Paper Weaving with Young Students

Each year, students do some sort of fiber arts project. With the older students, I do patterns inside of tabby weaving and make pouches, we also do simple sewing. However, those projects don't go very smoothly in less the students already have a foundation in weaving skills and techniques. We start in kindergarten and first grade with paper weaving. It's a cheap option and doesn't take as long as the yarn weaving. It also helps the students that still need to develop fine motor skills because they're using large strips of paper.

For first grade this year, we are combining weaving and collage-making to create a house! I originally saw this idea on one of my favorite blogs, Painted Paper! However, she originally found the idea on Pinterest.

We started by measuring and cutting our looms. I had the students use the ruler to make their lines. We did simple measuring using the width of the ruler as our guide. Then we cut the lines, making sure not to go too far! This took one class period. We went slowly and made sure everyone got it right. During the second class, we wove strips of paper into our loom and glued down the edges. This also took a whole class period because students have only done this once before in kindergarten. However, I have done this with first graders who did not do paper weaving in kindergarten and I have to tell you, it goes much faster if they have already tried it once!

During the third and fourth classes, we talked about collages and how to make them. We also looked at some examples. Then students glued their weaving to a piece of blue paper and begin collaging their house using scrap paper. I left it up to them as to what details their house would have. Let me tell you, some of those bad boys had pools and diving boards and the works! After this, the students were given paint choices as well as paint brushes and sponges. They added texture and details that they could not create with paper. The finished results are colorful and interesting and totally unique!