Woven Wall Art from Yarn Scraps on a Cardboard Loom

5 min read

Woven wall art turns leftover yarn into texture for a bare wall. You do not need an expensive loom: a piece of cardboard with notches cut along the top and bottom works just as well for a small hanging. Weaving is slow, rhythmic work, and the result shows every color you chose. A wall hanging made from yarn scraps has a soft, handmade look that suits a bedroom, a hallway, or a reading nook. This guide shows how to build a cardboard loom, warp it, and weave a small wall hanging with yarn scraps.

Yarn scraps are the perfect material for this project because weaving uses short lengths of many colors.

Gather all the leftover yarn you have:

• different weights
• textures
• colors all work

You will need a piece of sturdy cardboard about 30 by 40 centimeters, scissors, a ruler, a fork for beating down rows, and a wooden dowel or a branch about 35 centimeters long for hanging. A tapestry needle helps with weaving in ends. Choose one yarn for the warp, the vertical threads, in a strong, plain color. The warp barely shows in the finished piece, so it does not need to be pretty.

Building the Cardboard Loom

Cut the cardboard to the size you want the hanging to be, plus about 4 centimeters extra at the top and bottom for the fringe. Mark notches every centimeter along the top and bottom edges, and cut small slits about 1 centimeter deep at each mark. These notches hold the warp threads in place. Cut a long piece of warp yarn, about three times the height of the loom, and wrap it around the cardboard through the notches, pulling it snug. The warp threads should be evenly spaced and fairly tight, with no slack. Tie off the end at the back of the cardboard. The loom is now ready to weave.

The number of warp threads sets the width of the hanging. For a 30-centimeter-wide piece with notches every centimeter, you will have about thirty warp threads. Keep the tension even: warp threads that are too loose make wavy weaving, and threads that are too tight can bend the cardboard. If the cardboard bows, reinforce the back with a second piece of cardboard taped in place. A firm loom makes weaving easier and the finished piece flatter. Once the warp is set, you are ready to choose your weft yarns, the horizontal threads that form the pattern.

Weaving Rows and Changing Colors

Weaving follows a simple over-under pattern. Thread a length of weft yarn, about an arm’s length, through the tapestry needle. Start at one side and pass the needle over the first warp thread, under the next, over the next, and so on across the row. At the end of the row, turn around and weave back in the opposite pattern: where you went over, now go under. Push each row down snugly against the previous row with the fork. This is called beating, and it keeps the weaving tight and even. Change colors whenever you like by tying a new yarn to the old one at the edge, or by simply starting a new yarn and weaving the tails in later.

Vary the texture by changing yarns. A thick, fluffy yarn makes a soft stripe. A thin cotton yarn makes a flat, neat stripe. A looped or bumpy yarn adds surface interest. Try a few rows of plain weave, then a few rows with two strands held together for a chunkier band. If a row looks loose, beat it down again before moving on. Do not pull the weft too tight at the edges, or the sides of the hanging will draw inward and the piece will narrow. The edges should stay straight from top to bottom. Weave until the piece is about 30 centimeters tall, leaving about 5 centimeters of warp unwoven at the top and bottom for fringe.

Finishing, Fringe, and Hanging

To finish, cut the warp threads at the back of the cardboard and slide the weaving off the loom. Tie the warp threads together in pairs at the top and bottom to secure the weaving. At the top, fold the warp ends over the dowel and knot them firmly so the hanging holds its weight. At the bottom, leave the warp ends as fringe, trimming them to an even length or cutting them into a V shape. Comb the fringe gently with your fingers to separate the strands. Weave in any loose weft tails on the back of the piece with the tapestry needle, trimming them close so they do not show from the front.

Hang the finished piece from a nail or hook, and step back to look at it. The colors and textures you chose are the design, and no two hangings look alike. To care for woven wall art, dust it gently with a soft brush and keep it out of direct sunlight so the colors stay bright. Once you are comfortable with plain weave, try simple patterns: stripes of different widths, a diamond shape formed by weaving shorter rows, or a fringe of knotted tassels along the bottom. A cardboard loom costs nothing, yarn scraps are free, and the result is a piece of art that is entirely your own.

Do not stop here. More Fiber Arts ideas are waiting below, beginning with Tablet Woven Belt with Diamond Patterns.

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