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The Scrap Project: Kumihimo Bracelets — Myth and Moss

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Materials: Loome tool OR a small piece of cardboard Scissors Yarn

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Om att bygga trädgårdsland och väva avskärmare i bakkant . Om att vara fröjdefull och nöjd på något sätt. Om att vara liten och sätta st...

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How to Make Plarn - Plastic Yarn Tutorial

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How to Make Plarn - Plastic Yarn Tutorial

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Join the Plarn Strips

To join the strips, you will perform a basic larks head knot. This is a really easy knot that I've broken down into steps in the above photo.

Overlap two loops. I've used two different bag colors to make this easier on the eyes. You can combine colors for a variegated yarn, or stick to one color.

1. Where the loops intersect, reach over the yellow circle, under the white circle, and grab the other side of the yellow plastic.

2. Pull the yellow strip through the white loop.

3. Pull the yellow to the right so that it overlaps the white loop.

4. Keep pulling!

5. The knot will form.

6. Tug to tighten, but don't pull too hard, as some bags will rip at this point.

This is actually a very quick and common knot to make and when you've made it once, you'll never forget how to do it.

Now, keep joining pieces to form a ball.

See Plarn Creations and Patterns

More Ways to Reuse Plastic Bags

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How to Make Plarn - Plastic Yarn Tutorial

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To join the strips, you will perform a basic larks head knot. This is a really easy knot that I've broken down into steps in the above photo. Overlap two loops. I've used two different bag colors to make this easier on the eyes.

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Write with yarn???

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Picture Only

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Stitching plastic canvas is fun, it's easy and it's inexpensive. And you know how I dig the inexpensive crafts which is why I'm showing you how to stitch plastic canvas. The canvas comes in rectangular sheets that you can cut down as needed plus there is a fun variety of shaped canvases like hearts, circles and even purses.

Stitching it is really super simple and today I'll show you how... and tomorrow I'll show you a project to make when you get your stitches down!

For this project you will need:

Threading your needle can be kind of hard at first but there's no way to get good at it than to practice. So while it may be a pain in your neck at first, you'll get it down soon enough, I swear!

Bring your yarn up and through a hold on the canvas. Hold about an inch to 2 inches of yarn onto the backside.

Continue holding your back thread and needle through the slot diagonally below and to the left of where you started.

Continue this pattern over and over, taking care to tack down the string you're holding behind as you go.

It will look like this...

When the stitches are together the canvas fills up and the plastic is no longer visible.

To finish the edges go up through the bottom of your first slot and pull though.

Go up through the very next slot and pull through.

When you get to the corners, you'll need to do three stitches to cover each side and the corner part. It gets a bit tight but you can finagle it.

When finished, run the yarn through several of the stitches you've already made on the back. Pull the yarn taut and trim closely.

So that your back will look like this. See how there are no loose ends? Nifty, eh?

And that, my friends, is all there is to that. I'll be back tomorrow with a nifty little project I made and the pattern I used to stitch it. See you soon :)

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Stitching plastic canvas is cheap and super easy! This tutorial will show you just how to stitch plastic canvas with ease!

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Plastic Canvas Keychains | Easy cross stitch designs with plastic canvas!

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Weaving Class: Creating Shapes and Getting Fancy

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Weaving Class: Creating Shapes and Getting Fancy

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I'm back with the second of three installments of Weaving Class to teach you how to make simple shapes and customize your wall hanging with a little paint and fun tassels. In the first class we covered the general tools you need to get started and set the foundation with a few basic things you need to know to create your first wall hanging. If you find yourself getting stuck on something, head back to the first tutorial for a quick review.

My first wall hanging was pretty simple in theory. There were rows of straight lines in different thicknesses with a little rya knot row, a basketweave, and even a shape made out of a negative space. I liked it, but it was early days and didn't really feel like my style yet. I started to notice different weavers popping up on Pinterest and finding them in my Instagram feed and started to recognize their unique styles by certain colors they used or ways they paired old and new media. I started in on a few more wall hangings and found myself most drawn to simple, graphic pieces with triangles and diamonds as a major part of the design.

One day I looked down at the kilim rug under my dining table and realized it was dotted with similar shapes and realized the hot pink that played a minor role in the design was showing up over and over again in most of my weavings. Sometimes your style shows up quickly in a new medium, and other times it takes a bit of experimentation before it makes itself known.

As I shared in the first tutorial, there are a variety of yarn thicknesses and colors out there. Check your local yarn store for basics, natural-dyed yarns, wool roving, and more unusual colors than you'll find at some big box craft stores. If you don't have any in your area, check out the selection at Jo-Ann for yarns similar to the ones in this post. Also, there are a few ways to make your own loom if you don't have one yet. You guessed it: first tutorial.

-Loom. My Lap Loom Model A was purchased through the but you can sometimes find them on Amazon a bit cheaper. I've also been drooling over this handmade loom lately.

-Cotton yarn for the warp. The warp is the foundation of your weaving and goes up and down across the pegs of your loom.

-Yarn for your weft. This can be any size, thickness, or color you prefer. All of mine was purchased at Jo-Ann, as they had the best selection of large craft stores, but if you have a local yarn shop in your area, I suggest checking them out for special colors and natural fibers.

-Wooden dowel rod, copper pipe, stick, etc. Something sturdy and wider than your weaving by 1" - 2".

-Tapestry needle. This will be about 3" long with a large eye and a blunt end.

-Shuttle. Mine came with my loom and is shown above with the U-shaped ends. This is for wrapping your weft yarn around and sliding through the opening that is made when your shed stick is raised. I tend to not use mine and just stick with using my needle.

-Shed Stick. This is the wooden object to the right of the shuttle above. It looks like a paint stirrer. This is woven through your warp and left there to help save time when you're moving your shuttle through to create a new row. Some use two sheds, but I find it most efficient to leave only one in on this type of loom.

Step Two: To create your fringe at the bottom of your weaving, cut a length of yarn and fold it in half. My yarn is extra thick, but if you're using standard yarn, you may want to double this in length and then fold it in half.

Step Three: You'll make one of these per peg at the bottom and slip the center of your folded tassel over the first warp string and under the second and then back to the top.

Step Five: Pull gently so that the knot tightens.

Step Seven: Do the same for your last peg by going through the loop knot and finishing it up. Trim your ends to either be even or angled.

Step Eight: Thread your tapestry needle with about 4' of yarn for your first layer of color. I always like to start about three or four warp strands in so that my tails don't stick out on the sides. To do this, skip the first three or four warp strands, and then go under the fifth and over the sixth and under the seventh, etc.

Step Ten: Press down in the center and then work your way out to both edges and adjust with a little tug if you need it. This action helps you avoid weaving too tightly and creating an hourglass look in the middle of your woven piece. As mentioned in the first tutorial , if you're working with thin yarn, you may want to use a fork or wide-tooth comb to push the yarn down.

Step Thirteen: This means I wove two rows of 23, two rows of 21, two rows of 19, etc. until I got down to two rows of one. You can deduct one warp row per side as well, but it'll make a shorter, more squat triangle. You'll have lots of negative space around your triangle. This will get filled in with more shapes and then with a filler color.

Step Fifteen: I did two rows of three and then continued on to two rows of five, seven, nine, etc.

Step Seventeen: Here's the finished diamond shape.

I added in my last triangle starting just above my diamond using the same technique of widening my rows each time. Basically, you can create a variety of shapes in your weavings by counting rows. Increase or decrease symmetrically or asymmetrically, depending on the design you have in mind. Keep the same number of rows each time, but shift to the left (or right) to create a diagonal shape. Create something more complicated, like an animal or flower, by sketching it out with a pen onto graph paper or directly onto your warp rows to help you along. Just think in pixels and you'll be okay.

Step Nineteen: I wove in from the edge up to seven rows in, then started my next half-triangle up to six rows in, and then did my third half-triangle up to four rows in, but I think only to save space. I can see now that I did seven, five, four on all of the rest. Ha! The beauty of this kind of medium is in the assymetry as well, right?

Here's my weaving with all of the shapes added before I filled it in.

Notice in this step that I didn't overlap my peach and white, or white and hot pink weaving. This makes for a smooth line of color, and a diagonal pattern won't leave large sections of space in between the colors.

Step Twenty-One: You can see in this step how my white rows match the peach rows, but on the hot pink side I match almost all the rows. Two rows of peach equal two rows of white. Two rows of hot pink usually equal two rows of white, except about halfway up each half-triangle where I only do one row of white. Basically, just fill in the blanks and keep consistently pushing your lines down to fill in the negative space without messing up your shapes.

