Do you want to make a stylish basket, lampshade or mat from rope? Then you must know that jute is hairy, sisal stings and synthetic looks cheap. The right choice of material will decide whether the result will make you happy or end up in the trash.
A rope is not like a rope: What to want and what to avoid?
The rope brings the kind of cozy warmth and peace to the apartment that we know from cottages or seaside houses. It’s a material for a few crowns, but when you know how to handle it, it looks like it’s from an expensive design store. But before you start winding, you need to figure out what to actually buy in the hardware store, because there is no rope like rope, and the wrong choice can ruin all the joy of creating.
In Czech hobby markets, you will most often come across these types, and each one is suitable for something completely different:
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Jute rope it’s an absolute classic, a beautiful brown color and cheap, but be aware that it’s quite hairy and has a typical earthy smell to begin with, so you’d better let it air out first.
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Sisal rope it’s made from agave leaves and is incredibly strong and rough, which is great for cat scratching posts, but I don’t really recommend it for decorations you’ll be touching because it just stings your hands.
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Cotton cord it is a favorite of everyone who makes macrame, it is soft, pleasant and looks clean, it just gets dirty easily, so it is not suitable for example as a door mat.
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Hemp rope it is traditional in our country, very strong and has an honest ship’s appearance, but it tends to be quite stiff, so it is harder to get small knots out of it.
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Synthetic ropes (polypropylene) shines in all colors and costs a few pennies, but it does not fit into a natural interior at all. They are non-ecological, they slide under your hands, the knots do not hold on them and they simply look cheap, so you better leave them lying on the shelf.
1. New jacket for boxes, baskets and organizers
Instead of buying expensive storage boxes, just take a regular shoe box or an old plastic bin and apply thin strips of glue to the bottom with a hot melt gun. Then carefully tighten the rope all the way around until a beautiful textured surface is created, while you can line the inside with a piece of linen fabric that you just slightly fold over the edge at the top, and you have organizerwhich looks great in the dressing room and in the living room.
You can also learn how to make a rope basket using only glue from the following post from the Hypotečka YouTube channel.
2. Unusual lamp shades
If you have a lamp with an old or boring shade at home, just remove the fabric part completely and start winding the cotton cord on the bare wire frame. You can wind it very densely next to each other, or cross it in a zig-zag, creating a more airy pattern, which then, when lit, casts soft and very soothing shadows on the walls, which will improve the room even more.
3. Sewn and crocheted baskets
This requires a little more patience, but the result is worth it, when you twist the thicker cotton cord into a spiral and in each row attach it to the previous one either with a zigzag stitch on a sewing machine, or simply crochet it with thinner wool. It will come to you that way strong and flexible basket for blankets, toys or even balls and pins.
4. A ball of rope as a stopper or toy
A large knot, called a monkey fist, looks great just sitting on a shelf, but it also has practical uses. If you hide a heavy stone or an old tennis shoe inside, it will serve you as a stylish door stopso that the draft does not shatter your windows, and if you make it from pure cotton without glue, it will be the best and most durable a toy for your dog.
5. An honest doormat that will last forever
Already doormat reach for the thickest hemp rope you can find for the entrance. All you have to do is roll the rope into an oval or rectangle on a flat surface and either sew each row to the previous one with a strong cord, or glue it really thoroughly with glue that remains flexible even after drying, and you have a piece that reliably cleans shoes and looks really honest. It is fast, but the durability depends mainly on the quality of the glue.
Mats and rugs can also be bound, sewn and otherwise better reinforced. They are more time-consuming techniques that result in more durable products.
6. Screens and macrame instead of doors
If you need to optically divide the room or you don’t mind the empty space between the corridor and the living room, you can make simple screen from many vertically stretched ropes. You don’t need to know complicated knots right away, just tie the ropes to a wooden pole and let them flow freely to the ground, which will keep the room light and airy, but at the same time create a sense of privacy. Don’t be afraid of macrame. Interesting knots are created using quite ordinary loops. Just try it and improve your .
7. Details that make the home
Sometimes all it takes is something as simple as wrapping an old frame or photo to cover up chipped corners and give things a whole new look. You can also rope wrap the legs of an old chairwhich will be especially appreciated by cat owners, because it creates a natural scratcher and save the rest of the furniture, while at first glance it looks like an intentional design element.
