How to Make an Upright Loom

Weaving can be a rewarding craft.

Hand-powered looms can be quite complex, having many parts to ensure that the threads are tight and secure. Modern mechanical looms are even more complex. While such innovations are useful and yield high quality cloth, all that you really need to weave cloth is a frame to string half of the threads onto. You can make your own simple room using an upright style, which is a standing frame. A Navajo-style loom is an effective, yet easily constructed type of upright loom.

Things You'll Need

• Wood planks
• Nails
• Hammer
• Dowel rods
• Rope
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Decide on the dimensions of your loom and write them down. You need seven pieces of wood. Two must be a little over half the width of the loom. Two must be the length of the loom. Three must be the width that you want minus twice the width of each plank when viewed from the side; this will add up to the right length once the pieces are assembled. Most lumberyards can cut the wood for you if you do not have the correct tools yourself.

2. Arrange one of the planks that is slightly shorter than the width of the loom and the two that are a little over half the width of the loom into an "H" shape. The ones that are half the width must be balanced on their edges and the one that is slightly shorter than the width must be flat against the ground. Nail the pieces together, then flip the structure over so that the bottom plank is now on top. Put another plank that is slightly shorter than the width of the loom onto the bottom, then nail in place. This is the base of the loom.

3. Nail each of the planks that are the length of the loom to the base, facing up, with the wide ends facing in. Nail the last plank between them at the top, wide side facing in. This makes a plain rectangular frame with a base.

4. Cut three thick dowel rods so that they fit just inside of the frame horizontally.

5. Loop some rope around the top plank and one of the dowel rods. This rod is the tension bar. While you weave, you can adjust the rope to increase or decrease the overall tension on your piece.

6. Tie several loops of rope around the tension bar and slide one of the other dowel rods through. This is the bar that you attach the thread to.

7. Loop some rope around the top plank of the base and the third dowel rod. This is the bar that you attach the other end of your threads to, and the rope enables you to change the tension.

Tips & Warnings

• If the loom does not feel sturdy, try adding glue to the joints or use more wood to create extra crossbars on the loom.

• You will require more dowel rods, flat pieces of wood or even sticks to make the threads of your design tight, depending upon the style you are using.

• If you are making a very small loom, try using pre-cut wood pieces for stretching painting canvases instead, which are easy to put together.

References

• CNCHnet: Traditional Navajo Looms and Tools
• R.M.Meluch: The Navajo Loom Page
• Arizona State Museum: The Pueblo-Navajo Upright Loom