IN A COZY THREE-BEDROOM home in Rio Rancho, mother of two Jennifer Sandoval, 36, makes a little magic whenever she can steal a moment from her daily grind. Before dinner and after homeschooling, Sandoval knots pastel-hued string into macramé chandeliers, miniature flowering cacti, ombre pink rainbows, and creamy wall art.
“I try to be creative and make anything I can with macramé,” Sandoval says. “There are so many kinds of knots you can do.” She’s self-taught, having honed her craft by watching tutorial videos and attempting new designs via trial and error. “I’ve always been artistic. I dabbled in bead making and crochet. But nothing really stuck until I found macramé. Now I do it every day.”
Born and raised in New Mexico, Sandoval projects her affinity for her home onto her work, using desert color palettes and Albuquerque-centric motifs. One of her favorite things to depict is hot-air balloons, featuring big fuzzy pom-poms, beaded ropes, and tiny knotted baskets.
“Balloon Fiesta was a huge part of my childhood,” she says. “My grandmother was obsessed with hot-air balloons. We went every year.” When Sandoval first saw a big pom-pom, she immediately thought of a hot-air balloon. “Whenever I do pop-ups, everyone is drawn to them.”
As her creative business grows, Sandoval is looking to move her work from her bedroom into a studio space. “It’s taking over my house,” she jokes. Her goal is to make bigger pieces, like backdrops for weddings. “I’m excited to see how far I can go with it.”
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Look for Jennifer Sandoval’s work at pop-ups throughout Albuquerque, follow her on Instagram @rootedinmytruths, and buy from her Etsy shop at rootedinmytruths.etsy.com.