Reduce, reuse, and recycle are three terms that we hear a lot these days. With our growing awareness of the importance of sustainability and caring for our planet, many of us are conscious of the waste we produce.
When I first started macramé, I would throw away most of the excess cord I cut off (unless they were super-long lengths). Then I discovered you could make macramé feathers with only short sections of cords – what a game changer!
This realisation had me keeping even the shortest of offcuts. If a cord was longer than 5 or 6cm it got thrown in the box. It wasn’t long before that box was overflowing. Metres upon metres of valuable macramé cord just sitting, waiting for a project.
Using recycled macramé cord, recording the measurements the first time you make a pattern to reduce the waste the next time, and using scraps to make more pretty macramé pieces are all ways that crafters can participate in the reduce, reuse, and recycle processes.
If you’re looking for another way to make use of that wasted macramé cord, then this project might be for you!
What are offcuts?
Offcuts are the excess pieces of cord you cut off a macramé project. Whatever the project, you are almost always likely to at least cut off a few centimetres at the end.
On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve followed some macramé patterns and ended up with metres of excess cord to snip off at the end! Is this due to making the pattern more user-friendly so the original cord lengths are all the same? Did I misread the instructions and use the wrong diameter cord? Is it to avoid the risk of customers coming up short with cord and leaving a bad review?
Regardless of the reason, offcuts are something you will no doubt have to deal with if you want to pursue any type of future with macramé.
Why do we want to use offcuts?
Macramé cord costs valuable money. Especially the high-quality and specialty cords that can cost large amounts for only short lengths of cord. So essentially, throwing macramé cord offcuts in the bin is like throwing money in the bin.
Whether you run a business involving macramé, or you create macramé pieces as a hobby, it makes sense to want to get the most out of the money you spend. Finding a solution to make use of all those short pieces of cord that you snip off other projects can allow you to make new projects out of cord that you would have otherwise thrown in the bin. This is a win for your pocket and a win for your creative passion!
Likewise, sustainability is also at the front of peoples’ minds these days. Having my two children was a catalyst for changing my daily habits to better care for our planet. I want my children to be able to grow up on an Earth that is healthy and fruitful. So our family has been on a mission to change little pieces at a time so that each day we’re becoming better at minimising our footprint on this Earth.
I’m certain that many other parents have experienced this same shift in perspective. Will we ever be perfectly aligned with the planet? Probably not. But every little change we make can make a difference, right?
Using as much of each roll of macramé cord as possible not only saves money, but it also minimises the waste we produce. Meaning less household waste goes to landfill. Plus if you sell the macramé pieces you create, you have just made a little extra income than what you would have if the cord offcuts were thrown in the bin! Efficiency, yeah!
How to make a macramé butterfly using offcuts
Want to learn how to make cute little butterflies to decorate your macramé projects or use on their own? Keep reading to find out how!
Materials needed:
- 1x long cord for main anchor (around 40cm – 50cm or longer)
- 8x shorter cords (15cm – 30cm each)
- Metal rule or measuring tape
- Scissors
- Pet brush (or comb)
- Corn flour (cornstarch)/water mixture, fabric stiffener, or hairspray that doesn’t contain alcohol
- Hot glue gun/hot glue sticks or fabric glue
- Wooden beads (optional)
- Dowel, driftwood, ring, or keychain (optional)
Step 1: Collect offcuts of cord
Start by collecting any offcuts of cord you have from your completed macramé projects.
I find it works well having three containers to place offcuts in as you work. Label the containers “short,” “medium,” and “long” offcuts and then just throw your scraps of cord in the correct container as you go. Shorts cords can be between 5 and 30cm, medium cords 30 to 60cm, and long cords 60cm plus. Make sure you tape or tie the ends if the cord is prone to unravelling.
Of course what works for me might not work for you! If you like the idea, but the measurements don’t work for you just change it up until you have a system you’re happy with.
Step 2: Choose appropriate colours and lengths
When you’re ready to start your butterfly project, sift through the boxes of short/medium macramé cords and find some colours that work well together. You could also just keep the butterfly all one colour if you desire. I like the playful look of small accents of colours in the wings. You’ll need at least 8 cords 15 – 30cm in length.
