Kids Craft: Paper Weaving

After reading Abuela's Weave, I was inspired to show Ana the simplest weaving project I could think of (gleaned from various web-inspired projects, of course): Paper Weaving.

Fortunately, Ana has done some hand-sewing, including needle-threading, and has also seen Nana's Spinning Wheel up close to spin wool to yarn; she has also seen the loom at work first-hand at Barefoot Weaving last Spring. So, there was some idea of how a fabric takes shape from threads.

When I suggested we make our own small "fabric" - a small patchwork-style piece with paper - which involves weaving paper strips, she simply trusted me and agreed to give it a try.

Items Used: black card stock paper, colorful printed paper either from magazines or scrapbook accessories, glue, paper cutter, scissors

1. Making the "weft" - i.e., the up-and-down or over-and-under lines in weaving, was easy enough: cut strips of colorful paper with a small paper-cutter, or scissors with guide-lines drawn on the paper
2. Making the "warp" - i.e., the parallel lines in weaving: Cut about 1½ cm wide parallel slits in a piece of black card stock paper with scissors
3. Now that the warp and weft pieces are ready, start at one edge and weave in and out of the slits with the strips of colored paper. And alternate starting over and under to create the weave

I did help push the weft-strips close to each other to get a tight weave. Then, she glued the free ends of the strips to the backing black paper. I trimmed the excess, added the loops and the 'dowel' twig on top for hanging. Voilà!

Then, she took me by surprise by deciding to just glue the remaining strips of paper on to a backing by going over and under independently.

However, when she noted, "Amma, I don't have enough strips to make it tight", I guess the seeds were sown.