Weaving, knitting, sewing, and any type of activity that requires yarn, was never my area of expertise. Without fail, every time I pick up a needle and a thread, it’s not long before I take the loss and stare at my massive tangle of knots in defeat.
Turns out, all those years of my grandma trying to show me her weaving ways could have ended way more successful had I been using the ALEX DIY Happy Little Loom, from Alex Brands (Look at me know, Grandma!).
The handheld, portable loom is perfect weaving at home or on-the-go. Kids can use two to 15 rods to make different lengths and widths, and they can even weave different patterns or add beads to make each piece unique.
The set includes the 15 rods, a weaving tool, a threader, brightly colored yarn, a plastic needle, and beads. Using these tools, kids can create and personalize their own purses, phone cases, bracelets, headbands, scarves, and more.
The white and teal loom is light and compact enough to throw in a bag and take to school or to a friend’s house. The design of the loom also makes it comfortable for kids to get a firm grip on it as they weave unique wonders.
Before kids start working on a project, they’ll need to set the loom up following a few easy steps. Cords that are threaded into the bottom of the rods are called the warps. The length of the warp pieces determines how long in measurement the project will be. The yarn that is woven over and under is called the weft. The weft determines the width of the project. Alex breaks down the whole process in step-by-step videos here. They even point out each specific item so that kids (this girl included 🙋) won’t scratch their heads wondering what the heck a warp is.
Once that is set up, kids slide open the cross bar, remove the rods, and add the warp strands to the bottom of each rod with the threading tool. Pro Tip: Since the yarn will be doubled through the yard, the length of the yarn should be twice the length of the project. Pro Tip No. 2: Roll the yarn into a ball because it makes it MUCH easier to work with.
To thread the weaving tool, pull the loop out of the threader and push the loop from the front of the weaving tool to the back. Then take the yarn from the ball and insert the end into the loop. Pull the threader out of the weaving tool. Then, tie a knot around the first rod and go over and under each rod. TBH, if you’re like me, this may all sound like a lot of mumbo jumbo. Luckily, those trusty demo videos that Alex features makes the process extremely easy for even a beginner like me to understand. Once young threaders get a bit more experienced, these initial steps will become second nature!
Set up is officially complete and its time to for awesome creations to unfold. As kids get better, they will master the art of adding beads to their creations, and even seamlessly changing the color of the yarn. Project videos that provide step-by-step guidance in an easy-to-understand format are available here, and kids can also download additional patterns to test out here.
Kids can let their creativity shine as they make different creations and accessories that they can use in real life. Best yet, it will help them to concentrate on a task in order to complete it, and strengthen their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills along the way.
For fun, handmade fashion statements, leave it to weaver.
