 of them, which cost me in total less than $16 ($10.88 for 6 red ornaments and $4.66 for twine). Now is that a great deal or what? But the most important thing is that the entire process of putting this handmade Christmas tree ornament together was nothing short of fun and a great family experience.
Additionally, it was also extremely easy to make it and anything but time-consuming, because it takes only about 15 minutes to create each ornament. Of course, it would be a lot easier if you had your precious little helpers around… Creating this simple yet attention-demanding ornament will turn out to be a cherished and rewarding family activity, that will boost your kids’ imagination and creativity, while getting them in the holiday spirit.
If you are into crafting and especially handmade decorative items for your home, I am sure that my photos will be self-explanatory, but just in case I provided a DIY tutorial. The materials and tools necessary for this Christmas ornament ( image #1) are anything but fancy, because you only need red Christmas ornaments ( you can use old ornaments to save more money and you can also choose other color if you like, but red is the ideal choice for maximum effects when you decorate your Christmas tree), twine or thin jute that you can purchase from your local craft supply store if you do not already have it in your home as well as a pair of scissors.
1. Start by cutting 7 pieces of twine that are equal in length; more specifically, each piece of twine or jute should be 31.5 inches.
2. Use one piece of twine string as an anchor for your macramé and place it in a horizontal position. Using another piece of twine, place a loop of twine over the piece used as anchor and bend it over; then pull the length of the twine string through the loop. Repeat this step with the other five pieces. Now gently pull to snug each knot down. They should appear as if they are hanging from the horizontal twine ( see image #2)
3. Using all six pieces of twine, place another loop over the anchor piece, bend it over and then pull the length of all six strings together through the loop ( see image #3). Pull gently to tie a sturdy knot. The final result should resemble a flower ( see image #4).
4. At this point, you will notice that all your six strings are in pairs; take a string from one pair and a string from the adjacent pair and tie a strong knot. Continue around until you have tied a square knot using each set of strings. Then make another round of macramé in the same fashion; use one string from each pair knotted in the previous round so that the knots follow a staggered pattern. Repeat until you have knotted 4 rows of knots vertically (minus the knots in the loop in image #3).
5. Once all the knots are strongly tied, cinch this macramé around the red ornament.
6. Now make a wrapped knot using all 8 twine strings together.
7.Take a twine string and wrap it with the others, just before you finish wrapping the twine fold in half the 7 twines (from there you can hang the ornament), then finish with a knot.
Remember that the art of macramé lies in proper knotting. Just imagine how this handmade Christmas ornament combining simplicity with a rustic feel will look with the rest of your Christmas tree decor. I hope you will have fun creating this macramé ornament yourself, I know I did.
