Paper Woven Cards

My second activity I provided at FestivALL in Charleston, WV this past June was weaving with paper. This was the shorter and simpler project to choose from for the children. They could do both if they wanted.

I cut slits in blank cards to weave narrow pieces of handmade paper through. The paper we wove with was hand-made and a very wide variety of colors. Loads of glitter were on a lot of the pages too. Extra sparkle is always hard to pass over!

Here are some fun photos from the those two hot days in June!

Getting started, over and under!

Couldn't have done this all without Mom and Stephanie!

A parent assisting their child

What a fun time we had!

Treasure Pouches woven by kids!

FestivALL in Charleston, WV was so much fun this past June. I had the pleasure of teaching weaving to children on cardboard looms I had made for them. 

What is GREAT is that some of the kids I taught have sent in photos. I also included other photos to show you what we did those fun days in late June.

In two days in I introduced approximately 120 children to weaving. That's a lot! I am so happy I was a part of FestivALL. It was a great experience and I would completely do it all over again!  Enjoy!

Completed Treasure Pouches! 

Made by Xander, 5-years-old, Charleston, WV

Made by Emma M., WV

Another made by Emma M., WV

Made by Maggie, 4-years-old, Lexington, KY

 

Here's some photos from two days of fun!

Setting up for the crowds!

My Mom measuring out some of the yarn.

Starting at the bottom of the loom and going around, up and over...

Here I am working with the kids and parents.

Kid working hard with their parents assisting.

Close up of a child weaving on the cardboard loom.

Working on the flap for the pouch! Very close to done.

A child working on the flap for the pouch. Almost done!

Ready to slip off the loom!

One of the kids stayed pretty much all day and here's what she did! 

Almost done! 

Completely finished. She had the biggest smile!

Woven Cards for the Kids of FestivALL!

I am happy to have finally made an example of this woven card to show you. It's a great example of what the woven cards that kids of any age will be creating by hand at FestivALL! I am really excited to be working with the kids and this is a free activity in the Children's "Make and Take" tents. I will be demonstrating on Saturday the 26th of June from 10-6 and then on Sunday the 27th of June from 11-5 in Charleston, WV in front of the library downtown.

I start from a simple card that comes with an envelope. I then cut 1/2" inch slits horizontally in the card so you can weave paper vertically though them. I have cut the papers down to 1/2" strips. Here is the basic example:

I am also cutting a frame to go around the woven area. Or I may just cut paper so kids can glue stick four different papers around as a frame. Might be easier over all to just plan on the latter.

To also give it a nice finish there will be a blank sheet we place on the inside of the card to hide the woven paper from the inside.  Here is just a small example of the papers from which the kids get to choose.:

A lot of the papers are hand-made and have glitter, too. It's a fun and quick project that I hope just let's kids play with paper and learn to simply weave. You can use it as a thank you card, birthday card, etc.

Hope to see you there and can't wait to be in the tents!

An invitation to FestivALL's Children's Make and Take booths!

I am so very excited and honored. I was invited to teach in the "Make and Take" Children's booth for FestivALL.  The main word in that second sentence is "invited." There will be eight artists sharing with children their art.  What a GREAT way to get an art form out there to the public. I doubt that many children understand what weaving is or even what it takes to weave jeans that they wear all the time. So, educating the kids might lead to the love of weaving. You just never know and I am happy to be there to teach them.

I am now preparing 300 card board looms for the children ages 5 and above to weave their very own coin or treasure pouch! :) I am also creating paper greeting cards that children of any age will be weaving with paper. That way if they are not interested in the pouch or purse then they can still get some exposure to the art by the way of paper weaving.  It's nice to have a choice.

So, to make these looms I am cutting down old boxes and such that I have gathered.  Then scoring and folding in half, cutting notches every 1/4 inch to then put a warp on (that's the string that is on the cardboard loom above in the picture.)  This example in the picture is a little bigger than the ones I am making for FestivALL.

The weaving actually starts where the folded part is at the bottom of the loom. Then you go around the loom until you get to the top of the short folded section. You could weave a solid color, a stripe or any combo you can come up with. With a tapestry needle and your favorite yarn you can create any look you like.

This is one I am currently working on with some hand-spun, hand-dyed yarn I created a long while ago! It's very relaxing to go over and under the threads watching your weaving grow. And it's also a very quick project that a lot of kids find they enjoy.

When you can no longer go around the loom anymore, then you just go back and forth on the warp that is on the back of the loom until you get to the very top of the loom. This creates the flap that folds over the pouch.

What a fun way to learn to weave and even upcycle a bit with that cardboard you are getting ready to recycle anyway. This is a FREE event! The children are welcome to sit as long as they like with a parent assisting them at the booth creating this.  They will also get to take the loom home with them and all the yarn they need to finish up the project with instructions. If they like they can restring it at home and create another. The looms usually last for two or three projects.

Some may like to incorporate a button and loop for the pouch to have it close and stay closed. You can do this or leave it as is. You can use a blanket stitch around it and create a long loop for a handle to wear it around your neck also. Whatever you do with your design it is yours to play with.

Here is an example of one I made my daughter. She uses it each day to hold her special treasure she finds outside as she plays.

So I better get back to work on creating these for the children of FestivALL. I will be there on Saturday the 26th from 10am-6pm and Sunday the 27th from 11am-5pm. Come by the booth and visit with me and enjoy one of the projects I will be helping with! I would love to see you or even introduce you to something I love!