Submitted by Bunki Kramer,
Los Cerros Middle School
Lesson Plan: Cardboard
loom weaving with foil tooled accent
Grade level: Middle school
Lesson Plan for Bag
Weaving by Sharon Kennedy Colonial Arts Unit
Elementary Cross Curricular Connections
Elementary Fiber Arts Ideas - Paper
Looms
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MATERIALS:
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DIRECTIONS:
Before we begin the weaving, I have each student bring in lint from their
washer/dryer at home. Great weaving resource! They can trade colors with
each other later. I save in a box in the classroom. I don't tell them what
it is for...part of the mystery!
I start the project with compass construction on newsprint. For two days we do
teacher-directed drawings...I use the overhead. The third day they make their own
design with radius of 2" on newsprint. I collect all, put into an envelope,
and save for later. These designs are used for the foil accent.
Students pick a board (I pre-cut boards no longer than 12" with paper
cutter) and on the back draw a 1" border on all four edges. Across top and
bottom mark in 1/4"s. Cut down to the 1" mark (kind of like fringe). They
can make one weaving or two weavings on a board as long as they use the
same color combinations. I use crochet string for the warp as it's strong
and thin. Make a knot in string about 6" long and thread string up, down
and through fringe but only on the colored side of board....nothing goes on
the back. Continue until you come to the end of of cut fringe and finish
by tying off with the beginning of the string on the back. See handout for
weaving techniques. Each student
MUST make "loops" in their weaving plus use at least one stick from outside
plus dryer machine lint. I also have batting from a fabric store pre-cut
in strips for weaving as an option. Students also must leave some open
space not woven. Anything else is up to them. I have straw and beads
handy. They can bring things from home.
As soon as they finish weaving, they select the
4x4" pre-cut square of
metal in their color choice (to match weaving) and find in my envelope
their newsprint design. Taping design onto metal, with a sharp pencil
they
transfer their design by pressure, remove newsprint design, re-trace
metal,
add texture (placing a newspaper pad uder the foil helps the
repoussé process), cut out, and then pick feathers to match
weaving. Once they
have arranged metal and feathers in pleasing way, I glue-gun in place.
All
this takes about 2, 2 1/2 weeks....one 55 min. class a day.
I buy yarn and crochet string whenever it's on
sale...Yarn I get around
$.88 a skein and crochet string runs around $1.23 not on sale and it
last a
long time. I can get a lot of mileage out of the yarn too when I have
them
use only one side of the board. I buy 6" plastic needles, master
compasses
and decorator foil from NASCO ARTS & CRAFTS. Their prices are most
reasonable. You can call them at 1-800-558-9595 for a free catalog. It
takes just under two packages of decorator foil (in 6 colors) to teach
330
students (cut in 4x4" squares).
Hope you enjoy this project!
Links
Weaving Across the Curriculum -
Resources for Elementary:
Zapotec Weaving
- Meaning
of Zapotec Weaving Symbols
- Crizmac
video - The
Village of Textiles: Teotitlan del Valle
- Book - Zapotec Weavers of Teotitlan
by Andra Fischgrund Stanton
- Artisans
in focus: Zapotec Weaver-- the history and culture of the weavers of
Teotitlan del Valle is alive and thriving. Weaving of the Gonzalez family.
Learn a little of Zapotec history.
- Zapotec Weavers - some good images: http://zapotecmarket.com/zapotec.html
- Dream Weavers- Smithsonian article: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian
Some links on Zapotec Culture:
http://www.nativeamericans.com/Zapotec.htm Commercial site with background information and quality images: http://www.weavinghands.com/index.htm Commercial site - introduces several Zapotec weavers: http://www.apacheshores.com/accentswest/index1.html
Alternate Idea: Weaving Inspired by Nature - Under
the Microscope
submitted by Jan Hillmer
....in a
lab dish, cells derived from an embryo are developing into two
different types of brain cells, neurons (red) and glia (green).
Madison Wisconsin (copyrighted photo will be removed if requested) |
Jan Hillmer sent the link from Layers
of Meaning.
