Knotted Ribbon Plant Hangers

When it comes to plant hangers, many of us like macramé hangers created with rope, twine, or yarn. But what about ribbon… smooth and sleek, velvety, or cotton ribbon? And what about creating a hanger with nothing more than a series of knots? I began to think that a knotted ribbon plant hanger would be simple, functional, and attractive. Making one, I confirmed that my assumptions had been right: This five- or ten-minute project was well worth the time.

In choosing a houseplant for my soon-to-be-hanger, I reached for my old standby, Tradescantia. My plant happened to be Tradescantia fluminensis, with near-neon purple plus cream and green, but other varieties are more subdued and equally lovely. No matter the variety, Tradescantia is always painterly. And with Tradescantia fluminensis showing off vibrant purple on its leaves’ undersides, I found it perfect for a hanging display that would be seen most often at eye level or from below.

With Tradescantia chosen, I next had to determine whether to use satin ribbon or velvet, as I had both on hand. I selected satin for my Tradescantia fluminensis because I suspected its shimmer would be nice with this plant which so readily catches glints of light on its succulent foliage. I also knew that the satin would be easy to use, forming tight knots.

Velvet would make a strong hanger, and I know I will use it in the future. I can picture a knotted velvet ribbon hanger suspending something along the lines of velvety soft Swinging Linda Coleus in its rich colors. Wouldn’t that be pretty? But alas, I knew I had time to make only one hanger, and so satin is what I chose—green satin, in fact, to blend nicely with the Tradescantia.

The steps to create the knotted ribbon plant hanger were straightforward and almost as easy as my decision-making around using Tradescantia to sit within my creation. I have listed the steps here:

1. I determined how long I wanted my hanger to be. Then, for good measure, I increased that length by-one half, cutting six pieces to that final length. 
2. I stacked the ribbons. With a twist of the stack, I formed a tight knot about two inches from one end of the stack. All six ribbons comprised this first knot.
3. I gripped the knot under my chin, letting the long ribbons dangle. I selected two ribbons that fell side-by-side and used a double-knot to secure them together at about three inches down from the first knot made in Step 2. 
4. I took the next neighboring pair of ribbons and double-knotted them together, again, at about three inches down so that this knot was level with the one I had just created. I then double-knotted the final pair of neighboring ribbons, thus finishing my first layer of knots.
5. I created a new layer of double-knots by tying together neighboring ribbons in the same fashion described in Step 4. This layer fell at about two inches down from the first layer. I then made a third layer.
6. I removed the assembly from my chin. I centered my plant pot atop the all-encompassing knot made in Step 2. I pulled up all six ribbons and formed one knot at about two inches down from the ribbons’ cut ends. I then let this top-most knot rest on a hook. Because my hanger was for Tradescantia, the hook was near bright indirect light, vital to the plant’s ability to maintain its vivid colors.
7. With my plant container (a bowl, in this case) resting within this newly created hanger, I re-positioned one or two ribbons to space out my knots fairly evenly. (For my Tradescantia plant, I worked gingerly to avoid breakage of its easily snapped stems.) Then, it was time to sit back and enjoy my creation.

Macramé using twine and cord has had a good long run, and it will continue to be appreciated. But knotted ribbon… it deserves its time in the sunlight… um, spotlight. With Tradescantia and green satin ribbon, I can vouch for the fact that the end result looks terrific. And I am sure it will look terrific with a houseplant and ribbon of your choosing, as well.