Step Twenty-Three: One way to customize your wall hanging is to paint or stain your dowel rods. I started to only paint the blunt ends of my rod in a neon color, but it was still too subtle, so I taped off about 2" of each end of my dowel rod with washi tape to get a clean line. Then I painted each end with metallic acrylic paint and let it dry while I wove in my ends on the back of the weaving. If you're unfamiliar, see the first tutorial.

You can see I wove up to about 1 1/2" below my pegs at the top of my loom. This was just enough room to wrap it around my dowel rod without having to cut, tie, and tuck in my ends.

Step Twenty-Five: Carefully unhook one peg at a time and wrap it twice around your dowel rod as shown. Then unhook the next one, wrap it around twice, and gently scoot them both across the dowel a little bit. Repeat with each peg, scooting as you go, and then adjust once you're done. Don't pull too hard because it'll shift your weaving since the whole warp is just one long piece of yarn.

Stop there or add some tassels to your wall hanging. I chose to make three for one side and two for the other in the same colors in my weaving.

Step Twenty-Six A: Wrap your yarn back and forth so that you get a handful that measures about 6" - 8" long. Fold it in half, but don't lose your center. You'll also need about 12" of yarn for the hanging part and about 8" for the part that ties around.

Step Twenty-Six B: Wrap the hanger piece under the center of your folded piece and tie a loop-knot. The knot part will be hidden in the next step.

Step Twenty-Six C: Pull the knot from the hanger so that it's hidden under the folded handful of yarn, and then wrap the shorter piece of yarn around the folded handful.

Step Twenty-Six D: Tie a knot about 1/2" from the top of the folded handful with the shorter piece to secure things, and then tie a knot against the top of the handful with the hanger to keep that part from moving.

This is a project that took only a few hours but feels really special. I've already got a friend picked out to share this one with and hope to make a few smaller versions as Christmas gifts this year.

Experiment with your shapes on a smaller piece if you're feeling a little intimidated, and work your way up as you build confidence. I promise, it won't take long before you've wrapped your mind around how it works and realize how much more awesome you are because of it!

For even more weaving projects and inspiration, check out my new book, DIY Woven Art. It's full of step-by-step photos designed to walk you through your very first woven wall hanging to finishing your own rug!- Rachel

Credits // Author and Photography: Rachel Denbow. Edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.

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Weaving Class: Creating Shapes and Getting Fancy

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I'm back with the second of three installments of Weaving Class to teach you how to make simple shapes and customize your wall hanging with a little paint and fun tassels. In the first class we covered the general tools you need to get started and set the foundation with a few basic things you need to know to create your first wall hanging.

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Crochet Snake Tutorial | Beginner Friendly | Sammy the Snake

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YOU MUST BRING YOUR OWN YARN FOR THIS! One large or two small skeins of yarn.

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Dwarven Yarn Beard : I love beards. I have always wanted one! I was looking at Halloween costumes for research and I came across this dwarven beard on Think Geek and really wanted one. But then I thought: I can make that beard out of yarn! BOOM. Dwarven yarn beard, here…

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Ask Mrs. M. about suppllies for weaving.

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Anni Albers was a German artist born in Berlin in 1899. She was very interested in art from a young age. Albers studied at the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus was an exciting school of art and design in Germany. At the time, women were only allowed to study a few classes. Anni decided to study weaving and became one of the greatest textile artists of our time!

Albers used a loom to weave. A loom is a machine that makes cloth out of wool or other threads. You can make your own loom at home and turn wool into a beautiful mini-rug!

Anni Albers Black White Yellow 1926, re-woven 1965 Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Everfast Fabrics Inc. and Edward C. Moore Jr. Gift, 1969 (69.134) © 2018 The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/DACS, London

Anni Albers Red Meander 1954 Private Collection © 2018 The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/DACS, London

Anni Albers Study for Unexecuted Wallhanging 1926 The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation © 2018 The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/DACS, London

Here's some of her textile artworks. Look at all of the bright colours! Which one is your favourite?

Ready to make your own? Let's have a go!

You will need

Coloured wool (3 or 4 colours is best)

Scissors

Ruler

Lolly sticks

Cellotape

Glue

2 Cardboard strips (15cm x 3cm)

Piece of cardboard (15cm x 18cm)

Ready? Let's start ...
This activity was made in collaboration with OKIDO.

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Anni Albers was a German artist born in Berlin in 1899. She was very interested in art from a young age. Albers studied at the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus was an exciting school of art and design in Germany. At the time, women were only allowed to study a few classes.

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The Easiest Crochet Hat EVER (Made from a Rectangle!) - FREE Crochet Pattern for Beginners - Yay For Yarn

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This simple-to-make hat is made from a crocheted rectangle! It's the perfect project for a beginner crocheter, or anytime you want a quick and easy project.

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Welcome! I'm so glad you decided to learn how to crochet! This is a craft that is super easy and fun to do because when you get the hang of it you can make just about anything. All you need to do is get used to holding your hook and your yarn, make a slip knot, crochet a chain and your good to go! In addition you will also learn how to crochet one of the basic crochet stitches, the single crochet.

In the beginning of my crochet journey I watched a ton of videos and tutorials on you tube to make sure I get this right. I'm sort of a perfectionist and wanted my projects to look exactly like they did in the photo's and videos. However, practice makes perfect! You need to make some sample squares in the beginning to get the feel for how to hold your hook and yarn and to make sure you understand your tension. Don't worry if you end up with a lot of squares! You can connect them and make a blanket at the end! How cool is that?!

In this written tutorial I am going to show you how to hold your hook and yarn, make a slip knot, crochet a chain, single crochet and to finish off and weave in your ends.

What you will need to start:

Most importantly you will need yarn, the recommended size crochet hook, scissors and a yarn needle.

I recommend that you start off with a thicker yarn and the hook recommend by the yarn label.

That said, how do you know what to look for when you go yarn shopping? On the yarn label you will see the number showing what size your yarn is, it looks like this:

How to hold your hook:

Firstly everybody is different. There are no right or wrong way for holding your crochet hook.

But there are two common ways for holding it, the knife hold and the pencil hold.

Knife Hold

Pencil Hold

I use the knife hold as it feels much more comfortable for me. But it is totally up to you!

How to make a slip knot:

Before we get to how to hold your yarn, we are going to make a slip knot and place it on your hook!

The slip knot is most commonly used to start your crochet project. You will need to know this, as almost all patterns don't instruct you to make one at the beginning of the pattern. If you had to do something else, like when your making toys/amigurumi, the pattern will call for a "magic circle", but we'll get to that in the next tutorial.

Here's how to make a slip knot:

Measure out around 3 inches of yarn. Grab the yarn with three fingers and point your index finger outward. Just like making a finger gun! 🙂

Wrap the yarn over your index finger once with the short end at the front of your finger.

Wrap the yarn around your finger once again, so that you have two "loops" around your finger.

Grab both ends, the short tail and the long tail (attached to the ball of yarn), also known as the working yarn, with your thumb and middle finger.

Take the back loop and pull it over the front loop, but don't pull it off all the way.

Now take the back loop and pull it off your finger completely and tighten the knot. Make sure not to make it super tight because you want the slip knot to be able to slip up and down.

Ta-da! You made your first slip knot!

Insert your hook into the slip knot and pull on the working yarn. Make sure the tail end faces towards the hook.

How to hold your yarn:

Okay, we've learned how to hold your hook and how to make slip knot, now we conjure on to how to hold your yarn.

Isn't this exciting?! 🙂

The way you hold your yarn determines how tight or loose your tension will be. Whether you are right handed or left handed, your hand needs to be relaxed holding the yarn. Not too tight or too loose.

This is again, is totally up to you, but this is the way I hold mine.

With your slip knot connected to the hook, hook in your working hand - place the yarn between your middle and index finger.

Wrap the yarn around your pinky, coming back up to the front of your index finger. Then wrap it to the back of your finger.

Again, you can determine how you hold your yarn so that it flows easily through your hand as you crochet. Whatever you are comfortable with.

How to make a chain:

You've come so far already! Crocheting your first chain can be daunting because it still feels a bit weird.. But you will certainly get the hang of it the more you practice!

So you have your slip knot on your hook, now you need to hold the slip knot in place with your thumb and middle finger against your hook.

