- Hunter Museum of American Art - https://huntermuseum.org -

Doily Weaving

Doily Weaving

MATERIALS

  • Cardboard cut into a circle (a paper plate will also work)
  • Yarn or ribbon
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Tape

Fiber artist Ashley V. Blalock [1] uses cotton to create giant crochet doilies that are often hung in museums and galleries. Learn to weave your own doily using the instructions below and simple household supplies.

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Cut or punch a small hole in the center of your cardboard.
  2. Cut an odd number of notches along the edge of your cardboard. These should be about 1-2 inches apart.
  3. Flip the cardboard over.
  4. Tape one end of the yarn to the back of the plate.
  5. Pull the other end of yarn through one of the notches.
  6. Flip the plate back over and pull the yarn through the center of the circle.
  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you have pulled the yarn through every notch. These strings will form the warp.
  8. Tape the end of the yarn to the back of the cardboard. Now that you have created your circle loom, you can start weaving your doily!
  9. Take another piece of yarn and tie it to the warp.
  10. Weave your yarn through the warp. You should go over and under until you come to the end of your yarn.
  11. Add a new color of yarn by tying it to the end of the first yarn.
  12. Continue weaving until you have covered the cardboard.
  13. Cut the warp strings and tie them into knots to prevent the weaving from falling off.

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