Moving right along with MAKE&GIVE30 project number 4!
I knew if I wanted to get through my yarn a giant weaving was in order. Weavings are perfect for scrap yarn because even if you have just a few yards of something you can make it work as a small accent. I'll warn you though, something this huge (about 2.5×4 feet) takes a lot of yarn.
My (very simple) method for making a loom is to use the back of a canvas. I have a few 3×4 feet canvases and I just staple gun my warp (the yarn that runs top to bottom) into place. This works, for sure, but it's not an ideal method because it's a big hassle to remove the staples and save your loops. (which is a process I skipped this time…I'll explain what I mean at the end.)
I used thin yarn (some white worsted weight and then some very thin Madeline Tosh sock yarn) to create my warp. This is done by just going back and forth and stapling each loop as you go. You're basically creating columns here.
My next step was to loosely create my pattern. I knew I wanted something organic looking – NOT straight lines or triangle shapes – and so I sort of just freehand wove ovals.
Which later, as Instagram pointed out, ended up looking very much like female parts. I sort of love that.
I wove all five of my shapes first and then filled them in. Weaving is just back and forth, over and under, back and forth. That's it. I like working with organic shapes because you can't mess it up. It's not like you're shooting for a perfect circle or a perfect diamond…you're just filling the space. That's the only goal. It's so therapeutic.
I don't use any special tools, just scissors and a plastic tapestry needle (like this). I find that the whole process is really flexible. If you hate what you're doing, you pull it out. If you think a shape needs to be moved, you move it. Adjust and step-back. Adjust and step-back.
After my shapes were made, I filled in the extra space with white yarn. This part is totally mindless since the only goal is to finish.
Once the bulk of the weaving was completed, I tucked in all the extra tails of yarn that were hanging off the sides (this was done just by weaving them back into the main piece).
I also added "tassles" to the bottom which was simple enough. I cut lengths of white yarn, folded them in half and tucked them behind two strings of warp.
Then I pulled the yarn through on itself…
…and pulled it tight. Because I didn't make it to the very bottom of my loom, I ended up weaving the warp back on itself – sort of difficult to explain, but hopefully this photo below helps…
see those little "tails" of thin yarn near my fingers? That's where I wove the warp (which I cut right off the staples) back up onto itself. This is NOT the ideal way to do this, but it holds and looks good enough. So much of my projects are about "good enough."
For the top I did the same thing. I wanted the main hanging yarn to be thicker than my warp and so I cut the warp and wove it back through the piece. Then I took thick yarn and looped it through the weaving to create loops to hang it on. Again…not ideal, but functional.
You can see that the whole thing is a little wavy. I am not positive, but my guess would be that this is because my warp was pulled a little too tightly. It looked great on the loom but when it came off it "relaxed" and bunched up a bit. Not a big deal, sort of adds to the "organic" look, but this would be something to consider if a perfectly straight hang was important to you.
WHEW. That's a lot of words about a yarn project. What do you think? Want to make one? Or…do you want to just WIN this one?!
Leave a comment below telling me where you'd hang this in your home and you'll be entered to win. I'll ship to anyone, anywhere, but please note: you will have to supply your own wooden dowel to hang. I will be sending the random winner ONLY the weaving. Winner will be announced Monday around noon PST.
Winner is #150, HEATHER who said : I'd love to hang this in my entryway so that EVERYONE would see it! i've been following this project and just love, love, love the way it's come together. job well done and thanks for the opportunity to make it mine! xx
Please email me Heather! 🙂 e
See more MAKE&GIVE30 projects here and more yarn projects here!
enJOY it 
375 responses to “PROJECT 4/30 : GIANT WEAVING”
I absolutely love how this turned out! And it doesn’t bother me at all that it looks like lady parts…that just makes me laugh so much. I would hang this in our bedroom. It matches the color scheme of our rug and other wall hangings perfectly. I just love it!!
LikeLike
My living room! This is gorgeous!
LikeLike
Gorgeous, Elise! I would hang it above my bed in my tiny studio!
LikeLike
Our house is (really) colorful. But I wanted to keep our bedroom calm. It’s really cozy. I made your song lyric wall art a few years ago and it sits on our dresser. I’ve also started collecting rugs to layer on the floor (another one of your projects!). But our walls are pretty bare.
This would be perfection.
LikeLike
Oh I have been waiting for this weaving to be complete! It’s absolutely gorgeous and would be the perfect addition in my entry way above my small table. It’s so bright and cheery and great conversation starter for when guests come over. Thank you so much for the opportunity to win it and for the time you spent making it.
LikeLike
A piece this beautiful would get hung front and center in my living room. We’ve been saving that space for something special. Great job, you are very talented!
LikeLike
Love, love, love this project. I’d hang this next to the living room window in my apartment.
LikeLike
This is absolutely gorgeous! I can’t believe you’re willing to part with it, you generous soul!
I’d hang it either in my living room or in the center/hall area that I’d see from just about anywhere and gets amazing morning light.
So inspired now — think I may have a weekend project! 😉
LikeLike
My room! I have a blank wall I’ve been looking to fill with something textured. This would be perfect!
LikeLike
This is SO gorgeous!! I would love to hang this above the glider in my baby girl’s room! I’m having trouble finding the perfect decor for a baby/guest room and this would tie everything together perfectly! This is my first baby and I LOVE the orange/cream combo for a little girl! Beautiful work Elise!
LikeLike
In my bedroom for sure. There is a wall just begging for some texture (and innuendo)!
LikeLike
ohmy! wonderful! I know exactly where this would go – in my living room to the right of the TV. I haven’t been able to decide what to put there, a plant, a mirror, a picture? No man, a giant weaving!
