Today I am sharing a new skill I have learnt by weaving a wall hanging. I will share how my first time weaving went, as well as 5 weaving techniques for you to try to create your wall hanging.

Another crafty project to share with you today, and one that is teaching me a new skill, and hopefully you too. You may remember I bought several Etsy craft kits to try out, and this weaving kit is the last on the list.

Now I am a complete beginner when it comes to weaving, so carried out a bit of research on the different weaving techniques to create my wall hanging. Some of the techniques are a bit more technical than others but are fairly simple once you get the hang of them. You only have to master one to get a basic, but lovely weaving wall hanging.

But what is weaving?

Weaving

Weaving is an age-old craft that involves intertwining two sets of yarn to produce a piece of textile/ fabric. To create, cross two sets of yarn, usually at right angles to produce the piece of work. These are known as warp and weft. The warp is the downwards threads and weft is the working yarn threads. Weaving can be done by hand or via a power-operated loom. Most weaving items are made using a loom, whether this is by hand or power-assisted, but can be created without a loom. There are lots of different styles of weaving, but for today I will be using a small handloom.

Weaving a Wall Hanging Kit

As I said previously, this weaving kit features on my 5 Etsy craft kits to try. The kit itself is by Wool Couture and contains everything you need for weaving a wall hanging. They have various sizes so you can create small masterpieces to larger masterpieces. I bought the smallest so that I could try out the craft for the first time.

The kit cost £26.62 in total at the time of purchase and includes; a small weaving loom, 20m cotton warp thread, 8cm weaving needle and comb. You also get a mounting bar and a varied choice of wool and yarn. The wool I am using is the ‘Ocean’ theme, but you can add more packs of wool to create a mixture of colours in your design. There is more than enough material in this kit to make several weaving wall hangings. Not a bad little kit, right?

You will need something similar to make your wall hanging, although you can buy everything separately if you like. I would advise purchasing a kit to start with as if it turns out to be a craft you don’t like, then you haven’t wasted money on all the materials.

Now that we have the craft kit ready, let’s get crafting and learn some weaving techniques!

Weaving a Wall Hanging – Preparing the Loom

Before any weaving can take place the loom has to be prepared. To do this, we need to use the warp thread. In this kit it is a thin(ish) cotton thread, but thicker than regular sewing thread.

Start by placing the warp thread around one of the first notches of the loop and knotting this into place. Then bring the working end (still connected to a ball of warp thread) down the notch to the corresponding notch at the bottom. Place the warp thread in the next notch and thread this back up to the top-notch. Repeat the process until the whole loom is threaded. You will notice that on the back of the loom, each thread is slightly looped around the notch.

When you reach the end, tie the thread in a knot around the end of the loom. The loom is now ready for a bit of weaving and trying out different weaving techniques.

Weaving Technique 1 – Plain Weave

The plain weave is the basic weaving technique to do. This will create a lovely woven effect across and is fairly easy to master. This technique is the best to start with to determine how much tension you need throughout the project. It also just gets you used to weaving in and out of the loom. A plain weave is also perfect for securing other weaving techniques to the piece you are creating too.

To complete a plain weave, thread the weaving needle with the desired yarn. For the first time, I would suggest one of the thinner yarns from the pack, like from a ball of wool.
Start by taking the needle and yarn under the first warp thread (from the back of the loom), then thread it over the next warp. Continue going over and under the warp thread until you reach the end.

To come back the opposite way, make sure you are weaving the opposite to the first weave, using the same under and over technique. You then should have your first two rows of plain weave complete. Continue if you would prefer a larger piece of the plain weave in your design. Use the weaving comb to compact the weaving together to give you neat rows.

To finish remove the wool/yarn from the needle and pass the loose end to the back of the weaving loom to keep it out of the way. I will show you how to secure the ends later in this post. You can secure the ends now or at the end of the project, as I did.

Weaving Technique 2 – Rya Knots

If like me you like the tassel look to weaving wall hangings, then this next technique is for you with the Rya knot. These can be any length you like to give your wall hanging an extra look.
The important thing to know about the Rya knot is that it is best to have a row or two of plain weaves before and after each layer/row of knots to help secure them in place.

