Weaving instructions beginners

I’ve wanted to try weaving for a long time, but was never sure how to get started. Then I learned about weaving with yarn on a little piece of cardboard, and also found out more great tips from all of you on the Made by Joel Facebook Page. Thanks!

Our twins just turned six this month, and they’ve been weaving all week – even bringing it into the car to work on. It’s really fun, but also great for improving dexterity and concentration.

So far we’ve been using the weavings as little rugs for our dollhouse furniture, but I’d love to hear more ideas for what to do with them. And of course, you can make different sizes – maybe coasters, or bookmarks?

If you’d like to try it out, there are step by step directions below.

Happy weaving!

See photo below for instructions.

1 – Get a piece of cardboard for the “loom”. Any size will do, but ours was about 3×5 inches. Using scissors, make some cuts along two opposite edges. My cuts were a little less than 1/2 inch apart.
2 – Take some yarn, and tape the end to the back of the cardboard, then fitting the yarn into the notches, wrap the yarn around the cardboard. To do this, you want to wrap around the cardboard tab, then go down the opposite side to make the long lines (see photo 3) where you will weave.
3 – This is what the front will look like.
4 – Next, take a length of yarn and tape one end to the back of the cardboard loom. The other end will be threaded through the loom. I found that if you wrap a piece of tape around the end of the yarn, it’s much easier to thread it. I’ve also seen people use a large needle, but I like tape better for kids.
5 – Now start threading the yarn in an over under pattern, back and forth across the loom. (Note – if your child skips some threads or makes a mistake, it’s fine. I just like to let them roll with it and have fun.)
6 – When you run out of thread, you can continue with a different color if you’d like. I tied the new color to the end of the old color, but I think you can just weave the “tails” in, if you’d like. Knots seemed to be easier for the kids.
7 – After the weaving is done, turn over the cardboard, and take off the pieces of tape that are holding down the ends of the yarn.
8 – Now peel off the loops of yarn over the tabs along one side of the weaving.
9 – Then slide the other side of the weaving off over the other tabs.
10 – This is what it will look like when you take it off the loom.
11 – Gently pull the loops of yarn that were on the tabs, one at a time, so you can tighten down the edges of the weaving.
12 – Now tie a knot around each of the four loose ends, then cut off the extra threads of yarn. Finished!