To make a chain, bring your yarn over your hook from back to front and grab it with your hook. Pull the hooked yarn through the slip knot.

And that's it, your first chain! Yay!! Repeat this step until you have 21 chains. The loop on your hook does not count as a chain. Your chain should look something like this:

For the chain you need to remember that practice makes perfect. Your chain needs to be loose enough so that you can see through the chain. You will notice if it is too tight when you work into the chain and can't fit your hook through the chain. If your tension is still a bit too tight, you can switch to a bigger size hook. This will make the chain a bit looser.

Let's take a closer look at your chain...

The picture below shows how to count your chain stitches. For the next part you will work into these stitches.

Still a bit confused? 🙂

I made a tutorial on YouTube that shows you everything I just mentioned above in a quick 8 minute video!! (Yay!!!) Click here!

Remember to subscribe to my YouTube Channel and click the notification bell to be notified when a new video is posted!

The single crochet

Okay, lets learn how to crochet the single crochet stitch!

Click here for the YouTube Tutorial! 🙂

Keep an eye out on how I hold my chain between my middle finger and thumb, as you work down your chain move the work down using your fingers.

Skip the first chain and insert your hook into the center of the next chain.

Bring your yarn over your hook from back to front and grab it with your hook (also known as Yarn over), and pull through the chain and up your hook. There should be two loops on your hook.

Bring your yarn over your hook from back to front and grab it with your hook, and pull through both loops on your hook. One loop remains on your hook. You've just made your first single crochet!

Continue to make 19 single crochet down the entire chain. Your chain of single crochet should look something like this and you should have 20 single crochets in total:

Moving on to the next row:

Now, to start crocheting on the top of the chain you need to chain 1 (yarn over, pull through the loop on your hook). This chain 1 is the turning chain. The turning chain helps to keep your sides of your work straight.

Turn your work the same way every time. It doesn't matter which way you turn your work, as long as you turn it the same way every time.

To continue down the row, insert your hook into the last single crochet you made in the previous row. Have a look down below. you will see that this is the single crochet next to the chain 1.

Notice in the picture above, how the stitch looks. You should put your hook through both the front and back loop of the stitch. You will see that it looks like a V.

Yarn over and pull through the stitch, you have two loops on your hook.

Yarn over and pull through, and you've completed your single crochet on the second row.

And that's about it! You can crochet! So if you want to use this square as just a sample piece, you can practice how to the weave in the ends too! Below I'll show you how to finish off and weave in your ends!

Finish off and weave in the ends

Cutting the yarn is the most satisfying feeling (other than seeing your finished product of course).

Patterns will call for FO / Finish off which means the dame thing as cut your yarn and tighten the loop. Below are photo's of the process for both finishing off and weaving in the ends. (It's really super easy)

Weaving in the ends

And that's it! 🙂

You can now continue to practice the single crochet by making more squares for a blanket / throw.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed creating this tutorial for you! Please feel free to comment if you have any questions and don't forget to follow me on all my social media platforms! Also, subscribe to the newsletter so you get all the newest tutorials and best of all free patterns!

I hope to see you at the next tutorial!

Please share this post on the socials 🙂

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Want to learn how to crochet? In this blog post you will find an easy to follow step by step tutorial of crocheting like holding your hook...

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18 Step-By-Step Crochet Tutorials For Beginners And Beyond

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If you’re looking for beginner crochet projects, we’re sharing must-have supplies and simple step-by-step crochet tutorials!

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Learning how to crochet is easy once you learn the different stitches. If you've never tried it before, we'll walk you through five of the basic crochet stitches you're likely to find on simple patterns. Once you've mastered slip knots and chain stitches, you'll be able to crochet just about any beginner-level project (a crocheted temperature blanket is a great one to start with!).

Our step-by-step diagrams will help you learn how to crochet the stitches so you can get started as soon as possible. All you'll need is a crochet hook (we recommend getting a starter pack like this 6-Piece Crochet Hook Set $6, Michaels) and yarn. If you have old yarn leftover in your craft closet, we recommend starting with that ( otherwise skeins start at just $2 at Michaels) and crocheting a few small squares of each stitch until you get the hang of it. That way, you can save the good stuff for your first project.

Follow these simple instructions to get started.

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5 Basic Crotchet Stitches Every Beginner Should Learn

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Master these easy crochet stitches and you'll be making hats, scarves, and blankets in no time.

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crochet leggy frog tutorial | no sew 🐸 - YouTube

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crochet leggy frog tutorial | no sew 🐸 - YouTube

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Fabric Bowls: Make a Beautiful DIY Gift with Recycled Fabric! - Mosswood Connections

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Make your own beautiful fabric bowl DIY gift. Turn fabric scraps into a fabric bowl DIY gift with a sensory activity that helps build fine motor skills.

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Complete your autumnal display with these fabric pumpkins, which look great on a mantel, as a centerpiece, and anywhere else you choose to display them. With some batting, fabric of your choice, and needle and thread, you can easily DIY a stunning pumpkin patch that will last the entire fall season.

Add texture to your display by choosing a few different fabrics for your pumpkins. Ours are rendered in linen, silk, and velvet in various colorways that call to the season. Set your fabric pumpkins among real ones and complete the cool autumnal scene by adding spare branches and scattered leaves spray-painted silver.

What You'll Need

Materials

Instructions

1. Cut out fabric:

Cut out a fabric rectangle on the bias that's twice as long as it is wide. (We used 5-by-10-inch, 8-by-16-inch, and 11-by-22-inch pieces for our three pumpkin sizes.)

2. Fold rectangle, right side up, so short sides meet; stitch along that edge with 1/4-inch seam allowance. With doubled thread and running stitches, sew along 1 end; pull thread to cinch fabric closed, and stitch to secure.

3. Stuff pouch with batting:

Turn pouch right side out; stuff with batting. With doubled thread and running stitches, sew around open end; pull thread to cinch fabric, and stitch to secure.

4. Wrap floss around pumpkin:

Thread long needle with floss. Wrap floss around pumpkin, pulling through the core several times, to add ridges.

5. Make the stem:

For stem, cut out 2 stem-size pieces of fabric. Stitch pieces, right sides facing, leaving base open. Turn right side out; stuff with batting. Secure open end to pumpkin with slip stitches.

Originally appeared: MARTHA STEWART

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Here, we're showing you how to make fabric pumpkins with needle, thread, batting, and assorted fabrics.

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Adventures in art, craft, and crossing cultures.

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Introduction: Branch Weaving

Branch weaving is sort of a combination of yarn bombing (which I would love to do someday on a massive scale) and a dream catcher. It is different and fun to be able to bring an item from nature into the home as an art piece.

I first saw branch weaving on the blog Natural Suburbia when I was searching for a fun craft to do with my son. He is a nature lover and very much a little artist so I knew this would be a perfect project for him. We went out and searched for the 'perfect' small branch for him to weave on. He already knew how to weave so this was a natural progression for him.

When he was weaving his branch and I saw how much he enjoyed it I really wanted to try it myself on a larger scale. I added a few patterns in my version on the weaving to give the piece extra character.

One could really go all out with branch weaving with detailed patterns. What's even greater is no piece will ever be the same just because of the branch arms and shapes!

All of the patterns used in this weaving project are very basic and easy. They are good for a beginner, even a child with some prior weaving experience.

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Step 1: Item List and Inspiration

You will need the following items to complete this project:

branch
yarn
scissors
large plastic needle
crochet hook

Step 2: Prune a Tree or Go Foraging

If you don't have a tree to prune of your own you could go foraging in the woods for the perfect branch or you could watch around your neighborhood. Chances are in the fall someone will be pruning a tree. Especially oak trees. Ask if you can have a couple of branches. My guess is they would not mind at all!

I happen to have a massive oak tree in my front yard that needed pruning so I sent my husband up on the ladder to get it done and save some good branches in the process! You will want a sturdy branch with a 'V' shape in it. If the branch is flimsy it will get increasingly smaller when you try and wind it with yarn so make sure it's strong.

Choose the branch you want and trim off excess twigs that you don't need or want using pruning sheers or a small hand saw. Use caution when using any trimming tool. They are very sharp and don't care what they cut.....including fingers. If you are doing this project with a child an adult should do the trimming.

Clean branch accordingly if you notice any bird or animal poo. That is not welcome in the finished piece!!

Step 3: Wind Branch

Once you have chosen a branch you can wind it with yarn, string or thread. What ever you choose is fine. I chose to use yarn for my entire piece.

