Southwestern vibes are all the rage these days as is made evident by everything from fashion to home decor to children’s gear. We are especially big fans of the style here at Pacific Play Tents and our Santa Fe Giant Teepee is still one of our favorite products to date! The earthen colors, the geometric designs, the call to nature…what’s not to love?
One of the best aspects to emerge from the Southwestern trend is all of the DIY ideas! From the pottery to the tapestries, there is endless creative inspiration to be gleaned.
Weavings are arguably one of the easiest Southwestern-inspired projects to try. While they are traditionally made on a wooden loom, weavings can also be done on a sheet of cardboard, making it a convenient and cost-effective summer project for kiddos as young as four years old!
SUPPLIES:
- Cardboard
- Scissors
- Yarn in various colors
- Large quilting needle or weaving sticks
- Long, sturdy stick
- Begin by making small cuts along the top and bottom of a small sheet of cardboard (our board was approximately 8 x 12″ and had 13 cuts). Try to line up the top and bottom cuts.
2. Next, thread a long strand of yarn up and down the board, starting on the left side and finishing on the right side. Secure the strands in place with a double knot on the back of the board. This is what is referred to as the “warp.”
3. Once the warp is in place, the weaving can begin! Thread a long strand of yarn through the needle and tie it to the left hand strand of the warp. From there, direct the yarn over and under the warp repeatedly and continue until you run out of yarn. This is what is referred to as the “weft.”
(The “over, under, over, under” repetition is excellent for building fine motor skills and working on patterns!)
4. Alternate yarn colors by simply tying off the previous yarn and starting a new strand. Continue until you are halfway to three-quarters of the way down the cardboard loom.
5. Once you’ve reached a good stopping point, flip the cardboard over and cut horizontally through all of the strands of yarn. Flip the board back over to the weaving.
6. Tie off the bottom of the weaving by knotting two strands together until you reach the end. Tie off the top of the weaving by threading a stick horizontally through uppermost strands and tie off just as you did on the bottom.
7. Trim off any extra yarn from the warp and create a hanger by tying a strand of yarn to each side of the stick.
8. Finally, hang your handiwork from the top of your Santa Fe Giant Teepee and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
What’s your favorite Southwestern-inspired trend?