Sweet Home Macrame: A Beginner's Guide to Macrame by Casey Alberti

Sweet Home Macrame: A Beginner's Guide to Macrame (Art Makers)

by Casey Alberti

Learn the satisfying, on-trend craft of macrame with this accessible reference featuring guides to fibers, supplies, and knots, as well as 12 step-by-step projects.

Whether you’re a beginner to soft crafts, looking to try a new craft, hoping to improve upon your existing macrame techniques, or a DIYer, Sweet Home Macrame: A Beginner's Guide to Macrame offers the instruction and inspiration you need to succeed. 

Top Etsy seller Casey Alberti is the founder of Sweet Home Alberti, a small business selling macrame items and knotting lessons. In this complete guide to working with macrame, Alberti shares her techniques and showcases her fresh, vibrant macrame art.

Learn about:
 
  • The supplies you’ll need for macrame, including cord and rope
  • How to make the most common knots, such as lark’s head, square, and gathering
  • Selecting a color palette
  • Personalizing your macrame pieces
  • And so much more

The 12 step-by-step projects show you how to make gorgeous items such as:
 
  • Plant hangers
  • Coasters
  • Wall hangings
  • A fruit basket
  • A disco ball hanger
  • Earrings
  • And more

All are done in eye-catching color schemes, such as rainbow, rose gold, black and gold, and crystal, but all can be personalized to your own favorite colors using Alberti’s expert advice.

In addition to the projects and techniques, find helpful tips for forming an artist’s community and starting your own business.

Use the links found throughout the pages to boost your understanding with instructional and inspirational videos made by the author.

Macrame is one of the trendiest crafts of the year, and macrame items make beautiful gifts, home decor, and more. Learn how to make your own artwork with Sweet Home Macrame: A Beginner's Guide to Macrame.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

4.5 of 5 stars

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Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Sweet Home Macrame is a tutorial crafting guide for learning macramé by Casey Alberti. Released 14th May 2024 by Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 128 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is an appealing and well written tutorial for learning the skills necessary to complete any of the 12 included projects. The introduction and basic tools and materials guides (~25% of the page content) cover sourcing supplies and learning the basics of macramé. The following section includes the tutorials: home decor, coasters, plant hangers, and a really nice micro-macrame project in the form of attractive earrings.

For anyone who lived through the 70's and for whom the word macramé summons to mind 'rustic' jute plant hangers in lime green, orange, and russet brown, this book is full of completely updated and modern/neutral and vibrant color schemes and projects which will look good in modern homes. It includes both large projects such as wall hangers, as well as smaller projects such as coasters and the aforementioned earrings.

The layout and typesetting are appealing and accessible. The instructions are very clearly written and easy to follow and, more importantly for visual learners, very well photographed. The weaving and knotting diagrams are well drawn and simple to follow. These are nice projects and can be adapted to suit any decor. Each of the projects includes a description, a bullet list of supplies, and step by step directions with photographs.

The end of the book includes a very short supplies resource list, and readers will also have no trouble sourcing necessary tools and gear via internet e-tailers or local crafts/hobby suppliers.

Four and a half stars. There's a lot to like here.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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Reading updates

  • 4 June, 2024: Started reading
  • 4 June, 2024: Finished reading
  • 4 June, 2024: Reviewed