Driftwood has innumerable uses and can adorn your home in different ways. When I initially thought driftwood to have limited applications to an aquarium, I was taken aback to know its widespread applications. Did you know you can prepare driftwood for macrame craft?
If you have got a few driftwood sticks at home, you can quickly prepare them for macrame. This article will give you hands-on experience in preparing one exclusively for macrame.
Let me inform you that it is going to be exciting! Let’s begin our preparation!
How to prepare driftwood for macrame?
Step 1. Find sticks.
For preparing driftwood for macrame, you need to have sticks. There are two things that you can do:
- Find sticks on the nearby shore.
- Purchase driftwood macrame sticks online.
Going with the first option will remain exciting and keep you delved into this project. It also leaves you connected in crafting driftwood for macrame.
If you want to save time and effort preparing driftwood, you can go with sites like eBay, where crafters sell their woods. These woods are sanded and ready to use.
Want to find how to find sticks for your macrame project? Here is a video that can help you out.
Sometimes, it can take more time to find the right sticks that can fit your project. Nevertheless, it is worth every minute you spend.
Quick tip. Have you exhausted all options? Wood branches are sufficient for macrame. You can find them around trees.
Step 2. Wash and dry macrame sticks.
As soon as you get hold of these sticks, it would be best to make them usable. For this reason, follow the steps below:
- Take a large gallon of water.
- Immerse sticks in the water for a day.
- Add bleach to sticks (if you think they are unclean or contain tannins).
The quantity of bleach varies based on the volume. For washing 4-5 medium-sized sticks, you need 2 cups of bleach.
Lots of Knots Canada has demonstrated how the color changes as soon as you bleach for the first time.
- Allow sticks to stay for two more days.
- Change the bleach and let sticks sit for 2-3 more days.
Take out the sticks and dry them under sunlight for 3-4 days.
Note. The sticks should dry entirely, or you should extend another day for drying.
Step 3. Clean driftwood sticks.
Whether you have prepared sticks or purchased them online, cleaning is vital to develop usability.
To clean driftwood sticks for macrame, you need to use a sanding sheet.
Sand the stick, especially on the edges, to look even. The advantage of sanding is the finishing it offers.
It can take a day or two based on the volume and size of sticks.
Step 4. Paint driftwood for macrame.
It takes anywhere between 7 and 15 days to prepare driftwood ideal for macrame. Painting driftwood is mainly to give it a final look.
Some macrame crafters prefer adding multiple colors and designs, while some restricted to varnishes. It depends on the usage of the driftwood.
If you are unsure of the output of the wood when you varnish it, here is a video to develop a better understanding.
If you plan for an aquarium, you should neither paint nor apply varnish to these sticks. Alternatively, if the goal is to use these sticks alongside other house plants.
Where can I find driftwood for macrame?
Finding driftwood for macrame is a tedious and exciting process. You can find driftwood at all the places mentioned below.
- Seashores
- Beneath trees
- Online platforms like Amazon, Etsy, Flipkart, and Etsy
You can obtain driftwood from seashores, and they require a regular cleaning process. When you find dry wood beneath trees, it requires excessive cleaning.
You may need multiple rounds of bleaches to get driftwood for use. Consequently, driftwood from online platforms is ideal if you want a quick solution.
How do you clean wood branches for macrame?
Cleaning a wood branch for macrame begins with sanding and extends to scrubbing, bleaching, and drying.
As soon as you pick a wood branch, it would help to sand it entirely to let go of dirt and debris. This process is going to take several hours. Use sanding paper to do it.
As you scrub the wood branch, the appearance is relatively even. Then, the process of bleach can start. At this stage, you need a couple of small cups of bleach added to water to disinfect the wood and get it ready for use.
All these processes will take a couple of days. The final step is to dry it under the sun. Drying takes a long time because it needs to happen evenly.
After spending your time wisely for a few days, you will be taken aback by the output. That’s how I was as well!
Conclusion
Making driftwood for macrame is an art. In about four steps, you get your driftwood ready for use.
If you are a novice in handling driftwood, you need to know that this is time-consuming. You can purchase wood sticks online instead of finding them.
Just be cautious about the purpose and quality of sticks. Not all driftwoods are suitable for all conditions.
Now that you have noted the perfect steps to prepare driftwood suitable for macrame, it is time to kickstart your project. Begin with the journey of finding sticks!
