Macramé Christmas

Macramé artist Strambio (Macramé Jewellery) shows how to create winter holiday decorations in this appealing manual. Step-by-step instructions detail how to make overhand, reversed lark’s head, and half square knots, and she outlines the pros and cons of various materials, noting that single-twist string unravels easily and that novices would be better off with more durable braided string.

The boho-chic projects include a Christmas tree wall hanging made from chunky double half hitch knots, a bauble adorned with gold string and tassels, and a simple stocking made up of square knots. Elsewhere, Strambio explains how to assemble green and white napkin rings, tree ornaments resembling candy canes and snowflakes, and a basket covering with a protruding knotted “red nose.”

Crafters of all levels will appreciate the helpful advice on hiding string ends (she recommends taping the tips, weaving them through the backside of a knot, and trimming the excess) and working with long strings (to avoid tangling, she suggests folding strings over themselves several times and securing them with rubber bands). This will help crafters get in the holiday spirit.

* Publishers Weekly, June 2023 *

I’ve wanted to do macramé for ages and I recently bought a kit but the instructions were awful. I was then given this book and it us truly amazing, instructions are really clear and there are some fantastic ideas for Christmas. I also love how it’s broken down into skill levels. So look forward to making some beautiful Christmas decorations!

– Julie Chalk * Customer Review *

I already had Isabella’s Macramé for the Modern Home so was excited to view this book.

Isabella explains all the cord types and what accessories you need, and also provides clear photos of how to do the different knots. As I’m still a beginner to macramé, I like that the projects are graded by difficulty. I moved on to the Half Hitch Cinnamon Decoration which is a beginner project as I had made keyrings in the same knots and pattern so knew I’d be able to do these. I will make more of these and will add a nice sparkly string for hanging along with the other cinnamon decoration and will get the right card to do a few other designs too.

– Katie Wharfe * Customer Review *

These festive macramé projects are all made from recycled materials using simple knots. Progress from learning the 24 essential knots before launching into tree and table decorations, wreaths, gift tags and garlands, including a lovely Christmas tree wall hanging, simple snowflakes and a clever Advent calendar. With a focus on sustainable crafting, this is a stylish collection for anyone who likes to dabble in other yarn-based crafts.

 

– Inside Crochet * Issue 163 *

Isabella Strambio is a self-taught macrame and natural dye artist. She is half Italian and half Japanese and grew up by the sea in Italy. At 18, she moved to the UK to learn English and study Interior Design.

Isabella has always been attracted to design, hand-made products, natural materials and textures, and her passions are reflected in her work. She is also a big advocate of using recycled materials for her macrame work and food scraps for her natural dyeing. She started her blog to document her personal journey to learn 12 new crafts in 12 months. In 2017, she took the leap and quit her career as an Interior Designer to work full-time on her creative business.

She has been featured in the Sunday Telegraph, the UK TV series Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas and regularly writes macrame tutorials for magazines like Mollie Makes, In the Moment, Hobbycrafts and Origin. In 2019, her Natural Dyed Japanese Apron was one of the finalists for the Etsy Design Award. She runs workshops, events and teambuilding classes in London and across the UK. She also teaches macrame and natural dyeing online for people who cannot attend her workshops.

This is her third book with Search Press.