So all my students, kinder-town through 4th-grade-land, are participating in International Dot Day. I know several of you art teacherin' peeps are doing the same, amiright? I have absolutely loved dreaming up projects that I hope (fingers and toes crossed) have been artistic, creative, unique and inspiring (our feature Word(s) of the Week for these first four weeks of school). I'll give you a sneak peak of all our projects at the end of the week with complete lessons to come. In the meantime, lemme introduce you to my favorite dot lesson to date, the String-Stitched Dot! Dude. After seeing this 4th grader's stitched design I've decided I wanna create a stitched color wheel! Doesn't this one totally remind you of that? I love his pattern. I gave the kids three design options to choose from with the freedom to play with those ideas, change 'em and make them their own. I love how this artist used symmetry and color to create a sunset-esque stitch. One of the ideas the kids could stitch was one we called "rotating squares". This was not an easy design to stitch but once you got the hang of it, it went by in a flash. None of the kids wanted to stop stitching so many of them thought of ways to enhance that design idea. I liked how Tony found a way to stitch a circle around this squares. For this lesson, we used the following: * 10" X 10" cardboard (I did a lil dumpster diving for those) * Paint and brushes (because the cardboard looked like, well, cardboard. We had to jazz it up.) * Florescent yarn (because this here art teacher is currently on an '80's kick, can ya tell?) * Tapestry needles (what big eyes you have! The better to thread you with, my dear.) * Stitching template (so we all end up with the same 16 evenly spaced lines) * Masking tape On our very first day of art, after covering all this biznatch, the kids painted their pieces of cardboard, "thickly and quickly". Meaning, since they had the option of using texture combs, they needed to make sure the paint was thick and wet as the comb can only rake the surface and create super cool textures when it is. Then I gave the kids of using florescent paint to add some splatters as, let's be honest, splatter painting is super rad. AND makes the first day of art just about the best thing everrrrr. On our second day of art, after our Word of the Week/Artist Inspiration routine, we had to prep our board for stitching. For that, I gave the kids these old coffee container lids with 16 evenly spaced notches drawn with silver Sharpie. The kids were to make sure the circle was placed 2" from the top/bottom and sides (well, hello thar, math connection!) before tracing it and drawing tick marks for the notches. Once done with that, the kids were given such dangerous art supplies as push pins and needles. With the push pins, the kids put the initial holes in their boards where the notches were drawn. Because they'd be stitching with thick tapestry needles, I then had them go back and push the needles through the board to make the notches even bigger. From there, the kids had to start plotting their design... For this, they got a worksheet. Yay, worksheets! They had to complete the directions of each design ("even if I don't want the other designs?!" YES. DO. IT. RIGHT. MEOW.) They were also given the option to come up with their own ideas, or mix and match the ones I suggested, on the right. To best explain this process, I created a lil video clip. There are several steps so I hope I'm making some sort of sense. I showed the kids the steps to stitching ALL three of these designs that way they could feel free to pick and choose/mix and match once they were on their own. And now! For a Totally Inappropriate Short Story! Gather 'round friends, this one's a gem: So, on that very first day of stitching, when I'm walking the kids through the steps, I thought it might be less confusing for them if I referred each of the 16 holes in their stitching board as a letter. This way they could remember stuff like, "I stitch from A to B, from A to C, back to A then to D", for 'zample. However, whilst in the midst of teaching, I may or may not have mistakenly said this several times (unbeknownst to my innocent babies!): "You first start at the A-hole. Then you go to the B-hole. Return to the A-hole. REMEMBER! If you are doing a radiating design, you always return to the A-hole." And I think it was the phrase always return to the A-hole that actually stopped me mid-breath and caused a rash of red to creep over my face. My mind started racing: did I just say the words A-hole to my kids, not once but several times, and neither me nor the kids noticed?! If I don't call it A-hole, what DO I call it? The "A-Spot"? What happens when we get to the letter G?! OMGeee, what am I gonna do?! And it was then that we began to refer to the notches as numbers. And all was A-hole-free in art land. WHEW. I gotta say, the kids loved this project. Especially my boys. Which I don't find that surprising as they are always the ones that love any weaving projects we do. It's that working-with-my-hands/math-mind that makes them adore these types of things. Is that sexist? Maybe. Is it true? Yes. A coupla kids found ways to incorporate their initial in the design. This one kills me ask it looks like the symbol for Anarchy...and this sweet child is the furthest thing from a punky-Anarchist. I love how this artist played with our school colors to create her design. And there you have it! A String-Stitched Dot for Dot Day! Do you think this is a project that you'd give a go in your art room? I do believe your kids would dig it. For our display, I decided to connect the boards together with a coupla paperclips. I love how they look as a group...ready for Dot Day! And what are you up to for Dot Day? I'd love to know what your kids are creating so puh-lease share, y'all!