To create a Rya knot, you first have to cut down the yarn. Again, this is dependent on what length you like, but I cut mine to 15cm long pieces. To create two rows of Rya knots for this size wall hanging, you will need 11 strands of wool. 5 for one row and 6 for the other.

Creating Rya Knots

Start by taking your piece of yarn and selecting the first two warp threads. Then take the left-hand side of the yarn and wrap around the two warp threads so that it goes behind and comes up the right side of the warp thread. Next, take the right side of the yarn and repeat on the next two warp threads, so that the yarn wraps around and comes up the left side of these warp threads. Then gently pull the two together to secure. Be careful not to overtighten the yarn as this will put the warp threads in too much. Repeat until you reach the end of the row, selecting the next four warp threads along.

To secure in place, carry out a row or two of the plain weave. Then complete another row of Rya knots, placing these where there are gaps in the first row. This will give you full coverage of Rya knots, and a nice bit of texture to your weaving wall hanging.   
Don’t forget to secure with a row or two of plain weave, as well as using the weaving comb to push down the treads/rows!

Weaving Technique 3 – Soumak Weave / Braid Weave

To add more dimension to the wall hanging, a braid style weave can be created. This is the Soumak weave. This one is a little bit more technical to create, but when rows of this weave are woven together, it gives a beautiful braided look to the design. You can complete this as a full row or partial row, which is what I did in my design, filling in the void with a plain weave.

Before starting, my advice would be to cut your chosen wool/yarn down so that you have enough to complete the weave. I left mine on the ball of wool, and it made it difficult and time-consuming to thread it all through. Just make sure you have enough for the number of rows you wish to complete.

Creating Soumak Weave

Start by placing your yarn around two warp threads, with the tail end of the yarn sitting on the right-hand front side of the warp threads. Then take the working end of the yarn and weave this around and behind the next two warp threads to the right. Pass the working yarn end through this to create the loop/weave. The working end should be on the left-hand side of these warp threads. Keep going in this manner until you reach the end of the row, or where you wish the weave to finish. Create a second wrap of the yarn when completing/reaching the end of a row.

To create another row of Soumak weave, pull the next two available warp threads and wrap them in the opposite direction as you are weaving. It is important to remember that the yarn is always pulled in the opposite direction to which you are weaving. Repeat in this manner until you have completed the Soumak weave. Then tuck each tail end to the back of the loom.

I hope that was explained correctly, as it is a bit of a fiddly weave technique!

Weaving Technique 4 – Pile Weave

Like the Rya knots, the Pile weave is a great way to add loops to the design. These stand out from the wall hanging and give a great bit of texture to the piece. This one can be a bit fiddly, and you are going to need an extra item like a pencil or thin dowel piece to complete. The thicker the dowel or pencil, the bigger the loops will be.

Start by weaving at least two rows of a sturdy weave, like the plain weave or Soumak weave. I opted for the plain weave to make it easier. Make sure you have enough working yarn to be able to create the loops.  Weave the third row of plain weaves, weaving this slightly higher than the last two rows to make it easier. Keep the yarn loose at this point.
Then, take the pencil or dowel and at every over warp part of the yarn, pull up the yarn to wrap around the pencil or dowel. Continue until you get to the end of the row.
Weave another row or two of the plain weave to secure in place, keeping the pencil or dowel in place until complete. Use the weaving comb to push the rows down together tightly. This will make sure the weaving doesn’t come loose and remove the pencil or dowel to release your Pile loops.

Weaving Technique 5 – Adding Roving

Adding roving gives further dimension and texture to the weaving wall hanging. Wool roving is a thick wool, a bit like the chunky wool I used to make a chunky knit blanket. In the kit, you get two pieces of this chunky wool to have a go at weaving. Now whilst adding roving isn’t necessarily a new technique to the list, as it can be added like plain weave or Soumak weave, I still wanted to add it to the list. This is because you can do different things with roving to make it stand out from the basic technique used.

