With Mother’s Day coming up, I knew I wanted to try something a little different with this year’s card for my mom. I decided to combine my love of macrame and card making into one Mother’s Day card by creating a macrame leaf accent for the handmade card. This post will walk through the steps how to make a Mother’s Day card using macrame.
This card is perfect for your mom, grandmother, or any other mother figure in your life. You can easily adjust the patterns and colors used to match what you think the recipient will like best.
Supplies needed to make a macrame Mother’s Day card
Here’s the supplies you’ll need to make a macrame inspired card for Mother’s Day:
- 4mm macrame cord
- Patterned cardstock paper
- Scissors
- Dog brush or a comb
- Glue
- Gemstones or other accents (optional)
Now that you have your supplies, let’s talk about how to make a Mother’s Day card using macrame
1. Create a macrame leaf
The first step in how to make a Mother’s Day card using macrame is to make the macrame accent for your card. To make a macrame leaf, we’ll cut the macrame cord first. You can use these measurements as a guide, but ultimately you’ll also be able to trim the leaf to the size you want.
Cut the macrame cord
Cut 16-20 pieces of macrame cord about 10 inches long. Cut one more piece that is about double in length.
Fold the stem
Next, you’ll fold the longer piece in half with the loop oriented towards the top. This will become the stem of the leaf.
Tie reef knots
Now, to attach the rest of the cord to the stem we’ll use reef knots.
Fold a piece of macrame cord and place it underneath and perpendicular to the stem with the loop on the left. Then, take a second piece of folded macrame cord and place it perpendicular to the stem but oriented on top of it with the loop on the right.
The legs of the first piece will go through the loop of the second piece and vice versa.
Then, pull both sets of legs to tighten the knot on the stem.
Next, you’ll repeat the same knot underneath the knot you just created however in the mirror image to keep the leaf symmetrical.
Continue with this pattern until you have used all of the macrame cord you cut.
Brush out the cord
After tying all your knots, you are going to unravel the cord and brush it out. A dog brush works well for this, but you can also use a comb or other brush.
Trim to desired size and shape
After brushing out the macrame cord, you can cut it into the shape and size you want. I trimmed it down to fit on my card, and I decided to leave it as a rounder shape but you can create a more pointed end or whatever shape you like best.
2. Fold base of the card
Now that you have your macrame leaf accent, fold the base of your card. I decided to mix several patterns together for this card.
Tip: When mixing patterns, I usually recommend picking patterns that have colors in common. For example, I picked a colorful floral base and then for other patterns I chose colors that matched shades found in the main base.
For my base, I folded the floral piece of paper and added a striped piece and polka dot piece.
3. Attach macrame leaf and other accents to the card
Next, add the macrame leaf and other accents to complete the card. In addition to the macrame, I also added a Happy Mother’s Day message and gemstones for a touch of sparkle.
I used hot glue to attach the macrame portion and applied the glue right on the stem. However, you can also use other adhesives as well.
For the Mother’s Day message, I used foam adhesive dots so that the message was a little raised and stood out on the card.
Those are the steps how to make a Mother’s Day card using macrame
Now you just need to write your personal message inside and put it in an envelope!
Comment below with your favorite way to combine card making with other crafting techniques like macrame.