The Woman Behind The Macramé Wall Hangings

There’s something so grounding about macramé wall hangings. Whether it’s a cute hanging planter, a large geometric woven design or a giant custom art installation. Natural fabrics just make sense to me when it comes to interior design!

Based in The Netherlands, I can proudly say that I wake up every day and do something that brings me joy. Turning my love for interior design and obsession for macramé into a full-time business has been a significant turning point in my life. While I juggle raising a young family with creating bespoke fiber wall hangings, I have found what makes me truly happy. Although don’t get me wrong, being a busy mum isn’t always a walk in the park. There are days when things just don’t go to plan, but that’s OK. We live and we learn, and at Teddy and Wool, everything we create has been designed to promote a calmer more relaxing space at home.

So, let me tell you a little bit about my love for fiber art and macramé, share my experiences of being a busy bee, wife and mother, and hopefully learn more about you!

Why I’ve Decided To Post

There are a couple of reasons why I wanted to start a blog and put my thoughts in writing. First of all I'd like to inspire more people to welcome natural fabrics into their homes, and I'd love to explain how this will make a big difference to the energy in your living space. 

I want to learn why you’re here, and how you stumbled upon my handmade macramé wall art store. Plus, discover what I can create in terms of wall hangings and natural pieces of art to help you make the most out of your home.

I also want to use this space to channel my thoughts and have a digital journal of my journey as an artist, business owner and mother. Perhaps I can inspire other creators not to give up when things get tough, show art enthusiasts why I make certain creative choices and teach other entrepreneurs how I manage to meet deadlines and expand my online collection - while prioritizing time to my children and husband. Oh and any tips and advice you have would be amazing!

The Beautiful Chaos Of Modern Life

Teddy and Wool blossomed from my personal love of fiber. My passion is to create art, so I can help you build your dream interior. I believe that having art in your home can help lift your mood, change the energy of a room and boost creativity. Using natural fabrics such as cotton, silk and handspun wool, which I use in my fiber art, interior design becomes a reflection of Mother Nature. 

While it’s difficult to resist the urge to scroll through social media, being offline and spending quality time together is so important. Factor in my bundles of joy, Jonathan and Thom and screen time can seem like a never-ending struggle.

A natural wall hanging can help to remind families to be grounded and more connected with the earth. For me, it conjures up thoughts of crops swaying in the wind and this helps me to feel calm when anxiety kicks in. Macramé, in particular, dates back to the 16th century, and this decorative knotting technique was popular across Europe and America. Preserving this traditional form of art, my designs feature a more modern and minimalist twist...or should I say knot. It's my mission to help art enthusiasts all over the world to build their dream room. I think modern, contemporary fiber art is an excellent way to add texture, warmth, color and interest to any space, and as an added bonus it will also improve the acoustics! 

Teddy and Wool In A Nutshell

After studying at the Art Academy of Minerva, I started to create small macrame wall hangings in my spare time. Back then, if you would have told me I’d be running my own business full-time, I wouldn’t have believed you for a minute! I even decided to study Law at the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) before making the leap of faith to pursue my dreams.

I can now proudly say that I own a successful art studio and have created fiber art wall hangings for more than 3000 private clients, interior designers and brands such as Google, Starbucks, Hilton Hotel and Maje. 

Talking of growing success.. my latest work in progress is very natural indeed. In fact, I’m excited to share that I’m about to become a mother bear for the third time. So, perhaps my creations will start to channel a more maternal vibe, or maybe my growing anxiety and sheer fear of childbirth, who knows! And yes, I know what you’re thinking…, but for me, it feels like a whole new experience every time. I can’t wait to become a mother for the third time around! Just like the first two times we're planning on doing a natural water birth which will take place in the safety and comfort of our own living room. While giving birth at home is still quite controversial in other parts of the world, I'm a big advocate of it if you are healthy (but too each its own of course!)

So, wish me luck as my little family gets bigger and I hope for a beautiful and natural, water baby birth. If you’ve got any nuggets of advice, please do share them with me! I love hearing from other moms and it really does make a big difference when it comes to calming my nerves, whether it relates to pregnancy, running a business or raising little bear cubs!

Best wishes & until next time,

Rianne Aarts

Teddy and Wool