These designs were created by using push pins to "punch" in the dotted pattern on to a 6x6 piece of poster board. Once their design is ...
My middle school kiddos are in love with this project! Thanks to Cassie Stephens string art lesson! After learning the process I decided to...
[08-08-2014] ¡Inauguramos! Los Parasoles de Tejiendo La Calle 2014 ya visten las calles de Valverde de La Vera. Realizados a ganchillo XXL por las participantes en el proyecto, y en esta ocasión co…
Learn how to do string art at two different scales (GIANT and mini) and use it as an opportunity to teach kids about geometry & levers.
Learn how to make string art stars using paper coasters! A classic math art craft both kids and adults will love. These also make beautiful holiay decorations.
An elementary art teacher blog with art projects and lessons, DIY projects and outfit photos as well as clothing I have made myself.
I am very excited about my new after school club this year - the Needle & Thread Club! We have 24 members from grades 3-5 (and a long waiting list too) and we have just completed our first project, string art. This lesson was so much fun and quite a challenge, too - thanks so much to Cassie Stephens for the great step-by-step instructions on her blog - find it here: http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/09/in-art-room-string-stitched-dot-for-dot.html My kids were very inspired by the work her students created. We have many exciting sewing, weaving, embroidery and other fun fiber arts activities in store for this year - we are focusing on traditional hands-on methods with a modern spin. This is not your granny's sewing club! :)
Natalie Ciccoricco's simple yet beautiful arrangements, bringing a balance between nature and geometric craft.
Tonight, on Facebook LIVE at 8pm CST, I thought we could talk about how to prepare for a sub. I'll share with you what I do to insure that I'll won't come back to a Hot Mess Express. I'd love to hear your tips. ALSO...I have BIG NEWS about our LIVE chats that I think you are going to love love love! So I'll see you real soon. My lovely and sweet (ahem) spring-break-ready third graders are starting their string art project this week. We have prepared the boards by painting them (we are using cardboard pizza rounds purchased in bulk via Amazon) and adding texture. We also punctured holes in them to prep them stitching. Next week, we'll sketch out our designs and start stitching. Here's the video I created to introduce the kids to this process. Feel free to use and share in your art teacherin' world. Even if you don't do this project with the kids, you might wanna watch it for the needle threading trick alone. Or you can just follow me here and catch a short clip. There are many methods of string art but I'll be introducing my kids to ones that I call Spectrum and Radiating Design. I found the above, the one I call Radiating Design, to be a little more taxing simply because you have to get more yarn to make the lines go all the way around the board. This one I'm calling Spectrum. This one is fun because you can use a lot of different colors. It's up to the artist just how much stitching happens within the design. My third graders were at the end of this project when I introduced this new one. So during the second half of one art class, when they were finished with their candy sculptures, I had them quickly color, paint and scrape a texture onto their boards. Today, the first half of class, we did this. I had a handful of kids that were absent the day so they worked on coloring and painting while the majority did this. Thankfully, we had this project to also work on. Have I ever told y'all that I have a habit of having the kids work in exactly 37 projects at once? I ain't proud. The kids are stoked! I can't wait to share with you what they create.
An elementary art teacher blog with art projects and lessons, DIY projects and outfit photos as well as clothing I have made myself.
An elementary art teacher blog with art projects and lessons, DIY projects and outfit photos as well as clothing I have made myself.
Not sure what supplies your kid needs for school? Here is a list of the frequently requested school supplies.
