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”
Congrats on this gorgeousness. If I had it I would hang it over my tub. Mystical bath time dreams ❤️
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Okay, I’d love to make one, this is so inspiring! How long did it actually take you to complete it? Also, if I won this, I’d hang it in our entry way. It’s so warm and cozy, like a big hug… perfect welcome for guests.
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This is GREAT. And I would hang above fireplace. Or in dining room… 🙂
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I’ve been in love with this piece since the first sneek peaks on Instagram and am so excited to see the finished product, it came out magnificent (no surprise there)! We pretty recently moved up and I’ve been working hard to find the right pieces to fill our new home. This would be so perfect! I selfishly would want to put it in our room but I would most definitely hang it in the living room where everyone could see it and we could all enjoy it every day! You’re a rockstar and continue to amaze me with your crafty goodness.
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I want this in my bedroom! Love it.
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It woudl look great in my bedroom 🙂 It is great work Elise!
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This is so great Elise!
We have a very square living/dining room with big walls. We’ve filled up three of them, but this would fit perfectly above our day bed on the one empty wall.
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This is beautiful! I think we would hang it either in my kids’ bedroom (they deserve fine art too, right?!) or in our dining room, surrounded by our bookshelves and houseplants.
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I have this weird corner nook where I keep my record player, and I can’t find anything that I like to hang in that area. This would be perfect for the nook, which really needs some color.
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I would love to hang this in my bedroom. I’m sure the red-ish pink tones would look great with my navy accent wall. If I keep seeing these weaving projects – I’m going to have to bite the bullet and buy some supplies!
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I can’t believe you’re giving this away — it’s gorgeous! This would definitely go in our new bedroom. Love it.
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I’d hang this on my living room wall to cover the randomly placed eye sore of a breaker box, in my first very own apartment! 🙂
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I would love to win this . When I do win this (yes I did write “when ” not “if” ) I would put it up besides my bed. I would love to see it as the first thing in the morning and last at night . Thanks for being an inspiration Elise.
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I’m so in love with this! The colors are gorgeous and I too love that it kind of looks like lady parts 😉 I would hang this in our bedroom – it would add the perfect kind of cozy, natural look to the room! Love it, Elise! Happy weekend to you three Cripes 🙂
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If I win, I’ll hang it in my bedroom. It is sadly lacking any wall decor at all. It’s just gorgeous Elise!
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I would hang this weaving in my living room where it would match my color scheme perfectly! Beautiful work!
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At the top of the stairs…for the drama!
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love this!!!!! i woukd hang it on the main wall that you see when you walk in our front door — would be an awesome way to greet people to our home;)
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I would hang in my bedroom with all my other Elise Joy works 😄
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I love it! I’d hang this behind my sofa in the living room, it’s red so would look great. (I really does look like lady parts xD)
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This art is seriously gorgeous. I love everything about it. I am in the middle of painting and decorating my dining room and this would look amazing on the wall above the buffet.
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Wow! That’s awesome! I love seeing the process. It makes me want to weave. I would love to hang this in our living room. Thanks for the fun giveaway.
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This is gorgeous!! We have just had an offer accepted on our first house and while we wait for things to complete I am searching for the perfect everything to fill it with! This would look gorgeous in the kitchen above the fireplace. xx
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I would hang it over my sofa. Our neighbors in an apartment across the courtyard from ours have a very cool textile hanging in their living room that I have always admired when they have their lights on at night without curtains drawn, and I’m sure they would admire this in our living room!
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Right as I enter my apt! First wall. Great job Elise
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I’d hang it above my kitchen counter to cover my hideous breaker box. 🙂
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This is amazing. I read this post in my email in bed as I was waking up and immediately got up and started working on my first weaving. It was so inspiring.
If I won this weaving, I’d hang it in my new living. Maybe above the couch. My boyfriend and I just moved in together at the beginning of the year (first time out of our parents houses and first time living together!) and we are still working on decorating the place. This would be a perfect piece to make our new place feel like home.
