How to Make a Guatemalan Loom

Even a child can weave simple projects with a Guatemalan loom.

Looms for weaving can be large and expensive, but a Guatemalan loom is simple and easy to make at home. A child can easily make a Guatemalan loom with just a couple of sticks and some yarn and then use it for weaving simple projects.

Things You'll Need

• 2 sticks about the length of pencils
• A skein of yarn
• Roll of string
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Cut a length of string as long as the two sticks put together end-to-end, and tie one end of the string to one end of one stick.

2. Hold the stick with one hand, with your fingers lined up down the pencil, below the knot. Loop the string around the pinkie finger and pencil together, then pull the string through once more to hold the shape of the loop.

3. Repeat the same step for your ring, middle and pointer fingers, until there are four loops formed by your fingers. Tie a knot on the stick after the last loop, and pull it tight.

4. Repeat this for the other pencil with another piece of string.

5. Cut a string about four times the length of your forearm, and this will be the strings on the loom.

6. Place the sticks about 6 inches apart, with the loops facing each other.

7. Tie one end of a piece of string in the center of the first loop on the left on one of the sticks. Then thread the string through the loops, back and forth from stick-to-stick, keeping the sticks about 6 inches apart. Tie the end of the string to the last loop and cut off excess yarn.

8. Gently pull sticks apart until the string loops are all similar lengths.

9. Weave pieces of yarn up and down through the loom, and leave an inch or two out to each side before cutting the yarn. With each string, weave the opposite direction from the previous string. Be sure to pull each string tight, and push it downward on the loom before adding another.

References

• Texas Memorial Museum: Make a Guatemalan Loom!