So all my students, kinder-town through 4th-grade-land, are participating in International Dot Day. I know several of you art teacherin' peeps are doing the same, amiright? I have absolutely loved dreaming up projects that I hope (fingers and toes crossed) have been artistic, creative, unique and inspiring (our feature Word(s) of the Week for these first four weeks of school). I'll give you a sneak peak of all our projects at the end of the week with complete lessons to come. In the meantime, lemme introduce you to my favorite dot lesson to date, the String-Stitched Dot! Dude. After seeing this 4th grader's stitched design I've decided I wanna create a stitched color wheel! Doesn't this one totally remind you of that? I love his pattern. I gave the kids three design options to choose from with the freedom to play with those ideas, change 'em and make them their own. I love how this artist used symmetry and color to create a sunset-esque stitch. One of the ideas the kids could stitch was one we called "rotating squares". This was not an easy design to stitch but once you got the hang of it, it went by in a flash. None of the kids wanted to stop stitching so many of them thought of ways to enhance that design idea. I liked how Tony found a way to stitch a circle around this squares. For this lesson, we used the following: * 10" X 10" cardboard (I did a lil dumpster diving for those) * Paint and brushes (because the cardboard looked like, well, cardboard. We had to jazz it up.) * Florescent yarn (because this here art teacher is currently on an '80's kick, can ya tell?) * Tapestry needles (what big eyes you have! The better to thread you with, my dear.) * Stitching template (so we all end up with the same 16 evenly spaced lines) * Masking tape On our very first day of art, after covering all this biznatch, the kids painted their pieces of cardboard, "thickly and quickly". Meaning, since they had the option of using texture combs, they needed to make sure the paint was thick and wet as the comb can only rake the surface and create super cool textures when it is. Then I gave the kids of using florescent paint to add some splatters as, let's be honest, splatter painting is super rad. AND makes the first day of art just about the best thing everrrrr. On our second day of art, after our Word of the Week/Artist Inspiration routine, we had to prep our board for stitching. For that, I gave the kids these old coffee container lids with 16 evenly spaced notches drawn with silver Sharpie. The kids were to make sure the circle was placed 2" from the top/bottom and sides (well, hello thar, math connection!) before tracing it and drawing tick marks for the notches. Once done with that, the kids were given such dangerous art supplies as push pins and needles. With the push pins, the kids put the initial holes in their boards where the notches were drawn. Because they'd be stitching with thick tapestry needles, I then had them go back and push the needles through the board to make the notches even bigger. From there, the kids had to start plotting their design... For this, they got a worksheet. Yay, worksheets! They had to complete the directions of each design ("even if I don't want the other designs?!" YES. DO. IT. RIGHT. MEOW.) They were also given the option to come up with their own ideas, or mix and match the ones I suggested, on the right. To best explain this process, I created a lil video clip. There are several steps so I hope I'm making some sort of sense. I showed the kids the steps to stitching ALL three of these designs that way they could feel free to pick and choose/mix and match once they were on their own. And now! For a Totally Inappropriate Short Story! Gather 'round friends, this one's a gem: So, on that very first day of stitching, when I'm walking the kids through the steps, I thought it might be less confusing for them if I referred each of the 16 holes in their stitching board as a letter. This way they could remember stuff like, "I stitch from A to B, from A to C, back to A then to D", for 'zample. However, whilst in the midst of teaching, I may or may not have mistakenly said this several times (unbeknownst to my innocent babies!): "You first start at the A-hole. Then you go to the B-hole. Return to the A-hole. REMEMBER! If you are doing a radiating design, you always return to the A-hole." And I think it was the phrase always return to the A-hole that actually stopped me mid-breath and caused a rash of red to creep over my face. My mind started racing: did I just say the words A-hole to my kids, not once but several times, and neither me nor the kids noticed?! If I don't call it A-hole, what DO I call it? The "A-Spot"? What happens when we get to the letter G?! OMGeee, what am I gonna do?! And it was then that we began to refer to the notches as numbers. And all was A-hole-free in art land. WHEW. I gotta say, the kids loved this project. Especially my boys. Which I don't find that surprising as they are always the ones that love any weaving projects we do. It's that working-with-my-hands/math-mind that makes them adore these types of things. Is that sexist? Maybe. Is it true? Yes. A coupla kids found ways to incorporate their initial in the design. This one kills me ask it looks like the symbol for Anarchy...and this sweet child is the furthest thing from a punky-Anarchist. I love how this artist played with our school colors to create her design. And there you have it! A String-Stitched Dot for Dot Day! Do you think this is a project that you'd give a go in your art room? I do believe your kids would dig it. For our display, I decided to connect the boards together with a coupla paperclips. I love how they look as a group...ready for Dot Day! And what are you up to for Dot Day? I'd love to know what your kids are creating so puh-lease share, y'all!
