Makers know there’s nothing quite so special as the opportunity to share our craft with others, especially when the excitement is mutual. So take advantage of these last few weeks of summer and share your love of weaving with the kids in your life! Help them build a simple cardboard loom and get the creative juices flowing by helping them choose from a variety of colors, textures, and materials for the weft. Teach them the simple “over-under, over-under” pattern and let their imaginations run wild. They’ll love sharing your craft with you and everyone will have a lot of fun! (And maybe you’ll even be inspired to make your own cardboard weaving!)
Bonus for you: This is a great stash-busting opportunity to use up those bits of yarn that are too small to use but too large to throw away - we know you have a bag (or two) of them!
For a cardboard weaving, you’ll need:
Cardboard
Small stick
Scissors
Tape
Warp and weft – consider items like
Yarn
Ribbon
Straw
Fabric strips
Toothpick
Optional: Cotton balls, beads, or feathers to decorate your weaving
Cut the cardboard into a square or rectangle slightly larger than the desired size of your weaving. Make an even number of slits in either end of the cardboard to hold the warp yarn. (In this example we used 6 slits on either side of the cardboard – an even number is essential for tying off if you want to remove the weaving from the cardboard.)
Wind your cardboard loom by taping your chosen warp yarn on the back of the cardboard as shown. Wrap the yarn around the cardboard through the slits you cut. When you’re finished wrapping, cut the yarn and tape it to the back of the loom.
Weave in your stick – this will be the hanger for your finished project.
Start weaving! Teach your kids the “over-under” pattern and let them have at it! Taping strips of yarn or ribbon to a toothpick makes it easier for small hands to maneuver their chosen weft through the warp especially at the bottom when space gets tight. Vary colors and textures as you please.
When you’re finished weaving, you can choose to leave the weaving on the cardboard for display or remove it for an independent hanging.
To remove your weaving from the cardboard, cut through the warp yarns in the center of the back.
Tie the warp yarns together around the stick at the top and make fringe at the bottom. Use another piece of yarn to make a hanger by tying one end to either side of the stick. Trim any long pieces of straw or ribbon if desired.
Bonus! Add embellishments with feathers, beads, or cotton balls. To make cotton ball pom-poms, tie two strings around the cotton ball at right angles and attach to your weaving.
Display your weaving with pride!
