These mats have been on my list to make for a while. There is something quite therapeutic about weaving. And these mats are no different. You can choose the size and colour of your mats, and will more than likely have the supplies kicking around the house already. They will make great gifts as a set of coasters or placemats.
You will need:
- Scissors
- Some thick card (I used some corrugated card from an old box)
- String
- Yarn in various colours
- A plastic or darning needle (not essential, but it will make it A LOT easier)
- Pva glue for finishing (optional)
Set up your cardboard loom
Firstly, cut your corrugated card to be a little bigger than you would like your finished mat to be. I cut my cardboard to be @@cm by about @@cm, but the size of your mat is completely up to you. I would recommend you start with a small mat and work up to a larger size.
Cut small notches on opposite sides of your card. Make sure you have an even number on each side, and that each side more or less lines up. Cut lengths of string twice as long as your card. I cut mine a little short in this example. It made tying the string at the end a little more tricky. Cut as many lengths as you have pairs of notches.
Tie the lengths of string together in pairs. The knot needs to be near one end. Insert one string into each notch, with the knot at back of the card. The other end of the string should be untied, and inserted into the notch on the opposite side of your card. You have now set up your cardboard loom.
Start weaving
Choose your first colour and cut a length that is a metre or so long. Thread your needle and tie the other end of your yarn to one of the strings on the edge. of your new cardboard loom. Using your needle, weave your yarn over and under the strings in turn. Work your way backwards and forwards across the strings, repeating the over and under technique.
Gently push your weaving up to the previous row. You shouldn’t see any of the string between your woven rows. It may take a few rows to get this pattern established.
Using lengths of a metre or so will reduce the amount of knots you will need to sort out. The strings are also fairly close together. Pushing large bundles of yarn between the strings simply wont work.
Changing colour
Cut a length of yarn in your new colour. Knot it to the end of the old colour. Keep weaving! It’s as simple as that.
Don’t pull it tight!
It is very easy to pull the edges of your weaving too tight. Try gently pushing your weaving up to the previous row before you pull the yarn completely through. When your weaving is pushed up to the previous row, slowly pull the yarn through to close the loop at the edge.
Finishing your mat
When you are happy with the length of your mat, finish off the yarn by tying it to one of the strings on the edge of your loom.
Thread your needle along the string a few rows to hide the end. Trim the excess yarn.
Carefully pull out two strings at a time from the base of your loom. Tie them in pairs together close to your weaving. Trim the ends of the string to neaten them. If you prefer, you can add a small drop of pva glue to each knot to prevent them from coming undone.
Variations
You can make these mats whichever sizes you’d like. The choice of yarn colours are endless. Different yarn textures and weights will produce different results. What will your mat look like? Include your photos in the comments below.