An elementary art teacher blog with art projects and lessons, DIY projects and outfit photos as well as clothing I have made myself.
This large scale string art wall project for kids is easy and fun! It was intended to be a fall leaf string art project, but any theme will work!
We have not been doing nearly as many christmas project as I usually would. Living at my sisters house I am limited to none messy projects, at the same time there are so many other joys of sharing this special time together, lots of cozy chats by the fire, and a bonding time we have not had in many years. Soon our lives will once again bring us far apart (geographically), and it is so nice to have shared this past year. So instead of the crafting I would usually do with the children all this month I have come up with a few simple projects, that they can do without too much mess. Next week we will mess up the kitchen in a big way though and bake cookies:) We have been making presents for grandparents, my parents are coming to spend Christmas, so the children have been very busy making cards and gifts for them. They each painted a cup for them and then made a special gift bag to set them in ( I got the idea for the bag here ), cutting felt pieces and gluing them to a plain bag. One for Mormor and one for Morfar. Kaleena made this for Mormor and Keenan made this for Morfar I saw these on The Crafty Crow, a simple tree ornament, made with cardboard and string. Both children adored making these. They are so simple and very pretty on the tree. We also made woolen hearts. Keenan loves sewing, he is always asking if he can please sew, and he is getting very confident with the needle. We cut the wool from felted sweaters sewed it up and stuffed it with wool batting. Lovely for the tree and also for a vase with pine branches on the table ( how I would usually have them) ~sweet blessing~
So all my students, kinder-town through 4th-grade-land, are participating in International Dot Day. I know several of you art teacherin' peeps are doing the same, amiright? I have absolutely loved dreaming up projects that I hope (fingers and toes crossed) have been artistic, creative, unique and inspiring (our feature Word(s) of the Week for these first four weeks of school). I'll give you a sneak peak of all our projects at the end of the week with complete lessons to come. In the meantime, lemme introduce you to my favorite dot lesson to date, the String-Stitched Dot! Dude. After seeing this 4th grader's stitched design I've decided I wanna create a stitched color wheel! Doesn't this one totally remind you of that? I love his pattern. I gave the kids three design options to choose from with the freedom to play with those ideas, change 'em and make them their own. I love how this artist used symmetry and color to create a sunset-esque stitch. One of the ideas the kids could stitch was one we called "rotating squares". This was not an easy design to stitch but once you got the hang of it, it went by in a flash. None of the kids wanted to stop stitching so many of them thought of ways to enhance that design idea. I liked how Tony found a way to stitch a circle around this squares. For this lesson, we used the following: * 10" X 10" cardboard (I did a lil dumpster diving for those) * Paint and brushes (because the cardboard looked like, well, cardboard. We had to jazz it up.) * Florescent yarn (because this here art teacher is currently on an '80's kick, can ya tell?) * Tapestry needles (what big eyes you have! The better to thread you with, my dear.) * Stitching template (so we all end up with the same 16 evenly spaced lines) * Masking tape On our very first day of art, after covering all this biznatch, the kids painted their pieces of cardboard, "thickly and quickly". Meaning, since they had the option of using texture combs, they needed to make sure the paint was thick and wet as the comb can only rake the surface and create super cool textures when it is. Then I gave the kids of using florescent paint to add some splatters as, let's be honest, splatter painting is super rad. AND makes the first day of art just about the best thing everrrrr. On our second day of art, after our Word of the Week/Artist Inspiration routine, we had to prep our board for stitching. For that, I gave the kids these old coffee container lids with 16 evenly spaced notches drawn with silver Sharpie. The kids were to make sure the circle was placed 2" from the top/bottom and sides (well, hello thar, math connection!) before tracing it and drawing tick marks for the notches. Once done with that, the kids were given such dangerous art supplies as push pins and needles. With the push pins, the kids put the initial holes in their boards where the notches were drawn. Because they'd be stitching with thick tapestry needles, I then had them go back and push the needles through the board to make the notches even bigger. From there, the kids had to start plotting their design... For this, they