LikeLike
I’d hang it in my office! It needs to be a little cozier in here and that’d fit right in with my colors. I love this!
LikeLike
Loved seeing this evolve on Instagram. So exciting to see it all finished! There is a spot in my upstairs hallway that is would fit just perfectly in.
LikeLike
Love it! I would hang this ode to lady parts in my office above my main work area. Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
I love this so much! I would hang it in our master bedroom which is about to get a makeover.
LikeLike
Oh, I just love this! I would hang it in our new bedroom (we close on our house in three weeks!) because it has such a California vibe– my home state and the place I dream of at night.
LikeLike
I’d totally hang this in my kitchen table/dining room area. It matches the colors in my house perfectly! Love it 🙂
LikeLike
Wow! It’s beautiful. I would hang it in my entryway above my bench. You’d see it as you enter the house, going up and down the stairs, from the family room and from my favourite armchair in the living room. In the event that I don’t win, I think I might have to have a go at making one of my own!! Thanks for always thinking of us.
LikeLike
I would hang it up on my living room wall
It’s so beautiful!
LikeLike
We have been actively looking for something to hang above our bed since we moved in (over four months ago). We have been focusing on possibly hanging a rug, but this is BEAUTIFUL and so much more personal!
LikeLike
I’d hang it in my friends house 😊 it’s so cool and totally fits her style and personality!!
LikeLike
Gorgeous!! I would love to hang it in my huge empty space above my family room fireplace!! Thank you for the chance to win and thank you for sharing your gift!!
LikeLike
I’ve been drooling over this since you started posting pictures on Instagram. love it! I’d hang it in my office, it matches perfectly and will help to inspire me on my own projects.
thanks Elise!
LikeLike
This looked gorgeous from the start, the first instagrammed picture I saw had me in love. Probably my favorite of all the things you’ve made. I’d probably hang it in my dining room, it needs some color.
LikeLike
I would either hang this in my living room or my office. Those are the two places I do most of my creative work and I know looking at this every day would definitely inspire me to hustle and get stuff done. I thought the pattern looked like spots on Jupiter, which is my favourite planet. I’m definitely a fan.
LikeLike
I would hang it in my living room! You did a great job!
LikeLike
Love this! I have a gigantic black wall in my house (with vaulted wood ceilings) so I love the organic look and this would fit perfectly with it!
LikeLike
Beautiful! In my entryway for sure!
LikeLike
Elise, you are so incredibly creative I love all of your projects, but I especially love this one. I really enjoyed following the process you were making on Instagram. I would hang this weaving in my living room. I have a sort of loft apartment and the living room is open to the second floor. I have never had so much wall to work with! I have some small paintings I want to put up but I think that this weaving would really help balance everything out since it’s so big. Thanks for making something so great and giving me and other readers/ followers the opportunity to display it in our spaces! I hope you are doing great 🙂
LikeLike
This would look great in my living room!
LikeLike
Love all the colors in this big beautiful piece. I have the perfect entry way to display this!
LikeLike
It turned out just gorgeous! I would definitely hang it in my bedroom.
LikeLike
I love this! I’m also so inspired by your “it’s good enough” mentality. I don’t do so many things because I know it won’t be perfect. I need to change that. I would love to win this. I would hang it in one of the many halls in my house. Love!!!
LikeLike
Love it and I’ve been contemplating where I’d hang it if it were mine! I think in our bedroom – the walls are currently bare (artist fail!) and I think my husband would appreciate the “female parts” theme in the boudoir… Ha! 😉
LikeLike
This is gorgeous!! I would definitely be a great wall hanging in our living room, which is bursting with color. Thank you!
LikeLike
This turned out amazing! I can’t do much with the walls in my rental, so this would really add some life to my bedroom! I always look forward to your posts.
LikeLike
I would put this in the nursery for our baby due in September. I don’t have any kind of textural art jn our home yet.
LikeLike
My living room for sure. It will be such a gorgeous piece of art!
LikeLike
So pretty, fun, and done! This size would go well on our empty wall connecting dining and living areas that hold our seasonal decorations!
Loving this project of yours so far! So motivated to make things myself and excited to have opportunities to win awesome handmade projects!
LikeLike
THis is absolutely amazing, Elise! I love it so much! I would hang it our living room OR along the stairwell for sure!
LikeLike
Oh man, I would SO love the heck out of this! We just bought a new house so I am in full inspiration mode but the budget will be going towards renovations at the moment. This would for sure be an awesome statement piece for our living room/entry. Such a rad project, Elise!
LikeLike
I’d love to make one! I am keeping this post for future reference, in fact. Since I don’t have the time to do it yet, I’ll try to get this one 😀 Seeing how big it is, I think I’d rather not hang it, but lay it on an armchair, it would look quite cozy, like a warm blanket to read by.
LikeLike
way to go – this project turned out amazing!!! i think it would be the perfect piece for our entryway. keep knocking the projects out! xoxo.
LikeLike
I would love to hang this is my daughters’ playroom to add some fun color and inspire them to create things themselves. I also have a beautiful piece of driftwood we picked up on vacation this summer that would be perfect for hanging!
LikeLike
You’re giving this away?! Wow! This would be a great addition to my reading nook!
LikeLike
I love the freeness of this weaving and the ladyparts resemblance. I think it’d look beautiful over my bed!
LikeLike
i’d love to hang this in my entryway so that EVERYONE would see it! i’ve been following this project and just love, love, love the way it’s come together. job well done and thanks for the opportunity to make it mine! xx
LikeLike
I’d hang it above my bed, just below a floating shelf with my favorite books. It’s beautiful!
LikeLike
Beautiful! I’d hang this in the living room or in our bedroom. It’s the perfect piece for any room of the house.
LikeLike