Posted by S. Fenton August 24: "New York
Times has a wonderful
image that appeared, at first glance, to be an intricate fiber
piece. ...It was a science article with a photograph of stem cells
developing into neurons and glia. The photo originates from the
University of Wisconsin - Madison"...."in
a lab dish, cells derived from an embryo are developing into two
different types of brain cells, neurons (red) and glia (green)." |
Fiber Arts Ideas for Elementary
From Kathy Douglas
1. Stitching on Styrofoam meat trays: great beginning, as nothing bunches up
like cloth.
Skill is threading big needle, making yarn doubled, tie-ing knot at the end.
Lots of practice
needed there. They can stitch in many colors, decorate with markers. Some
students figure out that they can sew two trays together and then it segues into the sculpture
center.
2. Stitching on burlap: sewing a pocket. I show them how to sew a simple seam to put two
pieces of burlap together (same threading needle procedure) and some make pocket
books, some wallets, some little pouches around their waist, some beanie baby sleeping
bags, etc, but in general it is just two pieces of burlap sewed up three sides. The can also
put cotton in and make a pillow. Wallet makers cut up green paper and make money,
credit cards, drivers' licenses, etc.
3. Soft sculpture: students create a pillow as before, then sew flat strips of burlap for arms
and legs, add a square of burlap stuffed with a tiny bit of cotton and secured at bottom
with elastic for head: there is a person! they dress them in various ways. Also make
animals, etc
4. Flat loom weaving: I really don't know what this is really called; it is cardboard with
notches cut on either end and warped with strong yarn. I have a box divided in 12
sections with tons of short yarn divided by color (ie. several shades of red, several of
orange, etc etc) The yarn pieces are about two or three inches longer than the cardboard
is wide. They choose colors and weave over and under but just let the pieces hang off the
end instead of looping around like tabby. They push the rows together with combs from
the drugstore (beaters) These are really easy and pretty. When they take them off some of
the weft should be tied on each side for strength. Warp tied together. More experienced
children can try Egyptian knots, rya knots, etc. There is a great weaving
chart on the Incredible Art Dept which could help you.
5. Box lid weaving: I warp box lids, usually the tops to the bankers boxes or just use the
boxes that are used when the coke machine is filled. I warp them VERY tightly with strong
yarn and students weave with them. I recommend tabby weave for this for strength.
6. Stick weaving: tongue depressors for younger children. Talk about symbolism and have
students create their own. add feathers, beads, sequins, ribbons. Vocabulary word:
"variation": use three sticks, or four sticks: what happens? use wooden chopsticks, tape
tongue depressors together (not TOO big...) Check the knowledgeloom art show for work
of a fellow who used a two hole punch to put holes in the sticks and then wove through
those! totally his idea. Weaving is great in the bad weather: the children take projects back to their classrooms to work on during "indoor recess". The teachers are grateful for the entertainment.
Weaving Tips for
Elementary
From Kathy Douglas, TAB Choice teacher, Massachusetts
Here is how we do weaving with grade one's (and older too).
My friend Diane Jaquith calls it "open end" weaving and we find it much
easier for beginners than tabby weave (which wraps at the end of the
row and goes on to the next) the teacher has to do some preparation
(not bad if it is just one class)
1. Cut up corrugated cardboard into small squares (no more than 6x6)
2. Hold cardboard so that corrugations are vertical
3. Cut notches in each end. Not too many! But the closer they are together the stronger the
weaving.
4. Wrap nice yarn (not string) through the notches, wrapping all the way around.
5. To really help beginners, warp with two colors, skipping every other
notch with the first color, then warping the empty notches with the
other color (I hope this is clear, hard to explain) This two color warp
will help the kids keep track of their overs and unders, difficult for
grade ones.
6. Cut the thickest yarn you can find ahead of time so that it is large
enough for a two inch overhang on each side of the loom. I like to sort
the colors in a divided empty yarn box so it is like a paint tray: reds
together, etc.
7. Go to the dollar store and buy a half dozen plastic combs (or more)
Now here is what the children do:
1. start with about six pieces of yarn: their choice of course.
Some
like a pattern of two colors, but random rainbows of color are great
too. Or how about six shades of blue? Kids will make nice choices.
2.Say the loom is warped with white and green: the student takes the
first color and goes under all the whites, over all the greens. Yarn
hangs off on each end, evenly.
