Homemade Looms
People have been weaving thread or yarn into cloth for many millennia, with the earliest known fabric dating as far back as 8000 BC. Thanks to our predecessors who learned to spin and weave plant fibers and combed fur into cloth, we enjoy wearing T-shirts and blue jeans today, instead of animal skins. In addition to providing us a way to create clothing, blankets, and other cloth goods, weaving is a pastime that anyone can do with a simple homemade loom and some yarn or cord. You can give weaving a try without spending a lot of money by recycling an old picture frame and adding a few nails.
Things You'll Need
- Wooden picture frame
- 1-inch finishing nails
- Hammer
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Heavy cardboard
Instructions
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Choose a wooden picture frame in a size you would like your loom to be. Make sure the back of the frame has a flat edge at least 1/2-inch wide for you to put in nails. If your frame has glass, remove and dispose of the glass carefully.
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Turn your frame face down on a solid surface with the flat edges exposed. Use your ruler to measure and mark an even number of dots along the center of the top flat edge, at 1/4 inch intervals, from one side to the other. Do the same thing along the bottom edge.
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At each point where you placed a dot, hammer one finishing nail into the wood, leaving it sticking up about 1/2 inch.
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To "warp" your loom, tie your yarn or cord onto the top left nail, stretch it down to the bottom over the first two nails and back up again to the top. Bring the cord over the next two nails at the top and draw it back down to the bottom. Repeat this maneuver, keeping the tautness of the cord even, until you have stretched your warp strands all the way across the frame. Tie off the warp at the lower right nail.
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Cut a 6-inch by 2-inch piece of cardboard to make a shuttle. Cut a large V-shaped notch into each end, and wrap your weaving yarn or string longways, between the notches. This will make it easier for you to draw your yarn though the loom as you weave.
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You are now ready to weave yarn, string, leather strips, or any number of other pliable strands, over and under the warp strands. Tie the thread you have wound around your shuttle onto the warp thread at the bottom right, and take it over and under the warp threads across to the left. You can use your finger to hook under and gently lift every other strand to pass your shuttle through. Then weave back toward the right side, going over the strands that were under and under the strands that were over in the previous row. These side-to-side, over-and-under strands are called the weft. When weaving back and forth, avoid pulling the strands too tight on the sides or your weaving will become narrower in the middle.
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Try creating patterns by changing yarns or threads, and continue weaving back and forth until you fill the entire frame. When your weaving is complete, tie your weft thread to the top left thread, and gently lift the warp threads off the finishing nails.
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Display your new weaving on the wall, use it as a place mat, or fold it in half and stitch it together to make a bag.
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Tips & Warnings
To save money, especially if you want to use a larger frame, look for one at a flea market or a garage sale.
Use caution with hammer and nails to avoid punctures or smashed fingers.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit woven igorot cloth image by Antonio Oquias from Fotolia.com
