Vegetable Ivory from Palm Tree can help endangered species
Also know as Vegetable Ivory or ivory nut, the natural color of tagua is ivory white and it resembles the finest animal ivory in texture and color. Thus, there is a growing effort to replace the use of animal ivory (like the buttons in expensive clothes!) with this vegetable form of ivory, hopefully contributing to the protection of endangered elephants, rhinos, whales and walruses who are shamelessly killed for their ivory tusks. The process of getting vegetable ivory does not involve any killing, and is environmentally sustainable as one single palm can produce many tagua seeds a year.

Tagua seed for Natural and Unique Ivory Jewelry
The nuts are gathered from the ground and then dried for a month or two before using it. The ivory nut can then be cut or carved with the aid of strong tools, as this seed is composed of thick-walled dead cells that make it super hard.
It’s natural beauty and life long durability make it an ideal companion for beautiful, eco-friendly natural jewelry. The tagua seed can also be dyed into many colors to have wider working possibilities. In natural jewelry making, this seed is generally used in pieces cuts in smaller size, such as buttons and beads. Instead, I enjoy using this seed in its naturally occurring form and shape where one can appreciate it’s unique enchantment. I polish it and sometimes add a natural dye to it for additional versatility.

Vegetable Ivory from an Amazonic Palm Tree
In Ecuador, the tagua grows along the Napa River, and locals will collect the tagua from the palm before it has hardened. The immature seed is soft and pulpy and has a sweet flavor. In this stage they call it Mercocha, and they eat it in salads and tasty meals. I was in a town named Jipi-Japa in Ecuador where the tagua seed is abundant and I was able to learn from the natives how to work with it. In this region, the local artisans are widely admired for their palm weaving skills, being my favorite, their impeccable, friendly hats. They have also acquired incredible preciseness in their beautiful tagua nut carvings.

Our modern culture, has followed this tradition, which is part of our human need to express who we are, but unfortunaley, now a days, many of the objects we use to adorn ourselves are made with procedures that contaminate our planet and deplete our natural resources, such as plastic jewelry.

Our growing conscience of our planet’s needs and of how our actions affect it directly, has contributed to the revival of handmade natural jewelry and an increased interest in macrame jewelry, seed jewelry, and Indian and tribal jewelry, all which use seeds, bones, stones, feathers, and other decorative elements from nature. It has also led to the creation of new forms of art that respect our environment.

Fortunately, our mother earth – la Pachamama, like we call it in Bolivia – with her immense wisdom and beauty, provides us of beautiful, natural objects from which to create our handmade crafts and “green” jewelry, with out the need of invasive procedures. In addition, nature’s seeds and gemstones are full of healing properties and energetic value that helps us connect with our inner nature. Our ancestors wisdom can also help us live in harmony with our planet, by making more of eco friendly crafts, like ancient macrame, a knotting technique that is absolutely handmade.

Therefore, we have an alternative. Making and wearing eco friendly jewelry – jewelry composed of natural materials and environmentally safe procedures – is a way to aid in the preservation of our planet, and this with out sacrificing our need to express ourselves, to decorate our bodies and to look beautiful. Plus, using natural jewelry contributes to creating a deeper conscience of the beauty and value of our earth, and of the impossibility to replace Nature’s creations with any artificial product. Simple, natural, beautiful.

1) Make sure you choose a comfortable position. You´d be surprised at how many people desist from macrame just because they started knotting in an uncomfortable position and get tired too fast. This is because, many times when you start your macrame project in an uncomfortable position, or don´t have enough light, you think, “oh this will just be a minute”, and you end up staying like that for longer than you expected. Next thing you know, your back hurts or your leg is numb or your eyes feel strained, and you give up.
So find a good spot, like a comfy sofa, a cushioned chair with no arms (they won´t allow proper arm movement), crosslegged on your bed, or on the floor with a pillow beneath you. Sit correctly, with your back straight. Place your knotting board on your lap. Use proper illumination, natural sunlight is the best, or use strong light bulbs specially if working at night. Thats basic. Then a soft incense and your favorite music will make the macrame experience extra special. When you are making the same knot repeatedly to the sound of drum music or meditation music (I like chinese Qi Gong music), you enter this sort of trance state that is just awesome to relax the mind.

2) Practice the knots with thick cord (about 5 mm) first. Once you have learned the knots you want, then start out your project. Pick the correct width of macrame cord according to your project. If you want to make a simple macrame bracelet or jewelry, choose a regular width linen cord (2 mm). If your cord is too thin (less than 1 mm), it will be very difficult to knot, (specially if you are new at it), your fingers will get tired faster, and it will double your knotting time. But don´t choose thick cord (like 5 or 6 mm) or your piece will look bulky. A 1 – 2 mm inch cord is the best size for any macrame jewelry project.

