Interesting Uses Of Macramé

 Macrame is an old type of decoration. Heralding from France originally, this unique form of weaving material has been around since probably the Middle Ages or even before. However, in the modern art and decor communities, it dates back to sometime in the late 19th century, with a major popularity in the 1920s and 1930s as an old world look. In the 1960s and 1970s, it made a comeback, being popular among the “hippie” crowds and other counterculture movements. Why? Who knows, it just became part of their aesthetic, but wasn’t limited only to their communities.

In fact, if you look back at 1960s homes in sitcoms and movies from the time, you’ll see macrame all over the place. One of the more interesting uses, and one that remain popular into the early 1980s, was a macrame wall hanging for plants. Yes, there is such a thing as a macrame plant hanger, though it’s not the sole material holding the plants up.

What are you even talking about right now

So, maybe you’ve heard of macrame, maybe you’ve seen one or two limited examples of it, but you can’t really picture what a boho wall hanger really is. That’s fair, and it’s actually hard to describe. Think back to old fashion houses from the late 60s, all the way into the 80s. Do you recall seeing all the plants in baskets hanging from ceilings and walls, as well as maybe fruit baskets and other things? Remember the rope-like, intricately-woven net materials that held them up in many cases?

That would be a macrame wall hanging for plants. Obviously, a pot or bowl or basket holds the plant, and the macrame material either works is just the stranded hangs from, or as a net-like enclosure to hold onto it. The stuff was all over the place back in the day, and on actually a fan of it, being a big fan of early to mid 80s home decor myself. As a matter of fact, before writing this, I was shocked to learn that I in fact have a macrame plant hanger in my kitchen, though it doesn’t actually hold plants, it just holds produce. I’m a bit averse to having a lot of sunlight in my house, so sadly, plants don’t live very long under my care.

Is this “in” right now?

So, you might be wondering if this sort of thing is popular and considered contemporary. Some people would say that it is, as old-fashioned, earthy decoration like this is somewhat popular due to “hipster” culture now. Others would say that no, it’s dated and if you want to sell a house, you can have dated decor like this. Honestly, you shouldn’t care. Unless you are planning to sell your house, don’t worry about whether or not this is contemporary. If you like the looks of it, go for it. You have a lot of choices for design when it comes to this, and some of them can be understated inelegant, or complex and beautiful.

Just be sure to buy one from a local creator, as you’ll be helping to support the local artistic community, and you’ll get a better, more love-filled piece of decoration that way.