DIY Macramé Plant Hanger from an Old T-Shirt

Creating a macramé plant hanger from an old T-shirt is both fun and eco-friendly. This project doesn’t involve sewing it is just a great little idea to reuse an old T-shirt, or make a quick little gift from with materials you have at home. You just have to cut a t-shirt into strips and attach the strips with knots. Here's my step-by-step tutorial to guide you through the process of making a hanging planter.

Macramé is a crafting technique that involves creating textiles in general through a series of knots. Traditionally, macramé is made with cotton twine, hemp, jute, or leather cords, but you can also use T-shirt fabric, which is a jersey knit. You just use strips of T-shirt fabric and knot these to make a plant holder. You don’t need any special types of knots or braiding for these plant hangers, you can finish them with common knots.

If you would like to use a woven cotton fabric that doesn’t stretch, you will need longer strips to start from and make the distances in between the sets of knots a little longer then what is described below.

• An old T-shirt made from stretchy fabric like cotton or jersey.
• Scissors or a rotary cutter cutter, mat and cutting ruler
• Measuring tape and a small sewing gauge
• A key chain ring

• Prepare the T-shirt: Place the T-shirt on a flat surface and smooth out any wrinkles. Cut open the T-shirt on one side on the side seam so you have just one layer to cut through. Some T-shirts have no side seams, then you can choose where to cut the T-shirt vertically. Now remove the bottom hem of the T-shirt.

• Create Strands: Starting from the bottom, cut the T-shirt horizontally into 1-inch wide strips. Ensure the strips are cut from clean fabric and are free of large holes. You don’t need to mark the strips before you cut. As the fabric will curl up once you pull it, you won’t notice crooked or uneven edges. I used my electric fabric scissors to cut the strips. The strips will probably have a seam in the middle, that’s ok. If they don’t, that’s even better.
  
  I will use 8 strands, if you use double folded strips, you need 4 strips. You can add two strips if you use a larger plant pot. You need pairs so the number of strips should be 8 or 10. I like to use a wrap knot to finish off the top and bottom knot that gathers all the strands. If you use this knot, you will need one or two extra strips of fabric.

Grab each strip at both ends and pull each one taut. This will cause the fabric to curl into a tube, making it easier to work with and giving it a cleaner look. It is important that each strip is equally pulled and stretched.

Depending on how wide and stretchy your t shirt is, your strip length will vary. If they are very long and you want a shorter hanger, you can double fold the strips at the seam and only use 4 strips instead of 8. My strips are 24 inch long when double folded, when I stretch them they are 40 inch long. When they are in use as a plant hanger they will be stretched non stop, so it is wise to use the stretched length as a reference.

A general tip for tying the knots is keeping the distances between the sets of knots consistent. If you fail to do this, your hanger will look a bit crooked, not neat and professional. Use a measuring tape and an erasable fabric marker to keep the distances accurate.

If you double fold the strips, you can make a loop at the top and start the knotting from the top. If you want to use the full length of your strips, it is easier to start knotting from the bottom. I will explain how to make a hanger with double folded strips later. If your strips aren’t long enough you can use the same steps and just attach them at the top. You can hide the knots in the wrap knot. Or you can start knotting from the bottom instead of the top with straps that aren’t double folded.

First, collect all the strips and align them at one end. I’ll explain the scenario with double folded strips. Insert the strands through the key chain ring.

Tie a knot with all the strands under the ring to make a loop at the top and make sure the long ends for your hanger have the same length. You can use a common knot or use a wrap knot. For a wrap knot you need a separate strip.

This is how you make a wrap knot:

1. Take the extra wrap strand and lay it over the other strands. Hold one short end. Make a loop towards to bottom (like a V shape), come back up and use the long end to wrap around all of the strands, including the loop of the wrap strand itself. Wrap until all the seams are covered or when you think it is ok. I would recommend to wrap it at least five times.

2. Grab the long edge of the wrap strand and guide it through the loop.

3. Pull the short end of the wrap strand. The loop will tighten around the long end. Pull until it is trapped under the wrapped part.

4. Cut the 2 ends of the wrap strand short.

Divide the strips into pairs. If you have 8 strips, you'll have 4 pairs.

Measure about 12 inches from the bottom and put a mark. Now also measure from the top to make sure the knots end up at the same distance from the top knot. Take this last measurement as a reference. You can always cut away some length at the bottom. I’m using marks to make sure I’m knotting accurately. Now tie a common knot in each of the four pairs of strands at the same distance from the top loop knot.

Take one strip from one pair and one strip from the adjacent pair, and tie a knot about 3 inches below the first set of knots or 9 inches from the bottom edge. Repeat this process around the entire hanger. Again you will end up with 4 knots.

Repeat the same process again, taking one strip from adjacent pairs and tying them together about 3 inches below the second set of knots, or 6 inches measured from the bottom edges.

Gather the strips at the bottom to tie the final knot. Tie a large knot, all the trips together about 2 inches from the previous set of knots. Again, you can use either a wrap knot (see above for detailed instructions) or a common knot.

Trim any excess fabric to make the ends even and end up with the desired length. Carefully place your plant pot into the hanger, manipulate the strands a bit, ensuring it is well-supported by the knots and the pot sits straight in the hanger.

• Measuring: Do not just eye-ball the distance between the sets of knots when you are a beginner in macramé. I did that with my first try and the end result is crooked.
• Customization: You can add beads to the strips before tying the knots for a decorative touch.
• Experiment: Try different knot patterns or create more rows of knots for a unique design.
• Safety: Ensure that the knots are tight and secure to safely hold the weight of the plant pot.

Repurposing an old T-shirt into a macramé plant hanger is a great way to recycle fabric and add a personal touch to your home decor. It's a simple project that requires minimal materials and can be completed in a short amount of time. Enjoy your new plant hanger!

Any questions? Email me at An@madamsew.com

An
Blogging for MadamSew.com

Download the PDF “From a T-shirt to a Hanging Planter” here.