got a worksheet. Yay, worksheets! They had to complete the directions of each design ("even if I don't want the other designs?!" YES. DO. IT. RIGHT. MEOW.) They were also given the option to come up with their own ideas, or mix and match the ones I suggested, on the right. To best explain this process, I created a lil video clip. There are several steps so I hope I'm making some sort of sense. I showed the kids the steps to stitching ALL three of these designs that way they could feel free to pick and choose/mix and match once they were on their own. And now! For a Totally Inappropriate Short Story! Gather 'round friends, this one's a gem: So, on that very first day of stitching, when I'm walking the kids through the steps, I thought it might be less confusing for them if I referred each of the 16 holes in their stitching board as a letter. This way they could remember stuff like, "I stitch from A to B, from A to C, back to A then to D", for 'zample. However, whilst in the midst of teaching, I may or may not have mistakenly said this several times (unbeknownst to my innocent babies!): "You first start at the A-hole. Then you go to the B-hole. Return to the A-hole. REMEMBER! If you are doing a radiating design, you always return to the A-hole." And I think it was the phrase always return to the A-hole that actually stopped me mid-breath and caused a rash of red to creep over my face. My mind started racing: did I just say the words A-hole to my kids, not once but several times, and neither me nor the kids noticed?! If I don't call it A-hole, what DO I call it? The "A-Spot"? What happens when we get to the letter G?! OMGeee, what am I gonna do?! And it was then that we began to refer to the notches as numbers. And all was A-hole-free in art land. WHEW. I gotta say, the kids loved this project. Especially my boys. Which I don't find that surprising as they are always the ones that love any weaving projects we do. It's that working-with-my-hands/math-mind that makes them adore these types of things. Is that sexist? Maybe. Is it true? Yes. A coupla kids found ways to incorporate their initial in the design. This one kills me ask it looks like the symbol for Anarchy...and this sweet child is the furthest thing from a punky-Anarchist. I love how this artist played with our school colors to create her design. And there you have it! A String-Stitched Dot for Dot Day! Do you think this is a project that you'd give a go in your art room? I do believe your kids would dig it. For our display, I decided to connect the boards together with a coupla paperclips. I love how they look as a group...ready for Dot Day! And what are you up to for Dot Day? I'd love to know what your kids are creating so puh-lease share, y'all!
These designs were created by using push pins to "punch" in the dotted pattern on to a 6x6 piece of poster board. Once their design is punched through, they thread a sewing needle...tape the end on the back (because it will go through the hole, even if it has a knot at the end)...and start stitching their design. They LOVE this! I take a pretty simple approach to this project. We begin with a 1/2 sheet of graph paper. The students follow along with me (I use a document camera) as I number dots from 1 - 9 on a vertical "line" and then 1-9 on a horizontal "line". (see below) Using a ruler, they follow my lead and draw lines from "dot 1" to "dot 1" .... and so forth. Worksheet #1 --- Same process as what we practiced together ---- now they try it on their own. Worksheet #2 I am working on some new worksheets for this....these are ok, but I feel like I could make some improvements. Basically, I'm trying to get the kids used to the idea of connecting lines in a specific numbered pattern. Once they start connecting them they can see the design come to life. Now we have to make the transition from pencil/paper to thread/needle. Below you will see two photos of a basic practice design. I require them to do this before they start the final string art project. These were made with tagboard. The holes were punched using the binding machine (for punching holes for a spiral bound booklet) in the library. This worked well -- I tried using a hole-punch at first, but I couldn't quite keep them even down the side. ;) Each card was numbered and yarn was attached with masking tape. Notice I also wrapped the tip of the yarn with masking tape so as to create a smooth "point" and avoid shredding. Now for the final project. I have about 15 designs for the kids to choose from . Here is a good link for lesson & design options: http://www.mathcats.com/crafts/stringart.html The designs are photocopied a set out in numbered folders. Each design is put up on the board with a number (corresponding to the folder they can get it from) and an example project. See below:
