How to Tablet Weave

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Thin pieces of wood, stiff leather, or card stock (this is a great way to recycle old Christmas or birthday cards)
Colored thread, string, or embroidery floss
scissors
hole punch
1 1/2 to 2 inch diameter metal ring

Step 1

We'll start with cutting the cards. You can use any thin, stiff material for this - old playing cards, very thin pieces of wood, even plastic. You can cut them into squares, triangles or hexagons. The more corners you use, the more strands of thread you will use, and the wider the finished product will be. For this example we will use squares. Cut your cards into squares about 3 inches on a side. Make sure they are all the same size. You can use as few as three, or as many as you can comfortably hold. I recommend starting with four. Round the edges and file down any rough spots so they don't catch on your threads.
Step 2

What your cards should look like

Use the hole punch to punch holes in each corner of each of your cards about half an inch in from the corner. You should end up with four round-cornered squares. Make sure your holes are round and smooth so the edges don't catch your string.
Step 3

Choose your thread or string according the purpose you have in mind for your finished product. Thread will give you a light, delicate trim; embroidery floss is great for bracelets and lanyards; yarn works well for belts, but if you use fuzzy yarn for the weft, you will need a smooth string for the warp; heavier string makes great belts and straps. Check your local craft store, and you will be overwhelmed by the possibilities presented by the sheer variety of decorative threads and string available.
Step 4

Thread a length of thread through each hole in each card. For your first attempt I recommend cutting the threads about three feet long. This will give you enough to work with without having too much extra hanging off and getting in your way. Take one end of all the threads and tie it in a knot, or tie it to a metal ring so you can hook it on something to hold the threads tight while you work (I like to plop down on the couch in front of the TV, put my feet on the coffee table and hook the ring over my big toe while I weave, but do whatever works for you.) Once you have all the cards threaded, stack them like a deck of cards. Pay attention to which side of the card the thread goes in on and comes out on - the holes on each card must be threaded in the same direction or the card won't turn, and the direction you stack them in will affect the pattern in your finished product, feel free to experiment. This is your weft.
Step 5

Now you'll need a little scrap of whatever material you used for your cards. Wind it with the string you will use for the warp in your weave. This string will barely show, you will only see it along the sides of your finished strip. You will want to use something strong and smooth, like cotton crochet string. Wind it around your scrap of card as a sort of mini-shuttle. You will be passing this back and forth between the other threads so don't make it too big.
Step 6

Now that you've got everything put together you are ready to weave. Hook your metal ring on something handy and hold the threads stretched out. Turn the cards so that one side is parallel to the floor, and this will separate the threads, leaving a space between two layers of them (this space is called a shed). Tie the near end into a knot, including the loose end of the warp string. Pass your shuttle through the gap in the threads, then turn the cards once to move a different set of threads to the top. Snug your first pass down tight with your finger, then pass the shuttle back through. Turn the cards again. To start with I recommend turning the cards in one direction till you get the hang of it, but you can experiment with turning them in different directions, or even turning only some of the cards instead of all of them at once to vary up the weave pattern. Repeat this step, running the shuttle through first from the left, then from the right, then from the left again, turning the cards and snugging down the thread between each pass. As you work closer to the cards you can slide them down the weft to keep them at a convenient distance. In a very short time you should begun to see what your strip of weave will look like.
Step 7

The patterns, colors, and textures you can use are limited only by your imagination. Be creative and have fun.

Comments

Truckergirl said

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on 12/23/2008 Thanks Veryirie, I do plan to update it with some pictures as soon as I get the chance. I'm on the road right now and don't have my craft stuff with me, though.