We’re changing it up a little bit, and “weaving” a fun at-home art project into the blog. Meet Kim Black, an art teacher at Visit Irving’s adopted school, Thomas Haley Elementary. Follow along as she provides instruction on how to do a simple weaving with the kiddos. 

 

Today we are going to create a simple weaving with an over and under pattern called a plain weaving. For this project, we will be using stuff that you probably have around the house.

Start with a cardboard box. Any size box will work. The bigger the box, the larger your resulting weaving will be. I am using a medium-sized to a small box. Cut off one side of the box to use as your weaving loom. 

Cardboard Box and cutoff side flap

Next, you will need anything with a straight edge like a ruler and a marker. Mark off small hash marks on each edge of two sides of the box straight across from each other like pictured here. The closer they are to each other, the tighter and more compact your weave will be when it is complete. Make the hash marks all the way down both sides.

 

Make a small cut with scissors on each of the hash marks on both sides. The cuts should be straight across from each other. Once your cuts are in the loom, add the warp strings to the loom. Warp strings g up and down vertically through the cuts you have made on the loom.

The warp strings can be yarn or kite string. For this step, you will need yarn or kite strings, scissors, and a strong tape.                     

 

Start by putting the string or yarn through one of the slots that you cut on the edge of the cardboard loom. Bring a little bit of the yarn to the back of the loom and tape it down.

Yarn in the loom of the cardboard piece and tapped down on the back.

 

Next, turn the loom back around to the front and begin stringing it up and down through the cut slots straight across from each other until you have strung the entire cardboard loom.

Adding the warp strings to the loom, yarn going up and down vertically through the cuts made on the loom.

When you get to the end, tape off the other side of the yarn to the back of the loom and cut off the yarn. Now, your loom is ready for weaving!

Finish warp strings, tape off the yarn on the backside and cut off the yarn

Prepare your materials for weaving! You can use yarn, or any fabric cut into strips like my examples pictured below.

Cutting pieces of fabric for the weaving

Choose a piece of yarn or fabric to start weaving, weave the strip of fabric under and over the warp yarns. Be sure to continue the under and over pattern continuously. Be careful to not skip any of the warp yarns.

When you start on another horizontal row of the weaving, be sure to keep the over, under pattern. If the row above ends over, then the next row below it starts under.

The horizontal strips of fabric or yarn that you are weaving across are called the weft yarns. When you get near the end of a weft yarn or strip of fabric, tie your next piece on to the current one you are weaving, and just keep weaving until you get to the end!

Example of how to tie a piece of yarn or fabric to the next piece

When you finish your weaving, your are ready to cut if off from the cardboard loom and tie up its sides

 

Flip your finished weaving over and cut along the center of the warp yarns on the back. Then, flip the loom back over to the woven side to begin tying off the sides of the weaving. You are going to start on one side on the end and remove two of the warp yarns from the loom at a time and tie them in a knot. Make sure that your knot is tight and right up against the woven fabric to ensure that your weaving won’t be loose and possibly become unwoven later.

Showing how to cut along the center of the warp yearns on the back and tying off the side of weaving in the front.

Pull out the next two strings or yarn from the next two slots continuing to tie knots using every two strings until you get to the end.

Pulling strings of yarn and tying knots using the strings on the end.

When you get to the end, un-tape the final string or yarn and tie it to the fabric strips or yarn that you were using to weave with to finish off the weaving and tie it all together securely.

Showing the un-taping the final string and tying it to the fabric

When you finish, tie off the other end of the weaving following the same directions. If you can leave the yarn ends long or you can trim them as I have here. You can use these woven pieces as art wall hangings, as decoration on tables, as placemats, as blankets for your stuffed animals and dolls, or as a cool rug in your Barbie dream house. There are limitless opportunities for using your woven designs!

Finished woven design