#MetKids—Weave on a Mini Loom

Follow along and learn how to weave yarn on a mini cardboard loom.

Materials:

• cardboard
• ruler
• pencil
• scissors
• yarn
• tape
• needle (a large plastic embroidery needle works well)

Instructions:

Make Your Loom
1. Measure and mark two borders that are 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) from the top and bottom of a small rectangular piece of cardboard.
2. Along the top border, mark lines down from the top edge of the cardboard that are spaced evenly apart (1/4 inch, or .6 cm, if you want them close together; 1/2 inch, or 1.5 cm, if you want them farther apart). Mark an even number of lines (6, 8, 10, etc.).
3. Repeat along the bottom border, making sure you space the lines in the same way.
4. Cut a slit from the border to the edge along each line you marked.

Thread Your Loom
1. Tape the yarn on the back of the loom, under the first slit.
2. Turn your loom to the front and thread the yarn through the first slit at the top, then the first slit at the bottom.
3. Turn your loom to the back and thread the yarn through the next slit at the top.
4. Turn your loom to the front and thread the yarn through the second slit at the bottom.
5. Continue to thread the yarn like this through the rest of the slits.
6. When you\'ve finished, cut the yarn and tape the loose end on the back.
7. This lengthwise, up-and-down thread is called the warp.

Weave
1. Thread the yarn through the needle. It might be helpful to tie it to the needle.
2. This horizontal, left-to-right, right-to-left yarn is called the weft.
3. On the front of the loom, start weaving the weft under the first warp on the left and over the second warp, then under and over until you reach the right end.
4. Pull the weft yarn all the way through, but leave a tail (about 3 inches, or 7.5 cm) on the left side.
5. Loop the needle under the last warp on the right, so it catches. Then weave it over and under all the way to the left side. Pull the weft yarn all the way through, but not so tight that you pull the warp threads together.
6. Push the second row of weft tightly against the first.
7. Continue to weave the weft back and forth, under and over the warp, and push each row of weft tightly against the rest.
8. When you\'d like to change colors, cut the weft yarn, leaving a tail (about 3 inches, or 7.5 cm).
9. Begin the new weft color where you left off and continue to weave.
10. Add as many colors as you like.
11. Once you fill the loom, cut the last row of weft yarn, leaving a tail (about 3 inches, or 7.5 cm).
12. Thread the loose tails into the looped ends of the weft and cut any extra yarn that sticks out.

Remove Your Weaving
1. On the back of the loom, remove the tape from the ends and cut the warp in the middle.
2. Turn the loom to the front and pull two adjacent warp yarns from the slits and knot them together.
3. Repeat with each pair of warp yarns to remove the weaving from the cardboard loom.

Credits

#MetKids is a digital feature made for, with, and by kids!
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metkids/credits

About #MetKids
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metkids/about


Inspired by The \'Simonetti\' Carpet and Diana and Actaeon from a set of Ovid\'s Metamorphoses.

Closed captioning for this video is available in ten additional languages:

#MetKids–نسج على منوال صغير
#MetKids—在小编织板上编织
#MetKids—Faire du tissage
sur un mini-métier à tisser
#MetKids—Flechte auf einem Mini-Webstuhl
#MetKids—Tessere ad un Mini-Telaio
メットキッズ—ミニ織機で織る
#MetKids—작은 베틀로 천 짜기
#MetKids—Costure em um mini tear
#MetKids — Как плести на станке
#MetKids—Tejiendo en un mini telar


Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

© 2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art