Tie the end of the yarn on the closed end of 'V' of the bottom branch. Stretch it up to the top branch and wrap it around once before stretching it to the opposite (top) branch making sure to keep the yarn taunt.

Continue all the way along the branches until you reach the end or where you want to stop.

Tie off the yarn in a knot and trim the extra length with scissors.

Step 4: Weaving Pattern

The branch I chose is approximately -
20 inches (from the start of the yarn to the end of the yarn on the bottom branch)
21 inches (from the start of the yarn to the end of the yarn on the top branch)

Pattern for this branch weaving is as follows:
x = over
o = under

navy blue - repeat sequence 4 times (10 total rows)
x o x o x o x o x o
o x o x o x o x o x

olive green - repeat sequence 4 times (8 total rows)
x x o o x x o o x x o o
o o x x o o x x o o x x

orange - repeat sequence 10 times (20 total rows) spreading rows out as to be able to see through the rows. You can also fill these in with yarn so there is no space but I wanted to be able to see through some of it - dream catcher-ish.
x x o o x x o o x x o o
o o x x o o x x o o x x

medium blue - repeat sequence 10 times (20 total rows) spreading rows out the same as the orange.
x x o o x x o o x x o o
o o x x o o x x o o x x

white - repeat sequence 5 times (10 total rows) I think I actually had 11 rows of white but it's doesn't need to be exact in any way!
x x o o x x o o x x o o
o o x x o o x x o o x x

navy blue - repeat sequence 2 times (4 total rows)
x o x o x o x o x o
o x o x o x o x o x

yellow - repeat sequence 3-4 times (about 24-32 total rows)
x x o o x x o o x x o o
x x o o x x o o x x o o
o x x o o x x o o x x o
o x x o o x x o o x x o
o o x x o o x x o o x x
o o x x o o x x o o x x
x o o x x o o x x o o x
x o o x x o o x x o o x

dark green - repeat sequence 6 times (12 total rows)
x x o o x x o o x x o o
o o x x o o x x o o x x

olive green - repeat sequence 3-4 times (12-16 total rows)
x x o o x x o o x x o o
x x o o x x o o x x o o
o o x x o o x x o o x x
o o x x o o x x o o x x

white - repeat sequence 4 times (8 total rows)
x x o o x x o o x x o o
o o x x o o x x o o x x

dark blue - repeat sequence 9 times (18 total rows)
x x o o x x o o x x o o
o o x x o o x x o o x x

light blue - repeat sequence 8 times (32 total rows)
x x o o x x o o x x o o
x o o x x o o x x o o x
o o x x o o x x o o x x
o x x o o x x o o x x o

orange - repeat sequence 14 times (28 total rows)
x x o o x x o o x x o o
o o x x o o x x o o x x

yellow - repeat sequence 9 times (36 total rows or until finished with branch)
x x o o x x o o x x o o
x x o o x x o o x x o o
o o x x o o x x o o x x
o o x x o o x x o o x x

***You can use a fork to tighten your weave at any time if you can't get it tight enough with your fingers.
***When you run out of thread and start a new piece don't worry about knotting them. You will weave those strays into the back of the weave at the very end. The rows will be tight enough that the yarn won't come out.

Step 5: Finishing

Using a crochet hook catch the ends of the threads on the underneath side of the weaving project so they don't hang out. Trim any long pieces.

Hang on the wall and admire your art!

We have a be nice policy.
Please be positive and constructive.

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Branch weaving is sort of a combination of yarn bombing (which I would love to do someday on a massive scale) and a dream catcher. It is different and fun to be able to bring an item from nature into the home as an art piece.

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How to Hand Sew an Invisible Stitch ( Tutorial 6 ) - YouTube

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How to Hand Sew an Invisible Stitch ( Tutorial 6 ) - YouTube

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How to Hand Sew an Invisible Stitch ( Tutorial 6 )

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hand stitches | back stitch | hand sewing | stitching techniques #shorts - YouTube

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hand stitches | back stitch | hand sewing | stitching techniques #shorts - YouTube

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hand stitches | back stitch | hand sewing | stitching techniques #shorts

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Learn hand sewing with basic hand stitches. There are many different stitches in sewing. Stitching techniques are a must know and essential to be able to re...

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How to tie a knot - Basics series #4 - Embroidery for beginners - Tutorial - YouTube

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How to tie a knot - Basics series #4 - Embroidery for beginners - Tutorial - YouTube

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How to tie a knot - Basics series #4 - Embroidery for beginners - Tutorial

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How to load your hoop - Basics Series #1 - Embroidery for beginners - Tutorial - YouTube

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How to load your hoop - Basics Series #1 - Embroidery for beginners - Tutorial - YouTube

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How to load your hoop - Basics Series #1 - Embroidery for beginners - Tutorial

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Embroidery for beginners | TOP 10 stitches! - YouTube

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Embroidery for beginners | TOP 10 stitches! - YouTube

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Embroidery for beginners | TOP 10 stitches!

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Hand Sewing Tutorial (RIGHT HANDED): Backstitching - YouTube

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Hand Sewing Tutorial (RIGHT HANDED): Backstitching - YouTube

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Hand Sewing Tutorial (RIGHT HANDED): Backstitching

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Portfolio — Inge Jacobsen - Textile Artist

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Portfolio — Inge Jacobsen - Textile Artist

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Portfolio - Inge Jacobsen - Textile Artist

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Here you will find selected work by Inge Jacobsen including key pieces for which she's become known for, such as her cross-stitched Vogue covers.

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Lisa Kokin | Artist, Art Instructor & Art Coach | Art Mentor

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Lisa Kokin | Artist, Art Instructor & Art Coach | Art Mentor

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Please Rate Your Experience, detail

Mining Mending
Textile Center, Minneapolis
April 25 - July 15, 2023

An invitational exhibition of nine contemporary artists who explore the theme of mending as the conceptual and technical basis for their artistic practices. Two large pieces from my Raw Edge series are included in the exhibition.

Color VI Gail Severn Gallery

Ketchum, ID
May 9 - June 30, 2023

An exhibition of represented artists whose work demonstrates the powerful response that color can elicit from the viewer. My work is represented by pieces from the Raw Edge and horticultural series.

Five Contemporary Embroidery Artists
by Jo Hall
TextileArtist.org

In this article from the U.K. featuring my work, I talk about the inspiration for and making of Shooter, part of my series How the West Was Sewn, in which I stitch leaves, vines and branches from the covers of pulp cowboy novels. Read article here →

Mending money: Lisa Kokin
Essay by Maria Porges

Maria Porges has written an insightful essay about my work with money as part of a series of essays featuring, in her words, "artists for whom mending plays a significant role in their art practice." The essays feature work in a diverse array of media and I am honored to be included. Read essay here →

Dorian's Rose

The Dorian #2
Calgary, Canada

This commission, for a Victorian-themed hospitality venue, stipulated three elements: that the piece be made from vintage copies of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, that the overall shape be the Alberta Rose, the provincial flower of Alberta, and that, although a wall piece, it needed to be sculptural. I love working within these types of limitations. Using six different copies of the book, I made Dorian's Rose from both the pages and the covers of the classic novel.
More commissions examples →

East Meets West

Raffles Boston
Boston, MA

Given the theme of East Meets West for a hospitality venue, I created fourteen patinated copper pieces which use asemic text, both horizontal and vertical, in the form of punctured holes made with a sewing machine. Manipulated safety pins are an additional element in some of the pieces.
More commissions examples →

I am fortunate to have my work sought out by collectors nationwide. Below are two pieces that have recently been placed in private collections. I am always happy to talk about available work.

Inquiry
Paperback book covers, mull, thread, wire
56 x 35 inches, 2020

Private Collection
Portland, ME

48-49 (Democracy: A Very Short Introduction)
Zippers, thread, shredded money, 26 x 28.5 inches, 2014

Private Collection
Oakland, CA

I work one-on-one with many artists in my Coaching/Mentorship Program, an outgrowth of decades of mentoring graduate students in local colleges and universities. The program is tailored to the needs of each artist and includes six one-hour meetings or the equivalent to be completed within six months.

Artists use their coaching/mentorship sessions for critique and career development, as well as issues related to maintaining a consistent studio practice.

