There are many ways to make homemade looms to make small crafts: coasters, supports for tabletops, rings, mobiles for babies, etc.
For these crafts, you only need a disposable plate or a cardboard disc according to the design and object you want to make.
You will also need colored threads or wool that will vary according to the size of the object, if it is small it will look better with embroidery thread but if it is large you can use wool or some type of rustic thread such as sisal thread.
We will teach you how to make crafts on a homemade loom, we will give you some ideas and how to carry them out to surprise your friends with small and handmade gifts. Also for Mother’s or Father’s Day you can make a nice gift.
What do you need to make a homemade Loom?
- Disposable plate.
- Paperboard
- Scissors, needle for sewing wool, wire
- pencil, rubber, ruler
- Colored wool, embroidery threads, or rustic threads.
Instructions to make a homemade Loom
- This activity of creating the loom and making crafts is ideal for children over eight years old who can entertain themselves or with their friends, it is also very useful to consider as a manual activity at school.
- If the work you want to do is about 20 cm in diameter, you can do it with a disposable plastic plate or with a cardboard circle. In other words, if you don’t have a plate, the first thing you should do is get a piece of cardboard and draw a circle on it. To draw the circle you can use a compass (in this way the center of the circle will be marked, which is necessary for this work). If you don’t have a compass, take a plate or a glass, depending on the size you want. Then cut it out neatly.
- If you do it without a compass you must mark the center of the circle. For this, place the ruler measuring the diameter in different places of the circle to be able to find the midpoint, that is, measure several times trying to go through the imaginary center. For example, if you measure 20.3 cm, divide by 2 and mark the center, then in another position you may measure 19.8 cm, divide by 2 and mark the center that will be close to the other. Repeat the operation several times and you will have it.
- Now draw straight lines passing through the center and making them equidistant. You should draw the first, then draw the second in half (it will be divided into four equal parts) then divide each space in half again and continue until each point is no more than 1 cm from the other if the size of the disc is 20 cm. Pierce the center and cut small spikes as shown in the figure around the edge of the disc.
- Take a base thread and alternately pass it through the center and then through each gap between the peaks. Tie at the back, you will see that the threads have a radial shape, like the spokes of a bicycle.
- Now take a colored thread, pass it from the center to the right side, and begin to pass it with the help of the needle over and under each base thread. When you think the thickness of the first tone is enough, it changes color, always leaving the remains of threads behind. Finish nicely near the edge and tie off the thread. Cut with the scissors the remains of thread on the back side so that it looks neat. The cardboard gives structure and thickness to the work.
Tips for making a homemade Loom
- If you want to make handicrafts with a loom, you should observe objects that can be made with this method, generally circular, although you can adapt them to shapes of hexagons, octagons, etc.
- To avoid accidents you can replace the sewing needle with a wire of about 10 cm or with a hair clip or safety pin.