You can use cords of varying thickness provided that you stick with the same thickness within each row (i.e. cords either side of the main anchor cord are the same thickness). Only vary the thickness of the cords by 1 or 2mm though so your butterfly doesn’t look weirdly bumpy.
This project is adaptable so you can decide how big or small you want each butterfly to be. To make the butterfly bigger, you simply attach more cords to the main anchor cord so the butterflies body and wings grow larger. Just keep in mind that the fringe only keeps its shape to 3 to 5cm.
You’ll also need a longer piece of cord (40 – 50cm+) to use for the centre (or body) section of the butterfly. The length of this will depend on how you intend to use your butterfly. If you’re planning on hanging it from your work using a Lark’s Head Knot, make sure that you leave enough length to thread the butterfly through the loop to actually tie the knot. Alternatively, you can attach the main anchor cord to your project first, and then create the butterfly so it’s already hanging in place.
For this project I used 5mm, 1-ply cords; one long cord measuring 53cm and 8 shorter cords between 23 and 27cm. I could have used a lot shorter cords than 23 – 27cm though as I snipped off a fair amount in my initial cut before brushing out the strands.
Step 3: Lay out your macramé butterfly pattern
Now that you’ve chosen the colours that sing to you, arrange them in the pattern you want to create for the wings. Each row of cords requires two identical lengths of cord as you’ll be folding them in half and securing them together.
I decided to make the second row a different colour to make the top set of wings more interesting. You could even make every row a different colour if you really wanted to push the boundaries!
Step 4: Secure the cords to make a basic macramé butterfly shape
Before you start attaching the butterfly “wings,” if you have a specific project in mind it’s easier to secure the main anchor cord to the project first. Take the longest cord (40 – 50cm+) and fold it in half. If you have dowel, driftwood, a ring, or a keychain to attach it to then attach it using a Lark’s Head Knot. If you’re unsure of how to tie a Lark’s Head Knot, check out my free Basic Macramé Knot Glance Sheet.
Starting about a third of the way down from the folded end, begin attaching the butterfly “wings.” Fold each cord in half. Place the first cord underneath the main anchor cord.
Take the second cord and thread the two ends of the first cord through the loop. Place the second cord over the main anchor cord and thread the two ends of it down through the loop created by the first cord. It should look like the photograph below.
Pull the ends of both cords so the loops tighten around the main anchor cord (butterfly body).
For the next row, repeat the process, but start from the opposite side. This creates a more uniform “body” shape for the butterfly.
Continue down the main anchor cord attaching each set of cords until the “wings” are complete. When finished you can gently slide each set up or down the main anchor cord so they sit snugly against each other.
Position the tailing cords of the main anchor cord out to the sides so they sit snugly underneath the other cords that make up the “wings.”
At this stage you can cut the wings roughly to the size you want them. Leave the length a little longer than the final size you want to give you room to trim neatly at the end. I cut the cords so they were roughly 5cm out from the butterfly’s body. Alternatively, if you’re already happy with the length of the cords just leave them as is.
Step 5: Comb out the cords of the macramé butterfly
Use a pet brush or a comb to gently brush out the cords of the wings. Place one hand on the “body” of the butterfly to hold it steady and begin brushing the wings from the outer edge. Gradually move closer into the body until the pet brush runs smoothly through the entire butterfly wing. Repeat on the other side.
Step 6: Roughly shape your butterfly
Decide on the shape you want your butterfly to be. A quick Google search “butterfly shape” can give you a mountain of ideas. After playing around with a few different shapes, I finally settled on the one below. I used the top three knots as the top set of wings and the bottom knot plus the tails of the main anchor cord as the bottom set of wings.
To create the shape below, simply start your cut at the top, outer edge of the wings. Cut a mostly straight line, on a slight diagonal, downwards until you get to the cords coming out from the third row of knots. When you hit the third row of cords, gently curve the scissors in towards the butterfly’s body.
Repeat this process on the bottom set of wings. Start your cut at the bottom, outer edge of the wings. Cut a somewhat straight line, on a slight diagonal, upwards until you get to the cords coming out from the last row of knots. When you hit the cords coming out of that last knot, gently curve the scissors in towards the butterfly’s body.