For artists who live outside of the San Francisco Bay Area, mentorships are available via Zoom.
Read more →

For the Time, Being
Patinated copper, watch springs
10 x 11.75 x 1 inches, 2021

My work featured on El Hurgador: Arte en la Red, a blog from Uruguay. A bilingual Spanish/English mini-survey of work from The Wordless Library, books made of copper with asemic text.
Read more →

Territory

A short video of Territory by Lia Roozendaal. Territory, part of the Raw Edge series, measures 49 x 80 inches, and is made of reclaimed fiber, scraps and failure fragments rescued from the studio floor.

A video of about the making of Nature Library,
A commission I recently made.

Community Health Innovations (CHI)
Montage Health/Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Monterey, CA

I received a large commission for the new Montage Health/Community Hospital in Monterey, CA. Nature Library will be viewed from both sides in a beautifully constructed Plexiglas box. The piece is the result of countless hunting and gathering forays to find discarded books at the local recycling center and is composed of dozens of book cloth covers from a wide variety of sources. It was a true pleasure to make the piece, knowing that it will contribute to a feeling of well-being and tranquility as people "read" the bits of text while waiting to see their doctor.
My photographer, Lia Roozendaal, made a video of the process from beginning to end titled Nature Library Enjoy!

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Lisa Kokin | Artist, Art Instructor & Art Coach | Art Mentor

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Lisa Kokin is a visual artist and her work in mixed media installation, altered books, fiber, thread, found photos and sculpture has been exhibited extensively in the U.S. and abroad. Ms. Kokin teaches classes in collage, bookmaking, mixed media and directs an art coaching & mentorship program.

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very cool stitching and weaving with photographs and objects

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fabric and stitching

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fabric collage and embroidered landscapes

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fabric collage and embroidered landscapes

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No.5 Fortescue Court, Thorverton, Devon. EX5 5JN United Kingdom

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9 Embroidery Artists Who Are Redefining Their Craft

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9 Embroidery Artists Who Are Redefining Their Craft

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8 Cool Embroidery Artists Who Are Redefining Their Craft

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Our favorite contemporary embroiderers are those who experiment with color and texture—here are the ones who have caught our eye.

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How to Weave on a Cardboard Loom: 9 Steps (with Pictures)

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How to Weave on a Cardboard Loom: 9 Steps (with Pictures)

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Introduction: How to Weave on a Cardboard Loom

Weaving on a cardboard loom is really fun and super easy to do. I originally did this in school - my mom still has some of the stuff I made. I was the weaving master. :D

In this instructable I'll teach how how to make a cardboard loom and weave on it. It's a great activity for long car rides, waiting at the doctor's office, or classroom arts and crafts. Weaving on a cardboard loom is also great for people of all ages - you can make lots of modifications to make it suitable for folks of all skill levels. You can do quite a bit with a simple cardboard loom.

So come on, let's learn how to weave on a cardboard loom and be the envy of elementary school children everywhere! :D

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Step 1: What You'll Need:

yarn

scissors

large plastic or metal needles

cardboard

a ruler

The yarn, scissors and needles can be changed as necessary to suit the age of the person you're going to be doing the weaving with.
Young children and those with poor motor skills will benefit by using very large plastic needles and thick yarn as it will be easier to handle. Advanced crafters/weavers can use finer needles and yarn. :)

I'm using Lion Brand Yarn bonbon yarn for this - it's really fine so it makes the finished weaving look really nice. :D

Step 2: Make Your Loom

You can really make this any size you want! With this project, I figured I'd make a coaster size weaving. I'm using a piece of cardboard 5x5 inches.

Draw a line 1/2 inch in on every side of the loom. These will be your guides and will make holding it a little easier.

Now, you'll draw the lines for the notches! In most cases you want these to be 1/4 inch apart. However, you can make them as big as you want. The wider they are the easier the weaving will be. :)

Start at the 1/2 inch line, and make marks every 1/4 inch (or your chosen width) all the way across the top and the bottom of the loom.

Cut on the marks, stopping at the 1/2 line you've drawn.

Step 3: Stringing the Loom

Choose a thinner, smooth yarn for this part.

With the marked side of the loom facing up, thread a bit of yarn into the first notch on the upper left side. There should be a tail of a few inches on the back side of the loom. Tape this to the back of the loom.

Carry the thread down to the bottom left notch on the loom and pull it into that notch. Bring the thread back over to the front by bringing it up through the notch directly to the right of the leftmost bottom notch.

Continue doing this all the way across the loom - the pictures will explain this better. The front side of the loom with have yarn going from notch to notch, the back side of the loom will just be small segments of yarn looped around the notches. Leave a tail of the end of the yarn and also tape that to the back of the loom. :)

Step 4: Weaving!

Now for the fun part!

Cut a length of yarn (shorter is easier to work with at first - no more than 2 feet) and thread the yarn through the needle. I like to make a knot so that it stays in the needle - it has a tendency to fall out if you don't.

You'll be using the needle to guide the yarn through the loom in an under-over pattern. (Under the first string, over the second, under the next, etc.) Once the needle has passed through all of the strings, pull the yarn through and leave a tail of a few inches at the end. Push the yarn up on the loom so that it's about 1/4 inch away from the notches.

Bring the needle and yarn back through the loom from the side you just exited using an over-under pattern that's the opposite of your first line and pull the yarn through. (If your first line of yarn goes under the last string to the right, it needs to go over the last string to begin the second row.) Just don't pull too hard on the yarn - you don't want to warp the strings on the loom!

Push the second line of yarn up to meet the first.

Step 5: Continue + Introducing New Yarn Once You Run Out

Continue each row, alternating the over-under pattern, making sure not to pull the yarn too tight.

Every few rows, it's a good idea to use your thumbs to push the yarn up the strings so that it looks nice and uniform.

When you get to the end of a color, take it to one edge of the loom and leave a tail of a few inches hanging off to the side. You can either cut a length of yarn that is the same color or introduce a new color.

Take your new length of yarn, and insert it into the same side where your ending tail is. You'll be following the same over-under rules as before. So if the tail of the yarn ended going under the last string, you'll start your new yarn going over it. Pull your yarn through and make sure to leave a tail at the end.

Continue weaving as usual. :)

I've included a few photos of introducing the new lengths of yarn - I think they explain it better than words!

Step 6: General Weaving Tips

They are five major things you can do to make weaving a bit easier:

1. Tie your yarn to the needle. Otherwise it will slip out quite often because you're gonna be pulling the yarn through the strings on the loom like you mean business.

2. Use your fingers to hold the last string on the loom while pulling the yarn through. This is prevent you from pulling the yarn too tightly and warping the strings. If you don't leave the yarn a little loose on the left and right strings on the loom, it can warp your work. It won't lie flat when you're done and it might not turn out the shape you intended.

3. Use short lengths of yarn. Going all gung ho and using lengths of sting that are several feet long will more often than not create lots of knots. I do it anyway, but don't say I didn't warn you. :D

4. Use your fingers to push your work up quite often. This makes the finished weaving look much cleaner and you'll be able to get more rows of yarn on your loom this way.

5. Leave at least 1/4 inch of empty space at the top and bottom of your work. It'll make finishing your weaving much easier. :)

Step 7: Tucking in All the Loose Ends

So you've filled up your loom, but now you've got lots of crazy yarn ends everywhere. We're going to use the needle to tuck these ends down into the sides of the weaving.

The pictures illustrate this very well, but here's a breakdown of how it works:

1. Thread the end of the yarn through the needle.

2. Insert the needle into the side of the weaving, on the outside edge of the string.

3. Pull the needle through the edge of the weaving

4. Pull the yarn through, pull it tight, and cut off the end.

5. Use your fingers to rub the edges of the weaving and make things look nice and neat.

Try to pull the ends of yarn through weaving of the same color. It'll help disguise the ends. :)

Step 8: Taking It Off the Loom.

Remove the tape from the long strings on the back of the loom. Release the top loops first, and then the bottom. Hold the weaving near the top, and pull up on the top loops.

You want to pull the string through the weaving, so that the bottom loops are brought up to be flush with the bottom of the weaving, and the top loops gain extra length.

Once the weaving is scooted down to the very bottom of the strings, you can cut the top loops in the middle and tie those off.

We'll take care of the long strings in the next step. :)

Step 9: Finishing It Up!

After tying off the loops, you'll still have two long strings to take care of. We're going to deal with them like we did with the loose ends in step seven.

The only difference here is that you will want to bring the string over the first row of the weaving and then push it through the side. By looping it over the top row of the weaving, you keep the string from getting pulled completely out of the weaving. You kinda have to anchor it in there. :)

And now you're done! Enjoy your coaster, placemat, loincloth, pin cushion or other completely awesome thing you've just woven. :D

Let me know if you have any questions or comments below.
Especially if you have suggestions on easier ways to finish the weaving!

