decoupaged dowel for macrame

Macrame is such a hot trend right now, that it’s easy to get tied up (pun intended) in the intricacy of the design and forget about the hardware. But adding beautiful details to the dowel can add extra charm. Of course,  you can opt to use unusual materials for the dowel itself, such as a piece of driftwood, or you can spruce up a plain wooden pole. For instance, for a previous macrame wall hanging, I added finials to the ends of the pole. However, for this one, I went for a more bohemian look by decoupaging the wooden pole itself. You heard that right – a decoupaged dowel for macrame.

supplies needed:

• wooden dowel
• paper napkins
• Mod Podge and sponge brush

step 1 – prepare the napkins

My current design company crush is Rifle Paper Company, so naturally I selected their Garden Party napkins for this project. I cut flowers from the napkins in random shapes. No need to be precise, because a free-spirited, random placement of the designs onto the pole is lovely. I even like for a bit of the wood to show.

After cutting out the designs, I separated each napkin piece leaving only one ply. A thinner tissue is easier to work with.

step 2 – apply the napkins

I applied a thin coat of Mod Podge onto a small segment of the pole. Then I applied the first floral design and smoothed it out gently with my fingers. Next I gave it a generous coat of Mod Podge. I repeated this step until the entire pole was covered. A bit of overlapping is fine, and so is leaving a few spots of bare wood. Let the pole dry completely.

step 3 – sanding

Once dry, I very lightly sanded the entire pole. This just smooths out some of the rough spots.

step 4 – apply wax

Lastly, I applied a coat of white wax to the pole. My favorite wax to use is this one. Once dry, I buffed it. This leaves a subtle white glaze over the design, softening the finished appearance. And what a romantic, bohemian look for this simple wooden pole! I can just see this used for a whimsical wall hanging in a girl’s bedroom, dorm room, or apartment.