The picture below is deceiving because I cut the lower set of wings a lot straighter. The brushed cords have spread downwards because I haven’t yet stiffened the cord. Look at the final pictures to see the actual shape I cut.
Step 7: Make corn flour mixture
Mix 1/2 tsp corn flour (known as cornstarch in some countries) and 1/4 cup boiling water together in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a translucent colour and thickens. Pay attention because this all happens pretty quickly.
Pour the mixture into a ramekin (or other container safe for heat) and allow to cool slightly.
Note: Alternatively, you can use fabric stiffener or hairspray that doesn’t contain alcohol for the next step.
Step 8: Stiffen the macramé butterfly wings
Give the butterfly wings a once-over with the pet brush to ensure all fibres are laying neatly in place.
It helps to place some baking paper under your macramé during this step to prevent sticking, but you can get away without it. While the corn flour mixture is still warm, paint it onto the butterfly wings using a clean paintbrush. Brush again with the pet brush to evenly distribute the corn flour mixture and separate the strands a little. Leave to dry for about an hour.
Turn your project over and repeat the process on the other side. The first side probably won’t be completely dry yet. Applying the corn flour mix to the other side after an hour means the front is dry enough to turn over, but not completely hardened so you can still work the strands a little if the other side needs neatening. And really…who wants to wait hours and hours to finish your macramé project?!
Once the corn flour mixture has been applied to both sides you can leave the butterfly to dry overnight. When the butterfly is completely dry you can give it another brush with the pet brush. This separates the strands and makes it look more natural (rather than a stiff piece of macramé board!) The dried corn flour mixture will still keep the wings straight even with more brushing.
NOTE: If you’re using a normal comb you may struggle to brush the strands out. You can skip this step if you’re happy with the look of the wings without brushing. I made the ratio of corn flour to water quite light so it doesn’t dry super-hard and still maintains somewhat of a soft, natural look.
Step 9: Glue and finely trim the macramé butterfly wings
Identify the side of your butterfly that looks the best – this will be the front. Turn your project over to the not-so-great side and ensure all four of the knots are pulled tight and positioned where you want them.
Apply a small amount of hot glue or fabric glue to the area within the knots where multiple cords meet. Then apply a small amount of glue when the tails of the main anchor cord protrude past the last knot. This step could be avoided depending on what type of macramé cord you’re using (some holds knots better than others). I like to ensure everything is secure to avoid having to fix projects later on.
Now that everything is in place and the wings are stiffened, you can do the final trim. Brush out the wings with the pet brush, trim a little at a time, then brush the wings out again. Continue this process until you’re happy with the lines of the wings. Be careful not to over-trim, so less is more in this situation.
Step 10: Add wooden beads if desired
An optional extra is to add a wooden bead to the butterfly to resemble it’s “head.” Pictured is a 20mm round wooden bead and a 25mm polygon bamboo bead.
Check the diameter of the hole through the centre of the bead to see if it’s big enough to thread the size of cord you’re using. The polygon bead below has quite a small hole through it’s centre and only just fits a 3mm macramé cord doubled over.
To easily thread the cord through the bead, take a length of string and loop it through the macramé cord where you want to thread the bead. Thread the ends of the string through the bead, then pull the thicker macramé cord through. There are also special tools to easily thread beads, but a piece of string gets the job done!
You’ve just created a beautiful macramé butterfly with cord that otherwise may have ended up in the bin!
You can include your butterfly in other projects to add another level, attach a few butterflies to some dowel or driftwood to make a butterfly wall hanging, or simply use it on it’s own as a cute ornament.
If you decide to attach your butterfly to some driftwood as an afterthought, you may need to make the Lark’s Head Knot loop and then slide it onto the driftwood. As mentioned previously, if you have a specific project in mind for the butterfly, it might be easier to attach the main anchor cord to the project at the start… Alternatively; make sure the cord it hangs by is long enough to tie the knot with the butterfly intact.
Conclusion
And there you have it – another project under your belt to use up offcuts of macramé cord other than the generic feather.
If you create your own macramé butterfly from cord offcuts, I would love to see you share a pic in the comments below! Let me know how you went and what project you used your macramé butterfly for.