A small weaving is a friendly place to begin. You can see the structure taking shape in a single sitting, and there is no large frame to store afterward. Cotton yarn makes a useful starting point for a decorative coaster.
Images are styled inspiration, not step-by-step documentation. Your finished piece may look different.
ONE STEP AT A TIME
Let’s make it.
Make a cardboard loom
Mark a 4-inch-wide area along the top and bottom of your cardboard. Add evenly spaced marks about 1/4 inch apart. Cut short, shallow notches at those marks, keeping the top and bottom notches aligned.
Add the vertical threads
Tape the end of the yarn to the back. Bring it through a top notch, down to the matching bottom notch, and around the back to the next position. Continue until the marked area is threaded. Keep the tension even without bending the cardboard.
Weave the first rows
Thread the blunt needle with a manageable length of yarn. Pass over one vertical thread and under the next. On the return row, reverse the pattern. Leave a small curve in each row before gently pushing it down so the edges do not pull inward.
Change the color
Leave a short tail on the back when you finish a color. Begin the next color at the same side and continue the alternating pattern. Make stripes as wide or as narrow as you like, checking the edges every few rows.
Finish the edges
When the woven area is close to square, cut the vertical threads on the back of the loom. Remove the weaving and knot neighboring thread pairs close to the edge. Weave loose color tails through the back with the needle and trim carefully.
A LITTLE HELPFUL KNOW-HOW
If the sides narrow, ease the next rows rather than pulling them tight. Gentle, consistent tension matters more than speed.
Enjoy it. Take care of it.
Use beneath ordinary drinking glasses only after checking the finished weave is stable. This is not a heat-resistant trivet. Spot clean and dry flat.
