Tapestry Weaving for Tweens

Time needed: 1 hour.

Supplies Needed:
4 small sticks
Superglue
Yarn in various colors and textures

Tools:
Tapestry Needle

Create a beautiful woven tapestry for your wall with just a few sticks and some yarn. Add pom poms or other decorations for added texture and design fun!

1. Create your own weaving loom

   Select four small sticks. Either 4 of the same size to form a square or or 2 each of matching sizes to form a rectangle and place them together with one inch sticking out on the sides of your homemade loom.
   
   Use super glue on the corners of the weaving loom where the sticks overlap.

2. Create the base layer of your DIY loom

   Choose your base yarn and tie a knot on one corner.
   
   Pull the yarn up to the opposite side and wrap the yarn around the stick 2 or 3 times to secure it.

3. Complete the base of your loom

   Continue wrapping the yarn from side to side on your loom until the loom is filled. Once the loom is filled, tie a knot around the final stick to hold the yarn in place. Then trim the end of the yarn.

4. Start Weaving

   Choose a yarn and prepare a tapestry needle with it (there are plastic needles available if you are worried about a child poking herself with a traditional tapestry needle). Keeping an inch of the open end of the yarn at the back side, simply pull the needle over and under the base strands.
   
   After the weaving reaches the side of the base, start to weave over and under backwards.  Bring the needle back to its initial side. Weave as many layers of over and under weaving as you want.

5. Create a braided look

   Prepare double yarn strands with a tapestry needle. Draw the needle from the back side to the front of the warp, keeping about an inch of the strands at the back side. Pass the next 1 warp string from the left and draw the needle through the second string from right to left.

6. Continue the braided look

   Continue to weave by following the previous instructions (skipping every next string and drawing the needle through the second next from right to left. This is called Soumak technique.
   
   Continue the Soumak weaving until reaching the other side.
   
   After reaching the other side; for the next row, continue the same technique but from opposite direction. This will form a braid pattern.
   
   After completing the Soumak weaving, draw the remaining strands to the back side of the frame and tie a knot before cutting the extra yarn strands. Select different colored yarn and continue with the weaving. 

7. Continue Weaving

   Mix and match different colored yarns to complete the tapestry weaving.

8. Create Your Tassels

   Prepare a bunch of yarn strands for the tassel. We used 2 yarn strands (6 inches long) for each tassel. Insert both strands into a tapestry needle. 
   
   We started to add the tassels from the left side. Draw the needle under the first string from the left.
   
   Draw the strands halfway through and then stop. Now hold the strands and draw them under 2nd string from the right. 
   
   Pull the open ends of the strands all the way through; which will form a loop with the base strand and secure the tassel.

9. Finish Your Tassels

   Similarly, attach the rest of the tassels on the bottom side of the tapestry weaving frame. 
   
   Add some felt flowers or pompoms to decorate the woven piece.

10. Prepare Your Tapestry for Display

    Simply attach a hanging mechanism on the back side and hang it on a wall! No need to remove the tapestry from the stick loom.