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How To Make a Basic Loom

How to Make a Basic Loom - This basic, budget-friendly loom is a great way to get into the weaving trend without spending a ton of money. Easy to make and even easier to use for a wide variety of weaving projects:)

I know I am not alone when I say that I am loving this growing trend in weaving, especially in home dΓ©cor. No longer is it relegated to trained fibre artists or that small group of ex-hippies and modern bohemians (you know who you are πŸ˜‰ ) who prefer the unique and handcrafted over things mass-produced. Weaving, in all its forms, is now becoming increasingly accessible to the rest of us who love to mix one-of-a-kind pieces with our Walmart finds πŸ˜‰  Part of the reason for this is the growing number of experts (like the incredibly talented Maryanne Moodie) and enthusiasts who are willing to share their passion and their knowledge with others.

As my own love of weaving continues to grow, I am finding myself wanting to amass more supplies and try new techniques. But then there’s that brick wall called a “budget” that is always in my way.  Argh.  So for today’s tutorial, I thought I’d share a recent budget-friendly DIY project of mine that shows you how to make a basic loom. I made it in order to tackle some new weaving projects that my lap loom was just too small to cover. I wanted it to be large enough – it’s about 2.5 feet by 2.5 feet – to cover a whole variety of small-to-medium weaving projects for the home.

~The post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here.~

If you’d like to try your hand at making your own budget-friendly loom, here are the supplies you will need:

How To Make a Basic Loom - Supplies.

Making the Frame


Making the Loom

  • 1 or 1 & 1/4 inch wire nails (look for these types of nails that have a nail ‘head’ which will prevent your yarn from slipping off your loom)
  • Hammer
  • Ruler
  • Pencil & Eraser

Making the Frame

If you have a handy husband, you may want to enlist his help for this first part, as I did here πŸ™‚

Using a compound saw or simple hand saw, cut each piece of wood to the desired length. (Or simply ask them to cut your pieces to size at the hardware store). Mine were about 2 Β½ feet long. Then prepare to attach the corners of each piece. Attach the drill bit to your drill and make one to two holes in one of the corners of your frame. (By pre-drilling these holes, it will make attaching your screws a whole lot easier).

Make a loom - Pre-drill using drill bit.

Next, replace the drill bit with the countersink bit and drill an indentation directly over the hole(s) created by your drill bit. The purpose of the countersink is to give the head of your screws space to sit flush against the wood.

Make a Loom - Countersink Bit

Now take your screwdriver and attach your screws.

Make a loom - screwdriver.

Repeat for each corner of your frame. Your corners should look something like this.

How To Make a Basic Loom - Secure Corners

How To Make a Basic Loom - Secure Corners

Making the Loom

Now you’re just a few steps away from taking this basic frame and transforming it into a working loom.

Taking your ruler, find the mid-point of the top of your frame and draw a line across. Do the same for the bottom of the frame. Then begin to mark points along the line where you will be adding your nails.

How To Make a Loom - Draw Mid-Point

The space between each point will depend on how fine you expect your weavings to be. For mine, since I wanted the option of creating finer weavings, I marked 1 cm of space between each point. (If I ever want to use thick yarns or create more woven space, I can always use every other nail when creating the warp. There are simply more options for future projects this way. (For more on terms and other weaving basics, see β€œAn Introduction to Weaving”)

Now simply hammer a nail at each point marked out on your frame.

How To Make a Loom - adding nails

Here’s a view close up. Each nail was hammered into the wood about a quarter of an inch.

How To Make a Loom - nails up close

And that is all. Really, it’s that easy. Now get ready to weave!

How to Make a Basic Loom - This basic, budget-friendly loom is a great way to get into the weaving trend without spending a ton of money. Easy to make and even easier to use for a wide variety of weaving projects:)

How To Make a Basic Loom - close up left

How To Make a Basic Loom - close up right

How to Make a Basic Loom

How to Make a Basic Loom - This basic, budget-friendly loom is a great way to get into the weaving trend without spending a ton of money. Easy to make and even easier to use for a wide variety of weaving projects:)

With this basic loom, you can tackle a variety of small and medium-sized weaving projects around the home.

Happy weaving πŸ™‚

 

 

 

29 Comments

  • Reply
    Rebecca
    February 12, 2016 at 11:39 pm

    What a simple loom, but it would be so useful to have. Thanks for the tutorial with such great pictures. Pinning, partly because I want to try making it, and partly because of the beautiful pictures.

    • Reply
      Jelica
      February 14, 2016 at 8:06 pm

      Thanks Rebecca. I wanted to make something unfussy and still practical so that I could use it for a wider variety of projects. Instead of searching out a loom in the marketplace, sometimes it pays to make it yourself πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Kati
    February 29, 2016 at 2:13 pm

    I found your pillow over Always Made with Love and had to come check out what else you have. I am totally making one of these so I can weave something amazing! Okay, it probably won’t be amazing at first, but it’ll be fun.