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How to Weave on a Cardboard Loom: Weaving on a cardboard loom is really fun and super easy to do. I originally did this in school - my mom still has some of the stuff I made. I was the weaving master.

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If you're launching into any embroidery projects this weekend, you might consider incorporating the chain stitch - or some variation thereof - into your current project.

Why? Lots of reasons! The basic chain stitch is easy, it's versatile, it's attractive, it works up quickly - and it has oh-so-many variations to it that you could never get bored with it!

The amazing thing about this list of 26 chain stitch variations is this: they just scratch the surface. There are heaps more ways to incorporate chain stitch into your embroidery projects, but this list is a good place to start.

26 Tutorials for Chain Stitch, Variations of Chain Stitch, and Chain Stitch Composites

Chain stitch: the basic stitch that started it all! It serves well on its own, as a line stitch or a filling stitch, and it also forms the foundation for many composite stitches that involve chain stitch.

Alternating or checkered chain stitch: when you want a little alternating color in your chain stitch line, just use this version, which requires stitching with two threads in the needle at once.

Basque stitch: another combination of chain stitch (twisted, in this case) and buttonhole stitch.

Braid stitch: think of it as a series of sideways-worked twisted chain stitches. Makes a beautiful braided line!

Cable chain stitch: the chain stitch that really looks like a chain. It can also form the base of composite stitches, like the buttonholed cable chain stitch.

Chain stitch lines with opposing lines of buttonhole stitch: another composite, this requires four chain stitched lines, over which the buttonhole stitch is worked. Great for wide filled lines with a little texture to them.

Chain stitch spider daisy: this combines detached chain stitch and ribbed spider web, to create an interesting, textured, raised, flower or geometric element.

Crested chain stitch: a variation of chain stitch that incorporates a coral knot on top. It can be worked open, closed, small, large, for different looks.

Detached chain stitch: the ubiquitous daisy stitch - the easiest petal-shaped stitch, it consists of one chain all by itself.

Detached chain stitch in two colors, take one: a nice way to dress up your daisies!

Detached chain stitch in two colors, take two: and another nice way (and easier) to dress up your daisies!

Double chain stitch: creates an open double line with a zig-zag pattern inside.

Heavy chain stitch: an easy way to create a tight, smooth, braid-like line.

Hungarian braided chain stitch: a favorite! This is a wonderful stitch for a textured braided line that works up quickly.

Interlaced chain stitch band: another composite chain stitch that creates a chunky, textured line.

Knotted chain stitch: a chain stitch with a knot involved.

Open chain stitch: This one is interesting - it can create a boxy line, or, when worked close together, it almost looks like two opposing lines of buttonhole stitch.

Oyster stitch: a combination of a twisted chain stitch inside a larger chain stitch, these stand on their own and make nice, plump ovals, great for leaves, flower petals, and oyster stitch rose buds.

Raised chain stitch band: a great way to create a nice, chunky composite stitch. It makes great edgings when finishing ornaments and the like, too!

Rope stitch: this is more of a "hidden" chain stitch. It's chain stitch that ends up looking almost like padded satin stitch. (The video is old, but it still works - it's on my "replacement" list...!)

Rosette chain stitch: a great stitch for flowers and for decorative lines, this is a combination twisted chain, chain, and upside-down buttonhole. (Another one of the old videos - still works, but needs replacing!)

Scalloped buttonholed chain stitch: the star here is more the buttonhole than the chain stitch, but you couldn't have one without the other in this composite. You can also buttonhole the cable chain stitch, for a round eyelet look.

Spanish knotted feather stitch: this one is a combination of twisted chain stitch and feather stitch. It can be worked open or closed.

Twisted chain stitch: Another stitch that's used as a foundation for composite stitches, too - it can be worked in a line or individually.

Wheatear stitch: yes, it looks like wheat.

Whipped chain stitch: whether whipping a whole chain stitch line, or just one side of the other of the chain stitch, or whipping two rows of chain stitch together, chain stitch works well whipped.

And there's your list! 26 ways you can use chain stitch - and actually a few more, with some additional links in the descriptions.

Finally, don't forget chain stitch as a filling, especially in tambour embroidery! Great way to fill a space, by hand, relatively quickly!

Like I said, it's not an exhaustive list, but it's a beginning.

What's your favorite way to use chain stitch? Any inspiring ideas you want to share? Any variations or composites that are chain-stitch based that you'd like to add to the list? Feel free to add to the conversation below!

Have a swell weekend!

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26 Tutorials for Chain Stitch Variations

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If you're launching into any embroidery projects this weekend, you might consider incorporating the chain stitch - or some variation thereof - into your current project. Why? Lots of reasons! The basic chain stitch is easy, it's versatile, it's attractive, it works up quickly - and it has oh-so-many variations to it that you could never get bored with it!

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15 Stitches Every Embroiderer Should Know

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15 Stitches Every Embroiderer Should Know

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15 Basic Hand Embroidery Stitches You Should Know

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Learning hand embroidery is fun and easy with these 15 essential stitch tutorials for beginners and experienced stitchers!

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Get Creative! Fearless free motion stitching for beginners

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Get Creative! Fearless free motion stitching for beginners

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This week's exercise for Get Creative! may give you some ideas about how to develop freedom, fluidity and evenness in your free motion stitching.

Even if you've never tried free motion stitching, give this a try...

Even if you are a complete beginner I urge you to give this exercise a try. Don't worry if, the first time, your curved lines are a bit jagged or wobbly, your circles overlap (where they perhaps shouldn't), or your stitch lengths are uneven.

Since last week's Get Creative! post, which discussed easy ways for beginners to get started in free motion stitching, I've received a number of comments and questions regarding the difficulty of creating a piece like one shown in that article:

Don't be intimidated by this exercise.....there are no 'rules' about how it should look. Remember - it's an exercise - not a work of art!

Relax!

By doing the exercise a number of times - perhaps varying the design or layout each time - you'll soon be feeling relaxed and more comfortable with your free movement of the fabric under the needle.

When I began free motion quilting, I tried reproducing neat, orderly filler patterns that were anything but neat and orderly! My approach is to help you develop no fear and complete freedom so that you can then go on to develop your FM skills and be able to do anything you like, eventually.

So instead of what I had originally planned for this week's article, I've produced a little video showing how the piece (at the top of this article) was stitched - and how you can do one just like it.

Fearless Free Motion Stitching for Beginners

What you'll need

A free motion foot for your machine - generally referred to as an open toe foot, free motion foot or darning foot.

Consult your sewing machine manual if you're not sure how to drop the feed dogs on your machine.

A prepared quilt sandwich (approximately 12″ square) that has been pinned, basted or fused together to prevent movement of the layers. In the example I've made, I added an appliqué shape to give me something to stitch around, however this is not necessary. Or you could simply use an erasable fabric marker to define an area.

Thread

What you'll learn

How to:

Stitch along a curved edge

Stitch wavy loops and lines

Stitch 'Pebble' stitch

These are introductory stitches that can then be worked up into other designs and shapes.

What you'll accomplish

Freedom and relaxation in your stitching motion

Confidence

Don't be alarmed if your first effort is not perfect - FM stitching takes practice - lots of it!

Mastering these basic skills and stitches will set you up for future skill development.

Would you like to learn more?

Why not take an Online Class with me in Freestyle Machine Thread Sketching - Click here for more info!
Thanks for visiting!
For more ideas check out theTutorials in Sharing and Thread Sketching in Action videos and tutorials

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back to basics approach to free motion stitching

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fearless free motion stitching for beginners

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fearless free motion quilting for beginners

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Get Creative! Fearless free motion stitching for beginners

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Fearless Free Motion Stitching for Beginners offers newcomers to this technique a 'Back to Basics' approach that will have you feeling comfortable at your sewing machine when the feed dogs are down! This exercise may look challenging, but with a little practice it will help you develop the necessary freedom and relaxation for effective free motion quilting.

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Needle Felt Bunny Rabbit - Make and Fable

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Needle Felt Bunny Rabbit - Make and Fable

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Perfect for springtime, make this cute bunny rabbit using needle felting!

I love needle felting! That you can take fluffy, unspun wool, stab it with a needle and end up with a cute little 3D object still amazes me!

