Orchid Dyed Macramé Planter

Today is like a double whammy of awesome. First off we are still celebrating Planter Week (check out yesterdays project if you missed it!) and it is the Spring Color Challenge!!! If you are new, the Color Challenge is the funnest of all challenges. 6 bloggers from 6 different genres all combine forces and descend on one color to completely inspire every aspect of your life. Being the spring of 2014 our color was pretty much fated to be purple. Pantone wrote it in our stars.

I am completely and utterly obsessed with Macramé right now. It is really addicting guys. So how about if we are all addicted together? Deal.

One of the biggest things that I hear is that it just looks so hard. To which I will reply,  do you think it was the art form that pretty much defined the 70’s and lived in every household because it was complicated? Nope. It is really really easy. It just looks hard.

To make this planter you will need:

1 package of 3/16’” cotton clothesline. Listen and listen good. You DO NOT want to get this at Lowes. Their clothesline is super wonky and bulgy everywhere that is was folded. The bulges are like cellulite, no matter how much you try and work it out, it just lives on. Home Depot’s is the way to go. (Lowes is on the top, Home Depot is on the bottom.)

1 Container for your cute little plants. The one I used in this project was a simple $1.99 ramekin from Target. You can’t go wrong with white ceramic and stripes.

1 Container of Purple Rit Dye

1 Container of Fuschia Rit Dye

 

Start by measuring 5 pieces that are 15 feet each. Find the center of each of the pieces and knot them all together. This is the top of your planter.

The knots in this planter are very simple figure 8’s. Start by taking 2 pieces that are next to each other and fold it up, cross it under, bring it back over the top and pull it through. Repeat this for all 10 pieces of rope that you have (you will have 5 knots)

Next move down your rope about 8 inches and repeat, but this time take a piece of rope from 2 different knots so that you are creating a net, and not just rows of knots.

Repeat this one more time. You are totally a pro at this point in the game.

Next you are going to tie a square knot underneath each of the figure 8’s. (not a macrame square knot, a boy scout square knot. There is a difference.)

Gather all of your ends together and wrap one piece of rope around them a few times and secure it underneath.

Now is the fun part. Dye!

I wanted my purple to be more Orchid than Lilac so I mixed 2 different colors of Rit Dye together.

The rope that we are using is cotton so you need to add salt to your dye mixture. All of the mixing instructions are on the bottle.

Let the ends of the planter sit in the dye for 3-5 minutes. The rope will soak up the dye and give it a gradiated ombre  effect. Rinse with cool water and let dry.

 

Plant it with your favorite little green guys and enjoy your newest addiction!

 

Make sure you go and check out everyone else’s amazing purple projects too! I just cant get over how talented these girls are.