It doesn’t have to look like mine (and that’s the point)

Every piece you make is unique and special to you.

There’s a moment I see in almost every workshop.

Someone pauses and looks around the table, then back at their own piece and says something like, 

“Mine doesn’t look like yours…” or “I don’t think I’m doing it right.”

And I always smile, because this is the part where something shifts.

Because the truth is, it was never meant to look like mine, and it shouldn’t, because it’s yours.

So many of us carry this quiet belief that we have to be good at something creative for it to be worth doing. That if it’s not neat enough, symmetrical enough, or close enough to the “example”, then somehow, we’ve got it wrong or we haven’t done it right.

But macramé (and crafting in general) doesn’t really work like that.

Each knot is made by hand. Your hand. 

Each piece shifts slightly depending on tension, rhythm, even how you’re feeling in that moment.

No two pieces are ever the same and that’s not a mistake; that’s the magic of it.

(above are 4 pieces made at the same workshop and all made differently)

If you’ve been to one of my workshops, you’ll always hear me say one or all these things:

If you’ve learned something new, if you’ve taken a bit of time for yourself, and if you can look at what you’ve made and feel even a tiny bit proud…

...then that’s enough.

More than enough.

Because this and crafting in general, isn’t really about creating something perfect to hang on a wall or display for all to see.

It’s about giving yourself space to pause. To focus on something simple and repetitive. To let your mind quieten, even just for a little while.

It’s about doing something just for you without pressure, without expectation, without needing it to be anything more than it is.

And I know how easy it is to fall into comparison.

To look at someone else’s work (or even mine) and think yours should look the same.

But your piece carries something different. It carries your hands, your pace, your way of learning.

And that’s something worth holding onto and that’s what makes it special.

Whether you’re sitting around a table at a workshop, or trying something new from your kitchen at home, I hope this can be a gentle reminder:

It doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. 

It doesn’t have to match to be right.

It just has to feel like yours.

Think about how proud children are of themselves when they show their parents something they have made at school. That’s a feeling we all need to get back to remembering ourselves and feeling it again.

If you’ve been holding back from trying something creative because you’re worried it won’t turn out “right”, maybe this is your sign to begin anyway.

Start small. 

Take your time. 

Let it be a little bit wonky, a little bit uneven, a little bit you.

You might be surprised at what comes from it 💛

If you need some ideas of where to start, have a look at this list:

Project Fun - release your inner 6 year old.

• Draw a shape on a piece of paper (or get someone to do it for you) and then spend 10 minutes doodling around or in it and see where it takes you.

  
  

• Raid the recycling bin and get some glue and paint and relive those junk modelling years (Sibster is a great account on Instagram for doing this, it’s unbelievable what she can do with the things you would be throwing away!)

  
  

• If you have some craft supplies, open the box and release that inner 6 year old and see what you can create. I did this with cords and it’s amazing at how much you want to keep going and what you want to add.

  
  

• If baking is your thing, follow a basic 4,4,4,2 recipe for a cake or cupcakes (4oz self-raising flour, 4oz sugar (brown or white). 4oz butter and 2 eggs) then add whatever flavours you have in the cupboard and see what happens. It's in ounces because it makes it easier to remember. it converts to 113g, which doesn't stick in your head! You never know it might lead to you to applying for the Great British Bake Off (let me know so I can watch out for you!) 

And there’s always space for you at one of my workshops if you need a little moral support — you’ll leave with something you feel proud of, and I’ll be quietly celebrating that right alongside you.