Here we go!
Below, you'll find everything you need to learn how to make a beautiful wall hanging... from start to finish! I've included text and tips, alongside step-by-step videos. This hobby helps to calm my anxious mind and has given me so much pride in learning something new. I hope it brings you joy too! Please reach out if you have any questions along the way.
Table of contents:
- Tools and weaving vocabulary
- How to warp a lap loom
- How to start your weaving
- Quick tips to prep for Rya knots
- How to make Rya knots (fringe)
- Plain weave
- Finding ideas and inspiration for your weaving on Pinterest
- Weaving with roving
- Weaving with a variety of textures
- Finishing the back of your weaving
- Taking it off the loom
- Attaching a dowel and hanging your weaving on the wall
1. Tools and weaving vocab
2. How to warp a lap loom
I love this simple and portable lap loom. When you “warp your loom” or add the string to it, that’s what will hold it together for you. Pop it in your little cute loom bag when not using it! This loom is from a company called “Beka Inc.” which is a family-owned woodshop and local to me in St. Paul, MN!
First, you need to “warp your loom” or create the underlying foundation for your weaving. The warp string you use should ideally be cotton, or a type of string that isn’t stretchy or slippery.
Here's a quick 60 second summary of warping a lap loom, so you can know what you're getting into! Then below that, I have a longer and slower YouTube video explaining step by step!
3. How to start your weaving
(Adding cardstock/cardboard, twining stitch and plain or “tabby” weave)
It’s nice to add a piece of cardboard or cardstock to the bottom of your piece. This creates something to push your yarn down on so that your piece ends up being level and uniform. You can “plain weave” the cardboard/cardstock into your warp strings then push it all the way to the bottom. Basically, take the cardstock and weave it under one warp string, then over the next, over, under and so forth.
This helps you to make sure you keep some space at the bottom of your warp strings so you have room to tie them off when you take your piece off the loom (more about that later!).
Next comes the twining stitch. This stitch is a great stitch to complete first thing, at the bottom of your piece. It helps to hold the warp strings in their place.
Now, these first few rows will not be seen because your fringe will be hanging over them. So, don’t use your favorite or most expensive yarn here! Do use a yarn that will be similar to the color of your rya knots/fringe (just in case a little bit peeks through). Scroll up to the vocab section if you have no idea what I mean by "rya knots!"
4. Quick tips to prep for Rya knots (fringe)
Rya knots are the "fringe" that hangs down from your weaving. Here's a little intro into rya knots...
Here's a quick tip (that I only recently learned!) that really speed up the process of prepping yarn to make your rya knots.
5. Rya Knots
How to create the string/fringe that hangs down off the bottom of your weaving :) A reminder, that I always like to cut my yarn so that my rya knots are longer than I think I will need, just in case. Then, when you’re done with your project, you can give them a “hair cut” to make them all even.
6. Plain Weave
This is the most basic weaving stitch (also called "tabby" weave). Think "over under over under." Once you master this very easy basic stitch you can easily create a wall hanging and add in new stiches as you go! I mostly did this basic weaving stitch for the first few wall hangings I created. Then, moving forward, I had a goal to learn at least one new stitch with each new project I did!
You can use your metal weaving needle (what I prefer) or your wood shuttle to speed up this process. Leave long loose ends behind your weaving (this will make sense when you watch the video). You will clean up the loose ends on the back of your weaving when you’re done!
Tip: When you finish weaving a row across your loom, you will be tempted to pull it tight. Do not do this. If you always pull your rows, it will cause your overall weaving to have a hourglass shape. Instead of pulling across, you should weave fairly loosely and create a "bubble" or arch before pushing that row down. You can use a wide toothed comb for this if you’d like!
6. Finding ideas and inspiration for your weaving!
I love to find inspiration on Pinterest. There are a ton of weavings on there. I love to pull inspirations from the colors in a certain piece, the pattern in another piece and mix and match techniques from a variety of pictures I find!
Check out my Pinterest folder that has all my pinned weaving inspo HERE!
You can follow my pinterest account (weaving, vegetarian recipes and hobby ideas!) HERE!
7. Weaving with Roving
The chunky stuff in your weaving! You will feel like a real weaver when you know what roving is. Pay attention in the video to how to pull apart and separate roving. You do not want to cut it.
8. Weaving with a variety of textures
Weaving the body of your piece!
9. Preparing to finish your piece
Leave about 3 inches of warp string free at the top of your piece! This will be needed for taking off the loom and attaching your piece to your dowel. I recommend ending with a twinning stich as your last stich before taking your piece off the loom. This keeps your piece from moving much on w you take it off the loom.
**You can watch a refresher on how to weave a twinning stich in the video above (#2 titled: How to start your weaving).
What’s to come: cleaning up the back, taking off the loom, knitting the bottom, attaching to a dowel and hanging a string from the dowel. That’s it! You're in the home stretch!
10. Finishing the back of your weaving
How to clean up all those loose hanging ends on the back of your weaving… it’s not totally necessary but helps your weaving to lie more flat and if youve worked really hard on your piece it’s nice to really finish it off.
It is helpful to use your weaving needle for this step and have a pair is scissors.
Basically, you want to weave your roving and yarn back into your piece in a way that the ends are secured and in such a way that you can’t see them from the front.
I like to get the bulky roving out of the way first.
You can tuck whatever fiber or yarn into warp stings similar to the plain weaving you learned, or tick them into the weft going vertically.
If you pull too tight it could create and gap or hole on the front.
11. Taking off the loom
You can simply slip the warp strings off your loom. There are many ways to attach your tip loops to a dowel, but, at the bottom, it’s best just to tie overhead knots. The ends that hang from the bottom will be behind the Rya knots/fringe, so you can leave them or sew them back into your weaving for a more finished look.
12. Attaching to a dowel
It’s personal preference how big you want your dowel to be… or if you even want it to be a dowel. It could be a stick! I've also done a weaving hanging from an antler!
I usually like mine to be a little longer than the width of my weaving… maybe leaving an inch on either side.
13. Hanging your weaving on the wall & trimming the fringe!
Ok… so your weaving is attached to your dowel… now you just want to hang it. Yay!
I usually use my same warp string to hang my piece but guy can use anything! Wrap your string around the end of the dowel 2-3 times then double knot it. Decide how short or long you want the string to be that you hand your piece from. Then, wrap the string around the other end of the dowel 2-3 times and double knot. Trim the tails on either end and voila!
You did it!
If you've gotten this far, you've finished your very first woven wall hanging. If you're anything like me, you loved it and your brain is swirling with ideas for your next project! I hope this project calmed your mind by busying your hands. I hope it felt like high quality down time and that you're proud of yourself for learning something new.
I'd love to connect. It makes my heart burst with happiness when people send me pictures of their finished products, talk about how it went or even give me feedback (the harsher the better!). Thank you for being here!
If you're excited to start your next weaving project, shop fiber bundles (just the yarn/fiber!) HERE! Feel free to send me a message if you're interested in buying a bigger loom as well!
Please reach out via email (jenna@theanxioushobbyist.com) or message me on Instagram @theanxioushobbyist).