DIY Mini Framed Weaving

Hi Everyone! It’s been a while since my last post – ah, such is (a busy) life! But I’m glad to be back with another tutorial. This DIY mini framed weaving is a fun little project you can do when you’ve got some yarn scraps and about an hour of time to kill. It’s a great way to incorporate the wall weaving trend without going ‘all bohemian’ in your décor – unless you really want to 😉  And as far as wall art goes, a framed weaving is an easy way to incorporate a subtle bit of texture to your wall space, whether on its own or as part of a gallery wall.

To create your own DIY mini framed weaving, you will need the following supplies:

• lap loom (mine is a peg loom – to check out options, see Amazon or Etsy)
• cotton yarn for the ‘warp’ (warp: the vertical strands of your weaving which holds the horizontal woven portion together).
• darning needle (not pictured) – dull tip needle or any other you have on hand.
• scissors
• yarns of various thicknesses (for interest and texture); these yarns will create your ‘weft’ (weft: the material that is woven horizontally across the warp)
• tapestry needle: about 3 inches long with a dull end and large eye used to thread your yarns; you can also just use your fingers to weave your yarns for this mini weaving.
• shuttle (optional): this is the stick with the u-shape ends used to feed thicker yarns into the warp.
• shed stick (optional): this is the flat wood piece with the pointed end; this is woven through the warp (vertical strands of the weaving) to make space, making it easier when feeding yarn using the shuttle (all this will be shown below).
• picture frame – preferably without glass.
• white craft paper + regular paper (not pictured) – you will be gluing your weaving onto the craft paper.
• Mod Podge (not pictured) – or double-sided tape or other gluing agent.
• foam brush (not pictured) – to apply the Mod Podge.
• Scotch tape (not pictured)
• pencil (not pictured)

For a fuller introduction to weaving, including materials and common terms used, see one of my earlier posts, “An Introduction to Weaving.”

Step 1:  Cut Paper to Size

First, determine the size of your weaving based on the space available in your picture frame. Mine was 8 by 10 inches. Using any piece of paper, cut it to match the space available.

This paper will be your guide to measuring the width and height of your weaving.

Step 2:  Create Your Warp

Make a loop knot at the end of the cotton yarn and place over one of the bottom pegs. Pull upwards and loop the cotton yarn around a peg along the top of the loom, going around the peg from left to right and back down. Next, loop the yarn around the peg next to the peg with your loop knot at the bottom, going from left to right and back up.

Continue in this way until you create sufficient width to create your weaving, finishing with another loop knot.

Use the paper you cut out in Step 1 to guide the width of your warp. Make sure there is space on either side of the warp. This is where your woven yarn will bulge out as you weave your pieces, so give yourself plenty o’ room.

Tip: When creating your warp, make sure that it is not too tight. As you add your yarn, the warp will tighten along the way. If your warp is too tight from the start, then your weaving will end up bowing in the middle, not to mention making it difficult to work with.

To make sure your warp has some give to it, press down on it and ensure there is some slack.

Step 3:  Time to Weave!

Take one of your yarns and begin to feed it through your cotton warp, feeding it over and under from one end to the other.

(Note:  Notice that the yarn is woven over the first warp strand (instead of under). Later on, you will be tucking in that yarn end (and any yarn ends) by going around that strand towards the back side, allowing for full coverage of the warp. For a small weaving like this one using various yarns (and starting points) I would recommend creating an odd number of vertical strands, which would ensure that yarn ends always ends up over the last strand. This one has 13 vertical strands.)

Continue creating more rows with your yarn.

When weaving your yarn into the warp, you can use your tapestry needle if it is easier. You can also use your shed stick to create space in your warp by moving it over and under each strand.

This will allow space to feed the yarn through smoothly. Your shuttle (the U-shaped stick) can be used to feed the yarn through.

Once the yarn goes through, remove the shuttle, flatten the shed stick and gently push the row of yarn down towards the previously created rows.

You can also vary how tight or loose the weaving is as I did below. I simply used the tapestry needle to pull at the yarn at various points to create a ‘bubbling’ effect.

Continue creating more rows, varying your yarn thickness and colour to create interest along the way.

Step 4:  Clean Up the Yarn Ends

Once you have completed your weaving, it’s time to clean up the ends. Flip the loom over so that you see the back side of your weaving. Taking your tapestry needle, begin weaving the ends through the yarn on the back side. Take care that your yarn does not show through on the front side.

For the thicker yarn, you may wish to carefully weave the yarn behind a warp strand instead of the weft. Otherwise it will show through on the front side of your weaving.

Once you weave all the yarn ends into the back side of the weaving, clip them off. This will create a more even, flatter surface.

Step 5:  Remove Weaving from Loom

To remove your weaving from the loom, snip the cotton warp strands along the top and bottom.

Tip: When handling your weaving, it will feel fragile in your hands so take care not to manipulate it too much during these next steps.

Step 6:  Clean Up the Warp Strands

Using a regular needle or darning needle, weave the cotton warp strands into the back side of the weaving, the same way you did the yarn ends.

Snip off the loose threads to clean it up.

Step 7:  Apply Craft Paper to Mat

Now you will need to prepare your mini weaving for framing.

Remove the mat from the picture frame and apply scotch tape to the corners of the back of the mat.

Apply white craft paper to the mat.

Step 8:  Adhere Weaving to Craft Paper

Flip your mat over so that the front is facing up. Take your adhesive agent – I used Mod Podge – and apply it to the craft paper with a foam brush.

Lay the weaving onto the craft paper and press down the edges to ensure a firm adhesion. Let dry.

Step 9:  Frame Your Weaving

Now you are ready to frame your mini weaving!

Hang your weaving and enjoy!

I love how this project turned out. It is a great alternative to the typical, unframed wall weavings that have become popular in home décor these days. If you are looking for a way to add a bit of texture and warmth – and maybe a little ‘bohemian’ style in your home – why not try this more modern and minimal version?

Happy weaving 🙂

 

For more creative craft and DIY ideas from around the web, check out: Inspiration Spotlight, Peace-Love-Link Up, Craft Schooling Sunday, Best of the Weekend, Link Party Palooza, Home Matters, Create It Thursday, Show and Tell, That DIY Party, Handmade Hangout, Inspire Me Monday, Merry Monday, Monday Funday, Creative Spark, Snickerdoodle Sunday, Creative Corner Link Up,  Creativity Unleashed, Totally Terrific Tuesday, Dare to Share, The Creative Exchange,  Welcome Home Wednesdays,  Tutorials & Tips Link Party,  DIY Party,  Saturday Sparks Link Party,  Sweet Inspiration Link Party,  No Rules Weekend Blog Party,  The Wednesday Roundup, From Dream to Reality,  The DIY Collective, Pretty Pintastic Party, Mad Skills, DIY Sunday Showcase, Create.Link.Inspire , BFF Open House, Flaunt It Friday, Happiness is Homemade, and The Creative Corner link up parties.