EASY CHILD CRAFT PROJECT

This easy child craft project uses simple materials to learn to weave. It's not just for kids. Adults can benefit from weaving with a cardboard loom. If you spin your own alpaca yarn, this is a great way to see if you like weaving before you buy an expensive loom.

You can make placemats and mug rugs with cardboard looms. If you can find large enough cardboard, you can make a table runner.

We used this craft with a group of homeschoolers and they enjoyed making the mug rugs to give to Mom and Dad.

Project for Kids

Materials:

Yarn
Cardboard
Scissors
Knitting needle or wooden dowel
Tape

Instructions:

1. Take a flat piece of cardboard and make marks at 1/4 inch intervals along the top and bottom edges to start this child craft project.

2. Cut 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slits at each of the marks.

weaving child craft project

3. Secure one end of the yarn onto the back of the cardboard with a piece of tape.

4. Begin warping ( the lengthwise yarns of your woven project) the loom.

5. Wrap the yarn around the cardboard making sure you place yarn in each slit. Wrap until all the slits have yarn and secure the other end onto the cardboard with a piece of tape.

cardboard weaving

6. Begin weaving with a string to stabilize the weaving. This helps align the warp yarn. Weave three rows with the string then start with the yarn.

7. You can use a knitting needle or small dowel to pick up every other warp yarn. Pull the weft (widthwise) yarn through. Lift up the alternate warp yarn in the next row and pull the weft yarn back through.

start weaving

8. When pulling the weft yarn through, you need to arc the yarn to keep it from causing the edges to pull inward.

weaving arc

9. Push the yarn into place with a fork. Continue weaving like this until your child craft project is the length you want the finished item to be. If you wish to change colors, tie the new color to the old color and push the knot into the back of the weaving so it doesn't show.

weaving colors

10. When the piece is finished, cut the yarns on the back of the cardboard loom in the center.

11. Tie up two of the yarns on one end close to the weaving to make a fringe. Keep knotting two yarns together until that end is finished and then do the same on the other end.

This child craft project is simple and will give them something fun to make with alpaca yarn.

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