Easy Weaving Projects for Kids: Burlap + Yarn and Ribbon
Below you’ll find weaving projects for kids that are are inexpensive, take very little prep work, and leave students with something they can use too. A couple of variations are included.
Weaving projects for kids often involve paper, but that does have drawbacks. Pre-cutting lots of paper strips is either a tedious job for teachers, OR a time-consuming one for students. Add to that the high probability of the paper tearing, and you have the makings of a vert frustrating project, especially for beginners.
Enter … fabric and yarn as a replacement. You not only eliminate the possibility of tearing, but students end up with an extra pretty weaving too. I discovered this burlap and yarn solution years ago, thanks to the strips that are sold every fall in craft stores. The benefits? Little prep, other than maybe pressing the burlap so all the strips lie really flat. Students loved the feeling that they were “sewing”, and I loved that they walked out with something pretty and useful, maybe as a bookmark or a gift for someone special.
I also found this to be a really flexible process for a range of grade levels. First graders who had never worked with needles before (not to worry, tapestry ones have very blunt ends) could just enjoy the process of working their needles up and down. Older students, or ones with more dexterity, could try to make their stitches more precise and not skip any of the threads. Either way, the looseness of the burlap weave made it easy for them to see and work with, and the finished edges of the strips kept everything in place. My tip if you are actually buying yarn for this? Get one gorgeous multi-colored skein from the yarn isle and the whole class can use it. They can always cut out certain colors if they wish, and everyone will be happy.
Use the button below to download this Weaving Project
Burlap and Ribbon
Materials for Weaving with Burlap
• Burlap Ribbon*
• OR Burlap yardage from fabric store
• Yarn, multi-colored*
• Ribbon, 1/4″ Satin*
• Fabric Scissors
• Tapestry needles*
• Old steam iron
• Ruler
*Affiliate links. If you purchase or take action, I’ll receive a small compensation, but at no cost to you
Step by Step Directions
Time needed: 30 minutes
Beginner Weaving Projects for Kids
- Unroll the burlap and press it with an old steam iron to flatten.
Cut strips of the burlap with the help of a ruler.
- Pull threads, one at a time, from the edges to make a fringe.
- Carefully pull out threads to make room for the new yarn or ribbon.
- Use yarn and tapestry needle to weave the yarn back in.
There is no need to knot anything, the yarn is meant to just lie flat.
If working with ribbon, just weave with your fingers.
Save me to your Pinterest Board
More Fiber Crafts
Hi! I’m glad you like my site. I bought my needles at my local Michaels, and don’t recall the size, but I think that I would just go for the largest ones you see. The burlap weave is really loose, so I don’t think it’s possible to get anything that is too big, and larger is always easier for students to thread.
Hi, I’m excited to have found your website. Thank you for all these generous ideas. Do you know what size tapestry needles you have there? I’d like to order some but they come in different sizes and I’m not sure which would be good for kids (K-6). Thank you!
Thank you for offering this project Kathy. I’m excited to try other art projects with the kiddos in addition to the guided draws (which I just love)!
Sincerely,
Joan Fournier
Walnut Creek, CA