029 Weaving 101

No, it's not your imagination... teaching weaving to kids is REALLY hard. This podcast will help you break down the process of weaving for different age groups. Teaching children the 'secret' to weaving helps emphasize an important step so weaving becomes fun instead of frustrating.

Transcript

WEAVING 101

Teaching kids how to weave is really HARD. The first time I introduced weaving to a class, I was puzzled at how it seemed so complicated for them. 

There is something about the weaving process... maybe because it involves two-steps where the second step is opposite the first...  or, maybe it’s because weaving is so new and unlike anything they’ve ever seen before. 

I remember learning to crochet and also learning to dance for the first time, how impossible it seemed. But, once the process had been slowed down, broken up into small steps, and repeated a few times, I was able to do it, and it wasn’t long before it became second nature. What first looked impossible I can now do in my sleep.

In my years of teaching weaving to kids, I’ve figured out a few ways to teach it successfully to different age groups in a way that helps them to see it, understand it, and do it.

Once upon a time, I saw an adorable, tiny little weaving on pinterest that I wanted to do with my students. The weaving was done on a small piece of cardboard about half the size of playing card. It was displayed on a miniature easel made from a clothes pin. It was so cute! Since it was tiny I made the mistake of thinking it was easy and presented it to my group of second graders. Thank goodness that year my second grade class was very small... maybe nine or ten kids instead of 20. When they ALL began to struggle with the process I was able to go to each child, individually, and give them one-on-one instruction. That was a huge lesson for me. So... here is tip number one:

Take the lesson you think is appropriate for an age group and teach that lesson to kids a few years older. Things will go so much more smoothly if you underestimate the ability of the age group the weaving lesson is meant for. 

Tip number two: Slow Wwwwaaaayyy down. I have a binder that I keep all of my art lesson instructions in. Every time I do a lesson it will have been an entire year since the last time I did that particular project. 
 I make notes on how things went, what went wrong and ideas for improving the project for next time. Occasionally I will make a note to myself that says, “Slow Down”, to remind myself for the next year that kids had trouble following along. I will take the project and break it down into simpler steps, and even create samples of of each stage so the kids can see and really understand the process. Seeing a project as it is being done makes it seem possible. 

My ‘Slow Down’ note also reminds me to have the entire class do the project together, one step at a time. The class will do a small step together and before proceeding to the next step, I will go around the class to make sure everyone is with me.

Tip number three is to teach what I call, the ‘secret’ to weaving. 

The secret does not apply to weaving in a circle. Circular weaving is much easier than weaving in rows since the process doesn’t change. It’s only over, under, over, under... repeated until done.

It’s weaving in horizontal or vertical rows where the process changes from one step to two steps.... where the second step is opposite the first.

Start students off by instructing them to take their weaving needle or yarn tied to a popsicle stick and go over the first string, then under the next, repeating this all the way to the end of the row. 

Once everyone reaches the end of their row, tell them to put their yarn down so you have their full attention. Ask them how they started their row? Remember... we started by going over the first string, then under the next. 

Now we are at the end of the row. Our needle will make a 
 u-turn to weave back across the row to reach the beginning... but here’s the secret to weaving: The second row must begin in the opposite way the first row started. 

So, if we started the first row by first going over, and then under, we will go back doing the opposite. What is the opposite of over, under? It’s UNDER, over. After telling them the secret to weaving, call on a student and ask them, what is the secret to weaving? If the first row started with over... the second will start with... Let them answer and if they can’t, answer for them. The opposite of over is UNDER.

Then call on other students until the secret has been repeated out loud several times so everyone gets it. Emphasize that the needle is making a U-turn to weave its way back to where they started. Draw this on the board so they don’t pull the yarn across their weaving to start the second row where they started the first. It’s always weaving to the right, then weaving your way back to the left, then weaving to the right...and so on.

If you would like to demonstrate weaving further, talk about how all fabric is woven thread.... even the clothes they are wearing. If you have a woven blanket or loosely woven fabric like burlap bring it in so kids can took a close look at the weaving. Each row is opposite the one above and below it. Interlace your fingers together and show them That’s how woven fabric locks together.

You can even make an enlarged loom out of a picture frame or a box lid to demonstrate on a larger scale. I bought a table-top loom for the class room, made for very young children. It came with a giant, wooden needle for the kids to practice on and play with.

My next few podcasts are a variety of weaving lessons for several age groups. Each project begins with the tips from this podcast. I really hope these ideas help you teach weaving it successfully and without frustration.