In our newest art for kids activity, we’ll be using styrofoam, toothpicks, and string to make some colorful 3-D string art! This is a fun activity for creating patterns and designs in a unique way. (And a great way to reuse packaging materials- great for Earth Day!) Follow the Buggy and Buddy on Pinterest! I’m teaming up …
These designs were created by using push pins to "punch" in the dotted pattern on to a 6x6 piece of poster board. Once their design is punched through, they thread a sewing needle...tape the end on the back (because it will go through the hole, even if it has a knot at the end)...and start stitching their design. They LOVE this! I take a pretty simple approach to this project. We begin with a 1/2 sheet of graph paper. The students follow along with me (I use a document camera) as I number dots from 1 - 9 on a vertical "line" and then 1-9 on a horizontal "line". (see below) Using a ruler, they follow my lead and draw lines from "dot 1" to "dot 1" .... and so forth. Worksheet #1 --- Same process as what we practiced together ---- now they try it on their own. Worksheet #2 I am working on some new worksheets for this....these are ok, but I feel like I could make some improvements. Basically, I'm trying to get the kids used to the idea of connecting lines in a specific numbered pattern. Once they start connecting them they can see the design come to life. Now we have to make the transition from pencil/paper to thread/needle. Below you will see two photos of a basic practice design. I require them to do this before they start the final string art project. These were made with tagboard. The holes were punched using the binding machine (for punching holes for a spiral bound booklet) in the library. This worked well -- I tried using a hole-punch at first, but I couldn't quite keep them even down the side. ;) Each card was numbered and yarn was attached with masking tape. Notice I also wrapped the tip of the yarn with masking tape so as to create a smooth "point" and avoid shredding. Now for the final project. I have about 15 designs for the kids to choose from . Here is a good link for lesson & design options: http://www.mathcats.com/crafts/stringart.html The designs are photocopied a set out in numbered folders. Each design is put up on the board with a number (corresponding to the folder they can get it from) and an example project. See below:
After a few years of having this project on my 'to teach' list, I finally got around to trying paper plate weaving with my Grade 4-6 mi...
Paper plate string art is so easy and there's so many possibilities. I'll show you everything you need (free printables included).
Every Christmas I buy my kids an activity book of some sort. This year String Art made easy for Kids was a total success.
These designs were created by using push pins to "punch" in the dotted pattern on to a 6x6 piece of poster board. Once their design is punched through, they thread a sewing needle...tape the end on the back (because it will go through the hole, even if it has a knot at the end)...and start stitching their design. They LOVE this! I take a pretty simple approach to this project. We begin with a 1/2 sheet of graph paper. The students follow along with me (I use a document camera) as I number dots from 1 - 9 on a vertical "line" and then 1-9 on a horizontal "line". (see below) Using a ruler, they follow my lead and draw lines from "dot 1" to "dot 1" .... and so forth. Worksheet #1 --- Same process as what we practiced together ---- now they try it on their own. Worksheet #2 I am working on some new worksheets for this....these are ok, but I feel like I could make some improvements. Basically, I'm trying to get the kids used to the idea of connecting lines in a specific numbered pattern. Once they start connecting them they can see the design come to life. Now we have to make the transition from pencil/paper to thread/needle. Below you will see two photos of a basic practice design. I require them to do this before they start the final string art project. These were made with tagboard. The holes were punched using the binding machine (for punching holes for a spiral bound booklet) in the library. This worked well -- I tried using a hole-punch at first, but I couldn't quite keep them even down the side. ;) Each card was numbered and yarn was attached with masking tape. Notice I also wrapped the tip of the yarn with masking tape so as to create a smooth "point" and avoid shredding. Now for the final project. I have about 15 designs for the kids to choose from . Here is a good link for lesson & design options: http://www.mathcats.com/crafts/stringart.html The designs are photocopied a set out in numbered folders. Each design is put up on the board with a number (corresponding to the folder they can get it from) and an example project. See below:
How to weave a 8 sides Mandala brooch using toothpicks? This is a easy and fun project .Take this idea further and you can make pendants, earrings and
My students love weaving, boys, girls, they ALL love it! I highly recommend weaving a pouch with 4th grade and up... That is, if you ha...