If you are new to needle felting, don't worry, just hop on over to my How to Needle Felt tutorial first to get you started. If you have done some needle felting before, get straight into the tutorial below.
You will need:
-Foam sponge pad
-36 gauge triangular felting needle
-38 gauge star felting needle (optional, but creates a nice finish)
-Merino roving in grey and white
-Beads for the face
-Beading thread and needle
How to:
1. The bunny is made up of one larger ball for the body and one smaller ball for the head. Start by creating the main body, using a palm-sized amount of roving. Roll up into a tight ball, keep felting until it is a defined shaped but still squashy.

2. The head is created in a similar way, but using a piece of roving about a third smaller than of the body. Roll it up into a ball, but keep the ends loose, rather than incorporating them into the ball, which will help you to attach it to the main body.

3. To attach the head to the body, spread out the loose fibres evenly and needle them to the body, before taking the needle all around the join between head and body. Once you are happy they are felted together, turn the bunny upside down and needle to create a flattened base.

4. Now to make the tail! Take a finger sized piece of your white roving. Roll up, leaving loose fibres as you did for the head, except instead of smoothing them down over the body, swirl them round the base of the tail (like making a bun in your hair!) and needle securely to the body.

4.To make the ears. Pull out two equal, finger sized pieces of roving (starting out with the same amount means your ears are more likely to be the same!). Take one piece, fold in half, fold each side in so they just meet and bring the corners in and start to needle. Repeat this with the other piece of roving to make the second ear. When needle felting something fairly flat like this, its a good idea to pick it up after a few stabs to prevent it felting to the foam!

5.I find it easier to felt the two ears together lightly at the base, rather than attaching them one at a time. Place most of the loose, fluffy fibres down the back of the head, but try to leave a few coming over the face. Needle them one as you did with the head. Once they are attached, take time to reshape your bunny if needed and to needle down any fluffy bits (this is when I use the 38 gauge star needle, as I find it leaves a smoother finish)

6.Thread a size 10 beading needle with approx. 1m of beading thread (I'm using Nymo). Take the needle in the back of the head and out where you want your first eye to be. Add the bead (I'm using a size 8 seed bead) before your pull the needle all the way through to give you the chance to reposition if needed. Take the needle around the outside of the bead and back through the head. Try to make tiny stitches that are not visible on the back of the head. Repeat for the other eye and for the nose (I'm using a size 11 seed bead). Still using the same piece of thread, make a vertical stitch down from the nose, then make two diagonal stitches outwards. Trim off any excess threads and the loose ends should disappear in the felting. If you can still see any threads, needle some more roving over the top.

Why stop at one bunny? Make a whole warrens-worth of rabbits! If you make your own Needle Felted Bunny Rabbit or have any questions feel free to comment below or message me on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook! And if you really like my tutorials, I'd love for you to sign up to my monthly email! Happy Making!

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Needle Felt Bunny Rabbit - Make and Fable

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Perfect for springtime, make this cute bunny rabbit using needle felting! I love needle felting! That you can take fluffy, unspun wool, stab it with a needle and end up with a cute little 3D object still amazes me!

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Adriana is the Webby-winning designer and editor-in-chief of Scene360 magazine. She's created successful projects over the course of 20 years in the fields of art, design, fashion and web. Currently dividing her time between Lisbon and San Francisco. Follow the author @Instagram , Twitter, Facebook and view more articles.

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Artist Lisa Jordan makes these beautiful brooches by needle felting wool, and then implementing it to a found piece of oak. Her work is magical, because it is like you are viewing a mirrored reflection of the woods where she lives nearby. Photos © Lisa Jordan Link via Platea

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How Much Wool Do I need for a Needle Felting Project? - Bear Creek Felting

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How Much Wool Do I need for a Needle Felting Project? - Bear Creek Felting

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How much wool should I buy for a needle felting project?

I have been asked this questions many times over the years and understandably so. If you have never needle felted before or have just begun, how do you know how much wool you will need for a project? I have taken some pictures with information on the weight of wool needed to make a certain needle felting project that I hope will be a good guide for you to follow.

Wool will shrink down to about half of it's size when needle felted, a good thing to understand when you are out shopping for wool. This is a good place to start, but I hope to offer more guidance with the pictures below.

Each of the sculptures in the pictures are solid Romney wool. Next to each of the sculptures is the amount of wool I used to make the sculpture. This is a good visual guide to understand how much it shrinks down when felted. Below each picture I include the weight of wool and the size dimensions of the sculpture.

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How Much Wool Do I need for a Needle Felting Project? - Bear Creek Felting

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I have been asked this questions many times over the years and understandably so. If you have never needle felted before or have just begun, how do you know how much wool you will need for a project?

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Needle felted bunny family miniature | Amazing needle felting <3 | Pinterest | Felt bunny, Needle Felting and Felting

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Recycling plastic bags: how to make a coiled basket — Malena Skote

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Recycling plastic bags: how to make a coiled basket — Malena Skote

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If you have a pile of old newspaper in you home and you don't know what to do with them, then this tutorial will help you. With a bit of creativity and time, you can weave DIY baskets from recycled newspaper. It could be a great decor or a place for pencils, ball pens and other school supplies.

You only need:

First, to make newspaper strips. Cut (lengthwise) the newspaper into two. Then, place the thin stick at one corner of the newspaper and start rolling it until it reaches the other end. Secure the end with glue. Remove the stick from the strip. Then, get another newspaper and repeat the process until you created a lot of newspaper strips.

Prepare the round paper. This serves as the base of the basket. Arrange about 8-9 strips of newspaper on the base and secure them with glue. After pasting the strips, pour a bit of glue on top. Secure another round paper on top to ensure the strips are absolutely intact to start weaving.

Get another strip. Glue its end on one of the strips on the base then, begin to weave. The strip should alternatively go under and over the next strips. Make sure to knit the strips tightly and well. Add more strips until you reach the desired height and shape of the basket.

When you are finished, cut the excess strips. Then, firmly glue the ends to the basket to avoid it from collapsing. When you are satisfied with the stability of your basket, you can now put things in it. You can also paint it with any desired color.

Now, you won't have to worry about masses of newspaper in your house. They can be recycled and customized according to your needs. Magazines can also be used.

Watch How it is Done

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Recycle Old Newspaper into Useful Basket [DIY Project] - The Budget Diet

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If you have a pile of old newspaper in you home and you don't know what to do with them, then this tutorial will help you. With a bit of creativity and time, you can weave DIY baskets from recycled newspaper. It could be a great decor or a place for pencils, ball pens and other ...

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Today Erin and I decided to do some branch weaving and we have put together a little tutorial for you:)

Beautiful, colourful yarn

A branch shaped in a V shape

Tie on some yarn at the bottom of the V and wind your warp onto your branch.

Twist your yarn firmly around each branch twice and make sure it is quite tight.

Erin putting the warp onto her branch, Charlie sleeping nearby...

The warp is on, now to start weaving...

Tie on your first colour, thread your needle and start weaving in and out of your warp thread.

This was such fun to do:)
Enjoy!

Hello and Welcome

Hi, I'm Linda, welcome to Natural Suburbia. We are a homeschooling family from South Africa. I am a knitter, pattern designer, gardener, mountain biker, homesteader and try to be as self sufficient as possible... Please do not take written content or images from this blog without asking my permission. If you would like to print out a pattern for knitting purposes, you may. You can reach me at: lindadawkins@mweb.co.za 2008-2017 © Copyright

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Today Erin and I decided to do some branch weaving and we have put together a little tutorial for you:) Materials: Beautiful, colourful yarn A branch shaped in a V shape Wool sewing needle Scissors Tie on some yarn at the bottom of the V and wind your warp onto your branch.

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EDIT: Stop by HERE to see another Rag Bowl I was working on.

I've already mentioned that Pixie has a birthday coming up and all the gifts I'm making for her have a rainbow theme. When thinking about all the little things I'll be crafting, I thought (dangerous past time, I know 🙂 that I needed something to put them in. Back in the 80s I was really into using the upholstery cording to make all sorts of things. I haven't used it in years, so I decided, what fun! So, here are the directions for Pixie's Rainbow Coiled Rag Bowl. I'll be sharing my "stuffings" as I get them done!