3) Don’t start out with cords that are too short! It is better to start with longer pieces of cord and cut them out at the end. If you cut your cord too short, it will take much more time to add more cord and the spot where the two cord pieces meet might not look right on the final work.
How to calculate the cord length for a macrame project?
Rule for estimating your cord length:
If the piece will be loosely knotted and/or carry many beads, your cord length should be about 4 times longer than your final piece.
If the piece is tightly knotted, then your cord length should be 5 times longer than the finished piece.

Ok then, time to knot. Relax, concentrate and enjoy!

Beautiful and colorful, this macrame bracelet features an original variety of natural beads: acai seeds from the amazon, soft light amber form dominican republic, chips of turqoise stone, round amethyst gemstone and st. peter’s tear. Fly free. Unique, ecofriendly jewlery, 100% handmade macrame bracelets.
Waterproof and washable. To wear insert the acai beads into the clasp and adjust to wrist.

Green and yellow leaves inspire this macrame bracelet, with a mixture of colorful beads (like green, yellow and creamy acai seeds), quartz stones, glass beads and tiny yellow ceramic beads decorating the sides of the bracelet. An unique, handmade jewelry knotted with the half hitch macrame pattern using yellow and green shades of waxed linen. For a warm and fresh natural look. Original ecofriendly jewlery.

The tiny yellow ceramic beads that decorate the sides of the bracelet have been traveling with me forsome time, since I got them when I was traveling in Colombia in 2005 at a nice city called Armenia. This is the hometown of  many Ceramic Artisans who still practice the techniques their ancestors taught them to creat fine ceramics. Here you can find a great variety of ceramic beads with different shapes and colors that are perfect for macrame jewelry.

To wear, insert the acai beads on the clasp and fit your wrist size. This macrame bracelet is absolutely waterproof so you can even take it swimming. Washable with gentle soap and soft brush.

2) Ceramic beads are by far more beautiful and original than plastic beads and very inexpensive! You can find very cheap ceramic beads for jewelry made by local artisans in south america who use the most simple, ancient techniques. Ceramic beads are made from mud, yes sand and water that is shaped and then oven cooked! You can look for them online or at your local craft stores and fairs. Prices depend on their size, shape and if they have a hand painted design on them. You can also get more sophisticated – and of course, costly – ceramic pieces made by artists around the world; these wonderful ceramic beads for macrame make up for their price because of their beauty that will make your jewelry piece stand out. Glass beads for macrame are another excellent alternative. And last but not least, my absolute favorite: Seeds! Natural seeds are the best for 100% enviromentally friendly and super unique natural jewelry.

3) You can find natural beads at your own backyard that are more unique and special to you. Your quest for macrame beads is an opportunity to be creative and to discover new things, so explore the nature places around your home – peek for seeds in the park, collect shells at the beach, explore for wild seeds and pods at the forest, find special stones in the mountains. Every step is an opportunity to create eco friendly jewelry! And recycle – collect old jewelry pieces from friends and family, go to garage sales or thrift shops, and reuse the beads!

Macrame is both simple and complex at the same time. Simple because all you have to do is tie knots with one or more cords. Complex because some knots are very complicated and require a lot of practice to learn, and because to create a piece you need patience and perseverance as some macrame proyects can take days to complete.

Macrame Knots
The basic macrame knot is called a half knot and it is the first knot you do to tie your shoe. If you repeat this knot over an over, one after another, you will form a spiral. On the other hand if you do this knot once to the left and then to the right, you will form a square knot.

Macrame Cord
Macrame can be done with any type of string, thread or cord, but the type of cord you use will depend of what you wish to create. Thick (4 – 6 mm) nylon cord, jute (organic) or braided cotton cord are the best for plant hangers because they are very resistant. Hemp is very popular for macrame jewelry, but more elegant macrame jewelry is made with satin cord. I prefer cotton and waxed nylon cord to make my macrame jewelry because they are very flexible and resistant, plus come in a variety of colors. I also enjoy working with hemp and raffia palm string.

Now you know what macrame is, so next time you find some spare cord and time, why not try it out… you might enjoy it too!

Essentials:
- Macrame cord (Nylon cord, waxed linen cord, hemp cord, raffia palm cord, etc.). For macrame jewelry your cord should be 0.5 mm to 2 mm thick maximum; but if you are just getting started with macrame you may need to practice with thicker (5 or 6 mm) cord first.
- Scissors

Optional:
- Ruler or measuring tape (more useful for bigger projects, but not necessary for a simple macrame bracelet)
- A firm pillow (or simmilar) to use as your working board
- T pins (to secure the cords to the pillow).

For decorative purposes, you need either:
- Beads (Glass beads, ceramic beads, wooden beads)
- Seeds
- Shells
- Stones (gemstones such as turquoise, quartz, etc.)

If you are interested in purchasing macrame cord and macrame beads, seeds, etc. like you see on my site, you can email me using the contact form.

Enjoy a natural and down to earth feeling by wearing this elegant macrame bracelet, delicately knotted with brown and creamy linen, featuring a white shell, surrounded by an original variety of natural elements such as acai seeds and crystal quartz stones.