3. Next color is woven over all the whites, under the greens.
4. After all six pieces are woven thusly, show the children how to push
the yarn close together with the comb (beater) You will LOVE how the
colors look!!
5. Children keep going till it is full on one side.
6. Teacher ties two of the hanging weft pieces together near the middle on each side.
7. flip the loom over and cut across the warp (at the mid point)
8. now pull warp pieces to the front, two at a time and tie them together.
9. voila! A nice little woven piece
Weaving is tricky; some kids really dislike it, but those who do like
it get addicted! Great for indoor recess days; our kids keep them in
their desks for free time.
Elementary
Unit: Introduction to Weaving and Fiber Art: Investigating Materials (PDF)
Soda
Straw Loom Weaving Lesson plan to come
Stitchery on Burlap - From Ellen Sears
Ellen
found that freezer wrap can be ironed on to burlap. It sticks just enough to
make handling the fabric easier for the students. Students draw their design
directly onto the burlap. Stitch spacing is planned on the freezer warp by
poking holes with the needles. When the stitching is completed, the freezer
wrap is peeled away with out damage to the burlap.
Tissue Paper Weaving -
From Laura Ginga
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Laura does this lesson
with second grade.
Materials:
8" x 18" card stock (one per child),
pipe cleaners (five per child), stapler and staples, masking tape
(optional), Glue, pre-cut tissue paper strips, construction paper
crayons and/or markers
Preparation:
Cut openings in card stock and prepare looms
for children in advance. Cut lengths of tissue paper |
Laura's older students
make a tag board frames (she always has students who want to help
her whenever they can). They took pieces of card stock (8"
x18") folded them in half, and then folded them in half again -
then cut a frame out of the center. Next they opened them up,
and stapled five pipe cleaners so they were sandwiched between the
layers (Note from Judy: you might want to tack the pipe cleaners in
place with some masking tape first).
They used two staples on each end of the pipe cleaner to make sure
that the pipe cleaners did not wiggle themselves loose. Frame is
folded over and glued together (or stapled).
Laura says as long as you tell the students not to tug too much,
these "looms" are quite durable. Tissue paper strips were
woven in and out of pipe cleaners. Students observed how patterns
were formed while weaving. The limited number of warp makes it easy
to see the pattern. Once the weaving is complete, students decorate
the frames.
See a visual
on how the frames are made (pdf file)
Weaving Tips from Marty Reid
When I taught, to bolster my supplies
for my (post-December break) weaving unit with 3-4th graders, I sent
out a "blurb" in the school's newspaper about the
"Rags, Ribbons & Rainbows" Weaving Project that was to
commence in January. My request was to ask families to save
all the discarded ribbons and yarns from gifts received during the
break and anything else imaginable that could easily be incorporated
into a cardboard weaving and to send them in with their students
after the break. You just wouldn't believe what was collected.
I also assigned the task to the actual students who would be
involved in the project. The "psyche-up" came when I
demonstrated cardboard weaving to the students and challenged
them to find other unique things to weave with...I used
stretched cotton, strips of rags (showed them how it can tear easily
and I also cut in strips of folded fabric on my paper cutter.
I encouraged them to collect anything they thought possible to weave
with. The kids brought in amazing things....from tall
grasses, pin needles, yarns, ribbons of all sorts, batting, raffia,
sticks, wrapping papers cut in strips...and the list goes on!
Hope this helps! The wrapping papers were great in the weaving
because when you pushed the weft up tight, it created a great
texture. The outcome weavings were unbelievable!
Friendly Loom Weaving from Laurie
Bellet
Oakland Hebrew Day School
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In my room I have a "friendly loom," (a Nasco product) which is a large self
standing loom that can accommodate up to 6 weavers at one time! I keep it warped and anyone can go and add to it. I take the finished weavings off,
tidy them up, and they hang on walls all around the school.Shown: 1st graders at Oakland Hebrew Day School working at the "Friendly Loom." Because this activity is one of pure experience and cooperation, the finished product (pictured below), requires some attention before displaying. |
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Burlap Weaving from Laurie Bellet
Oakland Hebrew Day School
by O. Castaneda: following Guatemala's old traditions, Abuela
and her grandmother weave several items and take them to market. Ages 6-10.
