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’ve been thinking about hanging something fun and unique heading up the stairs to our second floor. I may have to try this weaving thing myself!
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I would hang it in an empty corner of my kitchen.
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I would hang this stunning piece in my camper trailer that I’m traveling around my state in, to photograph women.
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I will be a senior in college next year, living in my own place for the first time ever. I would hang this beautiful weave in my bedroom! (And it will only be my bedroom! Woohoo!)
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I love this so much!! You’re the one that inspired me to start playing around with weaving and I’ve loved everything that you’ve shared since you added this hobby to your repertoire. I don’t usually enter giveaways, but you’ve always been my favorite person to follow and I’d love to have something made by my favorite blogger hanging in my home 🙂 Even my husband knows who you are, because I’m always referring to you…”you know, Elise, the blogger in California…” 🙂 I’d hang this in my living room, we’ve got a huge bare wall next to our fireplace that needs some definite cozying up. Can’t wait to see what else you come up with for this next venture!!
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This is gorgeous. Top of our stairs before entering the den. The accent would be awesome there. Otherwise I’m going to play around w abstract painting on a large canvas.
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I’ve been waiting to see this finished! It looks amazing. It makes me want to start knitting or crocheting so I’d have a pile of scrap yarn in need of a project, haha! I’d hang it on the wall of my bedroom, either replacing one of the big posters on my finished “gallery wall” or as the focal point to build around on my currently empty wall! The colors even perfectly match my pink/orange/white/coral scheme 🙂
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ahhh!! this is gorgeous.
If i win this beaute, she is going in that awkward blank space in our bedroom.
love your make/give 30, such a sweet idea.
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Love this! Have recently tried weaving myself…but mine was much smaller! This would be perfect for the large blank wall I have in my entry!
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So lovely! It seems calming to me, so I’d hang it in my bedroom to add some cozy texture to the wall.
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I love the colors in this! It would look great hanging in our study. Thanks for the giveaway offer!
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This would be awesome in our bedroom!
Great job, Elise!
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Hm, I think I would hang this right in my kitchen, the colors would match everything else in there!
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Super, super cool. Makes me want to drop everything and weave right now. I’d hang it in my master bedroom. I have an empty wall that needs this.
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Hey Susan!! Two Nova Scotia gals are the first comments, I love it. 🙂 🙂 (I’m on Cape Breton Island.)
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Beautiful!! I would hang it in my master bedroom… Over my dresser so perfect!!
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That’s a living room piece for sure!
Thanks for a chance to win!
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This is totally going in my dining room! It is a statement piece, and I would love everyone who walk in to my home to see this piece of artwork! It looks just perfect!
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I LOVE this and have loved following along (cheering you on!) with your progress on IG. I even shared it with the loom person at our Make Room at the Children’s Museum. He thought it was super RAD. T
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I’d hand this beautiful organic piece in our bedroom – where the afternoon light would catch it just right on our southwest inpsired walls. We’ll take all the sun and warmth we can get in the Pacific Northwest.
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Love this! I would hang this in our living room near the fireplace! 🙂
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I’d hang it over my bed to dress up my plain white walls!
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This is amazing! I would LOVE to win this. We moved into our house last April and three weeks later found out we were pregnant with our first baby. So we have focused on the common areas and the baby’s room and our master has been completely neglected. Now that baby boy is almost 3 months old and I’m coming out the fog, I’m starting to do little things to the bedroom. This weaving matches the color scheme we’ve got going and it would be an amazing focal point in the room 🙂
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This is so gorgeous — I would put it in my daughter’s bedroom. There are touches of red and it would be just perfect. I can’t believe that you’re giving it away!!
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I’m usually not one for giveaways but I LOVE this one. It would go great with the color palette of my tiny, new flat – I’d hang it above my sewing table 🙂
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Love the “loom” you invented, such a fantastic (and $$ saving) idea! I owuld totally hang yours in this awkward space between my patio and bedroom walls. #perfection!
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I love it! I would hang it in my bedroom. I love the organic feel.
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Omg this would go right into my gray hallway to bring in some color and to make my house seem all warm and cozy to newcomers! thanks for the chance, great work!
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Another fabulous Elise creation.
I am totally inspired to make one and win this one! This weaving of yours would give some much needed texture to my living room on the mid north coast of New South Wales Australia.
I created my first ever weaving after being inspired by your large white weaving. I created that with some gum tree twigs as the top and bottom to attach the warp to. I’m going to try one on the back of a canvas now – very clever.
Thanks for the constant inspiration.
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I would hang in my office as I talk about cervixes and vaginas all day! Love it!!
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Love this! I would hang it in my living room.
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I love that it is “lady-esque”. I would definitely hang it in my living room. It needs a pop of moody color. 🙂
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I would love to hang this in our living room! We have a lot of warm tones that would compliment this piece. And married to a manly man, I kind of love that it has a “lady’s touch.” 😉
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I would love to hang this in our front entry way above our piano. It is amazing!
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This is so awesome, Elise! I love the colors and free patterns! I would definitely hang it in my living room as the primary focus. 🙂
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This turned out lovely! I would love to win this. I have a perfect spot for it in my living room. We have beautiful clear heart redwood walls and this would look so stunning on the redwood wall.
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I would hang this in the nursery for my soon to be first born! I have a feeling she will love organic handmade pieces like Her mummy.
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I have been looking forward to this post, and absolutely love the finished weaving! I would hang it on the wall over my newborn babys crib, and that way hopefully spark an interest and appreciation for handmade in her from an early age.
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I have an upstairs hallway – all our bedroom doors open onto this space. Your piece looks the perfect size for this small wall there!!
Hope I win! It’s absolutely gorgeous!!!
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Hi Elise!
This is such a beautiful work of art. Recently, I decided I had WAY too much clutter in my tiny apartment, and decided to start from scratch in my redecorating. I have been waiting and waiting to find something to hang above my bed, and when I saw you post this onto your instagram today I thought…. this would be perfect!
Thanks for always inspiring me with your blog, DIY projects, peeks into your home life and for the awesome podcast! I’ve gone back and listened to all the backlog that I’ve missed and it is part of the week I look forward to most. Keep doing what you love – it helps inspire others to do what they love, too!
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So, so beautiful!! I would hang this above the bed in our master bedroom. Ever since baby girl has come along I’ve done a great job of decorating her space, but have neglected ours! This would be perfect!
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Love it! I would hang it above our mantel in our living room. Great work Elise.
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I would hang this weaving in the front living room between my two candle sconces and centered above the couch.
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It’s so beautiful! I’m totally going to use up some yarn scraps and do a smaller version. If I won I would hang it in my soon to be new bedroom – I’m moving into staff accommodation at an amazing restaurant and I know I’m going to have to share my room but I really want to personalize it and make it my own 🙂 xx B
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I love this! I’d hang it in my living room right where I’d see it when I walk into my house. So beautiful!
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Beautiful! I would totally hang this above my bed since right now it’s just an empty white wall 🙂
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The color scheme and vibe would go perfectly in my apartment 🙂 Beautiful job, lady!
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I’m in desperate need of wall art in my bedroom, this weave would be amazing!! Great job, Elise!
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I don’t know if I would be up for making one. I have a lot of leftover yarn from projects but it seems very intimidating. I would hang it on our adventure wall!
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I would hang it in our master bedroom! So beautiful. Thanks for sharing the process. It was fun to follow along on instagram, too.
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