Materials:
new or used light to medium weight cotton
(I bought 1 yard each of 6 rainbow colors and have tons left for other projects)
1/2″ upholstery cording
(I bought 10 yards and used 9. Yardage depends on the size of the bowl you cover)
embroidery floss (2 strands) or quilting thread (needs to be heavy duty)
sturdy needle

BEFORE YOU BEGIN... IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT TACKING: As you start assembling your bowl, you will be asked to tack the cording together to form the bowl. When tacking, you must go through 2 pieces of cording; the piece already part of the bowl, and the new piece you are adding. The method I used was to go through the center of a new piece, and bring the needle out halfway through the cord below.

I would then push the needle back into the cord, close to where the thread came out, and angle my needle so it comes up through the center of the strip of the new cord that has not been tacked down yet. (Sounds much more complicated than it is. Check out the photo!)

Pull the thread tight enough so it holds the coils together but not so tight that it begins to dimple the cord. I then put a very small tack stitch where the thread came out to stop the threads from loosening up.

When tacking your bowl together, you want to keep the outside of the bowl stitch free. So as you form your bowl, think about how the next piece of coiling will be added to the bowl, and make your tack stitches so they will be hidden by the next row of cording. On my final row you will be able to see your tacks, but if you use matching thread, and evenly space your tacks, it will not detract from the finished bowl.

Directions:
Pick a bowl you want to use as a form. My bowl was 4″ at the base, 8″ across the top, and 5″ high. Turn the bowl over so the bottom is up.

Rip your fabric in 1″ strips. Again, how many strips you need depends on the size of your bowl. I needed 4 strips, 1 yard long of my purple, blue, green and 3 strips of yellow, orange and red. I suggest you rip as you go, so you only rip as many strips as you will actually use. You will also need a 2″ square of the first color you use.

Begin by wrapping the end of the cording with the 2″ square of fabric. I wrapped my matching embroidery floss around the outside of the fabric to hold in place before I tacked it to the cording.

Take your first color and place the end of the strip near the tip of the covered end of the cording. Pin in place. Begin wrapping the cording with a strip by wrapping on an angle, always overlapping the previous piece by 1/2″. Continue wrapping the cord firmly, slightly condensing the cording as you go. Stop when you are about 3″ from the end. Pin the strip to the cording so it does not untwist.

To start forming the bowl, begin coiling the covered cording, tacking as you go. (See note above about tacking.)

To add a new color, you can either sew the pieces together by simply overlapping and stitching, or you can tuck the new color under the old color by 2" - 3" and continue wrapping as if they were 1 continuous piece. The tacking and wrapping you do will hold them together, and since this is a rag bowl, some unfinished ends showing are acceptable HOWEVER, make sure any of the unfinished ends are in the inside of the bowl, not the outside, and you can trim back some of unfinished ends on the inside to "neaten up" the bowl when you are done.

To begin with, you can work on a flat surface. Periodically place your piece on the bowl bottom. When your coil is as big as the base of the bowl, continue wrapping the cord with the strips as you have been, but now, as you coil the wrapped cording, use the bowl as a form. Wrap the cord around the bowl, pinning the cording to the previous coils, on the angles the bowl is creating. Continue tacking in place as you build up your bowl.

When your bowl is as tall as you want, cut the cording. Then, taper the last 4" of the cording before wrapping it. Wrap in the same manner. The cording will diminish in height, but you should keep the width the same. Pin in place, and tack as before. You may want to put a couple of extra tacks in at the very end.

You might also like...

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Pixie's Rainbow Coiled Rag Bowl - Wee Folk Art

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EDIT: Stop by HERE to see another Rag Bowl I was working on. I've already mentioned that Pixie has a birthday coming up and all the gifts I'm making for her have a rainbow theme. When thinking about all the little things I'll be crafting, I thought (dangerous past time, I know 🙂 that I needed something to put them in.

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Colorful Spirits Coiled Baskets | Welcome to the Craft Yarn Council

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When you need to add on more yarn or change to a new color, here's what you do: when 2"-3" remain, cut the needle off and lay the yarn ends along the clothesline core; thread another needle and then place the ends of the new yarn next to the ends of the old yarn and secure in place by winding the new yarn over them until covered.

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How to Make Plarn - Plastic Yarn Tutorial

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How to Make Plarn - Plastic Yarn Tutorial

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Join the Plarn Strips

To join the strips, you will perform a basic larks head knot. This is a really easy knot that I've broken down into steps in the above photo.

Overlap two loops. I've used two different bag colors to make this easier on the eyes. You can combine colors for a variegated yarn, or stick to one color.

1. Where the loops intersect, reach over the yellow circle, under the white circle, and grab the other side of the yellow plastic.

2. Pull the yellow strip through the white loop.

3. Pull the yellow to the right so that it overlaps the white loop.

4. Keep pulling!

5. The knot will form.

6. Tug to tighten, but don't pull too hard, as some bags will rip at this point.

This is actually a very quick and common knot to make and when you've made it once, you'll never forget how to do it.

Now, keep joining pieces to form a ball.

See Plarn Creations and Patterns

More Ways to Reuse Plastic Bags

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How to Make Plarn - Plastic Yarn Tutorial

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To join the strips, you will perform a basic larks head knot. This is a really easy knot that I've broken down into steps in the above photo. Overlap two loops. I've used two different bag colors to make this easier on the eyes.

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Heather of Poppy Haus is with us today to share a DIY on a wonderful weaving project for kids and grown-ups... I can't wait to try it!

In addition to being a mom and a DIY blogger, I am also an Interior Design student. Earlier this year I took a textiles class where I learned about fibers, fabrics, printing techniques, and weaves. One of our final assignments had us building simple looms from a piece of cardboard and string to create a wool tapestry using a variety of weaving techniques. For this post, I sat down with a couple of crafty 10 year olds, Ella and Amelia, and following the same steps, they built their own looms and tapestries. This is my favorite kind of project; the kind where math and art combine, and composition and craftsmanship influence the end result. I think they did a beautiful job! Here's the tutorial in full. Follow along with the photos and it won't feel all that complicated, I promise.
Materials: Step 1: Making the loom

1 piece of cardboard, at least 8 inches wide, and 15 inches long

Embroidery thread, or thin string, about 14 yards

1 piece of construction paper or cardstock

Pencil

Ruler

Scissors

Yarn (multiple colors)

Wooden dowel or stick, cut to about 8"

Leather or twine for hanging

Step 2: Plain Weave (Tabby Weave) Step 3: Sloping Step 4: The Swedish Braid Step 5: Dovetail

Using a ruler, mark the center point of the width, and mark ¼" segments 10 each side of center, a total of 21. Repeat on the other end. Cut the segments ¼" deep with a pair of scissors.

Wrap the end of the thread around the outermost cut, winding in one or two spaces, then back to the outer cut to secure the thread.

Wind around, lengthwise, end to end, with decent tension (do not warp cardboard) until you reach the last cut on the other side, secure in the same way, by wrapping back in and out, and trim the end. You have made the warp! And you are ready to weave in the yarn, crosswise, this is called the weft.

Fold a piece of construction paper in half lengthwise, then fold until it is about ½"x 8", insert under the strings on one end. This lifts them for weaving.

Step 7: RYA Weave (the fringe weave)

Working with three different skeins of yarn, create color block by interlocking weaves as they meet on warp yarns. To do this divide the loom into three sections, of 7 warp threads each. Tabby across, when, where they meet, twist the yarns around one another and turn back, the middle row will interlock on both sides, or one of the outer blocks can not connect, leaving a slot.

Follow with another inch of plain weave.

Step 8: Tie it Off Step 9: Tassels!

This one is fun! Cut yarn several (40-60) 1 ½ inch pieces of yarn.

Center the yarn over two warp threads and pull ends up through the warp. Go across one row.

On the return (right to left) drop the first warp thread so that your knot will offset from the first row. Repeat for 3-4 rows.

Follow with an inch of plain weave.

Step 10: Hang and Enjoy!

I made pom-pom tassels for the girls to hang off their tapestries. To do this just wrap yarn around the tines of a fork, about 50 revolutions.

Remove the looped yarn, tying around the middle with another piece of yarn.

Cut the loops and even out to make a perfect ball

Attach to the back side of the tapestry with a piece of yarn, just by knotting through some of the weave under the RYA tufting.

I attached the tapestry to the dowel by looping pieces of yarn through the weave, tying it off, trimming and inserting the dowel.

Knot a piece of leather cord around either end of the dowel and you are finished!

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Heather of Poppy Haus is with us today to share a DIY on a wonderful weaving project for kids and grown-ups... I can't wait to try it! In addition to being a mom and a DIY blogger, I am also an Interior Design student.