Macrame is an ancient craft. This is a textile-making craft which uses knots on thread or twine or hemp instead of weaving or knitting. In the 13th century Arab weavers of hand-loomed fabrics used macrame to knot the excess yarn along the edges of the fabric and make them into fringes on bath towels, shawls and veils to give decorative effect.

Macrame craft spread to Europe when the Arab weavers' products were sold there. Sailors picked up the craft. They would use it to decorate the handles of knives and other objects and would then sell or barter these articles at the ports where the ship would call.

This gave a wider circulation to this craft and it spread to all corners of the world. In the course of time it became fashionable and macrame was then widely used in Victorian England and America to provide fancy trimmings for colored and black costumes in the fashion circles. Belts and hammocks also were commonly made in macrame.

In the course of time mass produced goods became cheap and were easily available. The craft of macrame fell out of fashion. It has become fashionable once again and it is gaining popularity. Macrame lends itself easily to a variety of different products. Items ranging from plant hangers to furniture and from jewelry to Christmas decorations are now made in macrame.

Articles such as wall hangings, draperies, bedspreads and tablecloths in macrame are very popular and in great demand. Jewelry items such as bracelets, earrings, chokers, ankle bracelets, etc are popular as gift items. Small jean shorts, plant hangers and flower pots are some of the other items that are very much in vogue.

In macrame you rely on a wide variety of knots to make a design and achieve the result, while in sewing and knitting you use needles for that purpose. There is a wide range of macram? knots, some are simple and some more complicated. It is the macrame knot that decides the pattern that will emerge when you make macrame.

There is a wide range of different types of macrame knots such as larkshead knot, square knot and granny knot, etc. Sliding knot and figure-of-8 climbing knot are some other commonly used macrame knots. Tying the macrame knots is a skill which you can develop with practice.

But learning to make knots in ropes does not make a macrame. You need to select a macrame pattern, a design that is right for what you are intending to make. There are many macrame patterns that are used. Each pattern uses only certain types of knots successfully.

Now even a novice can learn such arts and crafts as macrame easily. It is easy to give and receive macrame instructions on internet. There are many websites specializing in macrame, telling you how to macrame. They specialize in imparting macrame instructions with detailed illustrations or photographs, there are many websites that provide tutorials telling how to macrame. Macrame is a craft that can be learnt only by practicing it. More and more people, especially women, now want to learn macrame. Some want to learn it as a hobby and some even think of making a career out of this ancient craft.