    • Reply
      Jelica
      February 29, 2016 at 8:07 pm

      Hi Kati! Making a basic frame loom like this is relatively easy. I did not fuss too much over it – except to take pictures for this post πŸ™‚ Once it’s done, then you can weave away!

  • Reply
    Pili
    April 28, 2016 at 2:32 am

    It is so simple to make! I think my daughters would have fun weaving so I think I have to make one. Can’t wait to see yours!

    Thanks for sharing with us at Sweet Inspiration party. Have a wonderful week!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      April 30, 2016 at 7:37 am

      Happy to share this tutorial on the link party Pili. Have a great weekend πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Lisa B.
    May 4, 2016 at 8:29 am

    Good Morning!! I wanted to stop by and let you know that your post has been selected as a Feature for the Welcome Home Wednesdays Link Party!! Stop by this morning to see you post linked up and to grab your Featured Button too! ~Lisa~

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 4, 2016 at 7:11 pm

      Thank you Lisa! So glad you all enjoyed the tutorial and thanks for the feature πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Helen Fern
    May 9, 2016 at 9:34 am

    OK – you have me interested – I may need to try this! Thanks for sharing on the DIY party!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 10, 2016 at 8:22 am

      Lol! My pleasure Helen. Good to have you interested πŸ˜‰

  • Reply
    Laurie
    May 22, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    Thank you for sharing this! This is something that I would like to try at some point. Pinned to share.

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 23, 2016 at 7:47 am

      Thanks Laurie. I find that sometimes you cannot find the right loom at the right price, so why not make one! Hope you do give it a try πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    angie
    May 23, 2016 at 3:10 pm

    I loved my loom when I was younger. Of course it was much smaller. I made many things with it though . I love you sharing this and offering yet more great ideas to what I could do with my extra time
    come see me at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 23, 2016 at 3:42 pm

      As I get older I find myself returning to childhood crafts that I once loved but set aside for a time. I’m glad this post has sparked something for you! Will definitely visit your site. Thanks for sharing πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Jennifer Dodrill @ All-In-One-Mom
    May 27, 2016 at 11:00 am

    Very cool. Your pictures are beautiful too! Pinning!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 27, 2016 at 11:19 am

      Thanks Jennifer!

  • Reply
    Amanda @ The Kolb Corner
    June 19, 2016 at 11:45 am

    I used to have a loom as a kid that I loved using. I haven’t really thought about weaving since, but seeing this makes me want to try it again. Thank you for sharing at Merry Monday!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      June 19, 2016 at 4:07 pm

      It’s a fun craft to pick up again Amanda. I discovered weaving later in life and it has quickly become one of my favourites. I love the slow pace of it and enjoy creating designs from scratch. And there’s nothing like removing the weaving from the loom to see the final product! I do hope you start weaving again πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Kim Jones
    June 22, 2016 at 5:56 pm

    Thank you so much for this tutorial. I have looked at other directions on how to make a simple loom, but the directions, not so simple! I’m going to try this out!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      June 22, 2016 at 7:53 pm

      You’re so welcome Kim! I’m glad the directions were clear and easy to follow. Hope you do give this a try πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Cristina at Ava's Alphabet
    July 9, 2016 at 12:15 pm

    This is amazing. I am totally inspired to make my own loom now. Thank you for a great step by step tutorial!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      July 9, 2016 at 3:40 pm

      Thanks Cristina! It does not take much to get started with weaving (or to get weaving again). You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment. And yet you can create some really great weavings using just a basic, homemade nail loom like this one πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Charlotte
    July 10, 2016 at 11:40 pm

    Thanks for joining us at Family Joy Linkup Party. Your blog is beautiful and your pictures are so pretty. You will have to join us again to show what you made with your loom!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      July 11, 2016 at 7:44 am

      Thanks Charlotte! Absolutely πŸ™‚

  • Reply
    Theresa
    August 10, 2016 at 10:41 pm

    Love your DIY . Thanks for sharing at the #InspirationSpotlight Party. Pinned & shared.

  • Reply
    Cacie Lockett
    January 27, 2021 at 4:29 pm

    Could I make it more around 4 or 5 feet to make like a blanket or something using these instructions, using longer pieces of wood?

    • Reply
      Jelica
      March 24, 2021 at 2:51 pm

      Hi Cacie: You can absolutely increase the size to accommodate other projects. I would caution you about one thing: As you increase the size, the inside corners may need to be reinforced in some way to prevent the extra-long pieces from becoming ‘wobbly.’ You might attach a bracket or cut a wooden block that you can fit into the corner and attach. Here are some ideas: https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/remodeling/carpentry/how-to-reinforce-joints/ Good luck!

  • Reply
    april
    December 30, 2022 at 7:06 am

    so glad i found this. im going to make one for plarn & weave mats for the homeless in my area. thanks for your instructions πŸ˜ƒ

    • Reply
      Jelica
      January 6, 2023 at 4:24 pm

      I’m so glad you found this, too. What a beautiful act of kindness you are doing in the world, April. Blessings to you and your work!

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