Also, I’ve been collecting drift wood and sticks (I have some from Idaho, Trinidad & Tobago, and other random places) and a larger one would make a beautiful dowel for this weaving. I think it would add to the organic look!
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I LOVE the organic shapes and the colours. If I were to win, I would definitely hang it in the entryway/kitchen of my little rental home. It’s a beautiful pine kitchen and so I have accessorized with bold bright colours, and something tells me these ones would match perfectly! Thanks for sharing–I’m feeling rather inspired 🙂
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THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL! This would look perfect in my bedroom. You’re the best Elise 🙂
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Looks lovely! I’d probably hang it on my big (almost blank) living room wall that needs something big on there.
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I’d hang it above my bed in my first solo apartment – still living with some empty wall spaces until I find these perfect touches!
Thank you, Cristina
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Thanks for the chance! I would hang this weaving in my bedroom! 🙂
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The weaving is just soo cool!
We’re moving in December so I have no clue where I’d hang it in the new home 😉
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Wow!! This is so gorgeous!! I’d hang it in my bedroom, above my bed.It’s a wonderful project!
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As I read through the article and found, that this would be a giveaway, I couldn’t believe it! How could you give this away, Elise? It’s so incredibly beautiful! I would love to have it! It would be so appreciated and loved in our home! I would hang it at the main wall in our living room, above our couch. We’ve been living for a little bit over two years in our apartement and as of now I haven’t been able to fill that spot, shame on me. So as I’m totally in love with your weaving – this would be a great spot for it!! 🙂
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I’d hang it in my soon-to-be NEW APARTMENT, which is currently 3000 miles away from where I’m sitting.
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So, I didn’t plan to enter this giveaway because I wasn’t sure where to hang it in my house and I don’t usually enter giveaways. BUT THEN, yesterday afternoon I met with a friend of mine who is walking through bereavement over the too-soon loss of her beloved husband. In our conversation, we talked about the HOLES such a loss creates in a life and how we have to trust some measure of WHOLEness will come, at least someday. And I got to thinking how this piece would be such a special gift to give her in this place because it seems to symbolize that. The design looks like holes that are whole. Not to mention the way the weaving itself is comprised of tiny holes between the weaves and even its imperfections (which I love).
This would look perfect in my friend’s home, and I imagine it would be such a meaningful companion and symbol in her journey through grief. I don’t know where she’d hang it, but perhaps in her front room or in her art studio, or perhaps even her bedroom.
Thank you, Elise!
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This is amazing! It turned out sooo good! I am at the end of a rocky break up and will be moving into my own place at the end of the month. Since this will be my first time living alone, I would love to have this weaving hanging up for comfort and bravery!
Thanks 🙂
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You accomplish so many beautiful pieces of art. I would hang this weaving in my breakfast/everything room. It will remind me each day to use what you have…you can create beautiful stuff.
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This would look incredible in our living room. We just moved into our first home. I also would have to debate if i would give it to my friend Ana who would probably pass out if I gave this to her.
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These pretty red matches my kitchen. I would hang it to bridge the gap between my red kitchen and the warm neutrals in the living room of my new apartment.
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I would love to hang this over my desk, on my aqua wall!
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I have a red bed, so this would be awesome in my bedroom. Hope I win!
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This looks fantastic. I would love to hang it in my entry way.
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How Special! I would hang this in my bedroom 🙂 Love the texture!
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In my living room! We have red accents and it will pop on the grey wall!
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This would look amazing on the wall going down to our basement, it is a darkish gray and this would really pop. I have red accents in the basement so this would be perfect.
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I loved the lady parts conversation on Instagram about this piece. And coming from a family of five daughters (Fiddler on the Roof, anyone?), I am totally fine with a little lady part symbolism. Not sure we have any walls truly big enough in our tiny apartment for this beauty, but I am positive I could make SOMETHING work. Is a weaving weird in a kitchen? Cuz it has the most space…
Thanks for a great giveaway!!
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I recently started a larger weaving so I totally applaud you! It is awarding but hard work! This is amazing! I close on my first one in less than a month! This would be perfect in my entryway!
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*my first home
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