These Sunset Weavings are a result of my Canada 150 focus and trying to find new ways to expand my circular weaving options for m...
Woven pouches created by fourth grade artists. You can see more of their masterpieces at our school-wide art show here and here. Since I shared with you photos from our art show, I've had several questions about the woven pouches that were featured. Because this project is so easy and fun, I thought I'd share it now that the kids are out of school and getting a little...well...restless. It's the perfect summer what-can-we-do-now-? craft. In the art room, this project has become a rite of passage for my fourth grade students but can easily be created by kids as young as second grade. Because this craft involves multiple steps, I've divided it up into four posts: Weaving Part 1: Getting Started; Part 2: Weaving the Flap; Part 3: Removing the Weaving and Finishing; Part 4: Weaving a Cord Please, fellow art teachers and parents, leave comments below on how you teach this lesson differently. And, of course, questions if you got 'em. Have fun! Supplies: Scissors Tape a loom. I purchase ours through Sax but you can create your own with thick cardboard. Thin cotton string. This was bought for a couple bucks at Walmart but in a pinch, you could use yarn. Big-eyed needles. Again, Walmart would carry these in their craft department. Preparing your loom: These looms that I purchase through Sax have notches in them that are too far apart. When you weave with them like this, it creates a pouch that is a little too loosely woven, in my opinion. So I have the kids cut the part that sticks up (we call them "teeth") in half. It's a struggle because the cardboard is thick and there is some moaning and groaning but they can do it. If you are creating your own loom from cardboard, you will want to space your notches about 1/4" apart. I'm not really into exact measurements, so I say just eyeball it. However, make sure that you have the same number of notches on the top as the bottom. Warping your loom: Warping your loom is the process in which you are putting the string on your loom that you will weave over and under. To do this, start at one corner of your loom and tape your warping string into place. I have the kids put the tape at the bottom of the notches. This will prevent the kids from accidentally weaving over or under this small string. Now begin wrapping the warp string all the way around the loom. For example, from the taped end, go down to the bottom cut notch, wrap string around the back and up to the top notch and then go to the bottom again. You should have strings on both sides of your loom, making certain not to skip any of the pre-cut or notches-you-cut. While you are warping, keep the string attached to the cone. I do not allow the kids to cut the string from the cone unless I have checked their loom. If they have skipped a notch, this allows them to go back and fix it without wasting any warping string. Once you've checked the loom and are certain no notches were skipped, cut the string and tape it down. Again, tape as close to the notches as possible. Use your creepy bending finger (shown above) to scoot those other warp stings over to tape the string underneath. Weaving: The process of weaving is that of going over and under the warp strings in an A-B pattern. The string you weave with is called the weft. No long needle like this one? Tape your string to the end of a pencil or skewer stick. Pull yarn through until you have left behind a 1" tail. Turn the loom over and weave over and under on the back. Once finished with that side, turn loom over to the original side. Now, this time, weave the opposite of the previous string. For example, in the photo above, I wove over and under because the string underneath was under and over. You know you are weaving correctly when you see something like this. Looks a little like the netting of a tennis racket. But it's too loose. Do you see all of those white warp strings through your weaving? Well, you don't want to. Use a fork to pack down your weaving until those warp strings disappear and all you see are the weft strings. Adding a new weft: Okay, this one is debatable. Technically, you are not to tie two stings together but overlap the strings to add another. Or something. But at this point, if I throw one more piece of info at the kids, they are likely to have an aneurysm. So, we simply double knot tie a new string to the old, snip the "tails" and keep on weaving. Incorrect weaving: How do you know if you are weaving incorrectly? Well, you'll see a lot of vertical warp strings, like you see in the yellow portion of my weaving above. This happens when you are not weaving the opposite of the previous string, but weaving the same over and over again. If you see this, you have to take it out and redo. Weaving away... I tell the kids that their weaving must be somewhere in between 4-7" tall. This allows room at the top of the loom for weaving the flap and tying off the weaving. This should keep those kiddos all tied up (heehee, tempting, right?) until next week. I plan to take mine on an upcoming trip to keep me occupied. Remember, you are weaving on both sides of the loom, front and back. Ya hear? So stay tuned! Next week, we'll learn how to weave that flap. Again, feel free to leave any questions or comments and happy weaving!