Start by looking at your piece of roving and separating a chunk from the main. It should pull apart lengthways to give a thinner strand. Then weave a few rows of plain weaving with the regular yarn, as this will create a support row for the roving (if you have not already). Luckily the kit comes with matching colours to the roving, so you can hide the plain weave supports into the roving.

Now there are a few ways to thread the roving through the warp threads:

One Warp threads:

This can be fiddly with a larger chunk of roving, so you may want to streamline the roving down a little. Take the roving piece and weave it like a plain weave. I created shorter rows for an added effect. If you do the same, you will be able to wrap the roving to create more than one row, as you would with a plain weave. Then take the roving from every under warp thread part and pull it slightly to create a ‘bubble’. Repeat on the next row, but in the space where it hasn’t been pulled up to create a two-row bubble effect.

Two warp threads

Take your roving piece and thread it under two warp threads and over two warp threads. Repeating until reach the end. You can then take parts of the roving and pull them up slightly where the roving is on top of the warp threads. This will create a bubble-like effect. This is great for adding texture and dimension to the wall hanging, as well as splitting the hanging design.

If you use a slimmer piece of roving, you can create a few rows with the same piece, again threading every two warps, repeating for the next row above. It will then create a bobble type look (as above).

Complete with a row or two of plain weave to secure in place, and use the weaving comb to pack this down.

Weaving a Wall Hanging – Securing Loose Ends

After adding all of the different weaving techniques, you will probably have lots of loose ends of wool. To tidy up the back of the loom and make sure all of the beautiful weaving is secure, we need to tuck the ends in. If the wool ends are long enough, the weaving needle can be utilised to do this. If not, then it may be a bit more fiddly, but can be done by hand.

Thread the loose ends through several of the warp threads on the back. Cut these down and they should be secure. You can weave through as many of the warp threads as you like to make sure they are secure.

For the roving thread, it can be a bit more difficult, but you can do it! Just follow the same process as previously, it just might be a bit snug when threading through the warp threads. The good thing, once threaded, they are not going to budge because of how thick the roving is.

After securing all the loose ends, it is time to remove the wall hanging from the loom.

Weaving a Wall Hanging – Removing from the Loom

After completing all the various weaving techniques, it is time to get the weaving ready for hanging. To do this, we need to remove it from the loom. This part can be a little fiddly. You want to get it right to hold all of the weaving in place.

Start by removing one loop from the loom on either the top or the bottom. These are the loops on the notched area of the loon. Use scissors to cut the loop at the top, giving you two equal parts. Then, tie these two parts together with a double knot, making sure it is fully secure. Repeat this with all of the loops. You may find it slightly more difficult with the two ends that are tied to the loom. Snip these and tie them securely as best you can to themselves. This may not be the correct way, but it is holding my weaving.

Finish off by snipping the loose ends of the knots. Make sure not to cut too close to the knot or into the knot. Before snipping, make sure the knots are super secure.

Weaving a Wall Hanging – Attaching to Mount

Now that all the weaving is secure it is time to attach the mount so that your beautiful wall hanging can be displayed.

Grab the warp thread and thread it through the weaving needle. Then, pass the needle through the first warp loop (now knotted) at the top of the weaving design. Bring the needle out and up, wrapping around the mounting bar on, looping this down and through the next warp loop. Repeat until all the top warp thread loops have been attached to the mounting bar. Then, secure both ends with double knots.

Finally pass more warp thread through the holes on the mounting bar, creating a larger loop and secure with knots on either side. Then the weaving wall hanging is complete and ready to be displayed.

What do you think of this wall hanging? I don’t think it has turned out too badly for a first try! Do you have any weaving techniques or tips and tricks to share? Pop them in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this post, then you may also enjoy these DIY Macrame Heart Coasters!

Weaving a Wall Hanging – Video

Here is the video version of this post. It may be easier to follow along with some of the techniques too. Don’t forget to like the video if you have enjoyed it, and why not subscribe to my channel to keep up with all of my creative and crafty antics on YouTube.

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