When Daniela Sierra first started bringing her macramé pieces to craft fairs in Buga, people would ask her what it was, how it worked. They’d wonder whether it was meant to hang on the wall or be worn. She would explain that these were handwoven tapestries made entirely without tools—unlike crochet, for example, which requires a hook. She herself had once known nothing about macramé, but it gradually pulled her in and became her calling. It all started when someone asked her to make a few dreamcatchers, and even though she didn’t know if she could pull it off, she said yes.

She decided to devote herself to it when she realized that something in her had changed—that she no longer felt the anxiety she used to experience while studying arts, and instead found herself calm, grounded. As she tells her students: macramé won’t fix your problems, but the hours you dedicate to it each day will help reduce your stress, help you refocus, and see things differently—maybe even find a solution. Her practice is deeply rooted in teaching and sharing the benefits of the technique, not just in producing and selling pieces. She doesn’t teach just for the sake of it, and it may have something to do with the fact that her project is centered on wellness and calm—and that she lives in Buga, a city known for being home to El Señor de los Milagros and for welcoming millions of pilgrims who come in search of solace. In that spirit, she offers a space that has become therapeutic for many.

With the gifts of patience and attentiveness, Daniela Sierra’s macramé sessions become personalized experiences. She prefers small groups so she can give each person the attention they need. The technique helps her read people and respect different personalities, because you can learn a lot about someone through how they approach the knots. She believes anything handmade is a reflection of the person who made it. She also teaches children with neurodivergent conditions, and she’s seen how the act of focusing on each knot helps calm and center them. Her sessions even smell good, thanks to aromatherapy—and no one leaves without being asked how they felt and what they learned.

She’s seen others go through the same transformations she experienced herself. One student, who’s now a close friend, used to suffer from anxiety attacks. Macramé didn’t cure her, but it eased the frequency of the episodes. It gave her the time and space to focus on herself while practicing a technique that truly pulls you out of your own head. Macramé can’t be done on autopilot—you have to focus on each knot. It forces you to be present. And sometimes, to feel better, all we really need is to learn how to be present—a task far from easy.

What matters most is not the finished product, but everything that happens in the process: how it felt to make it, the realization that yes, you can unlock a skill you didn’t know you had. That’s why her courses focus on decorative pieces—often tapestries—so each person can hang them on their walls and be reminded, as soon as they walk through the door, of the calm they felt while making them. It’s about translating mental space into physical space—bringing inner peace into the home. When you visit Buga, you’ll have the chance to take short or long courses at her Rosa Celeste studio, depending on how long you’re staying. Don’t rush—just let Daniela guide you.