Materials:
Child sized easel with tray, child sized chair, simple table top loom with pegs (ours has 18 wooden pegs along the top and bottom), sewing basket, large sized tapestry needles, little scissors, little fork, different coloured embroidery thread, different coloured balls of yarn, bag for yarn.

Project Overview:
1. Find a place in the classroom for easel and chair ensemble.
2. Place simple loom vertically on the tray so the wooden pegs are facing out and run horizontally along the top and bottom edges.
3. Wind the warp using different coloured embroidery thread.
4. Weave in the header at the base of the warp.
5. Weave in the weft, colour by colour.
6. Weave in the footer at the top of the warp.
7. Slide on the wooden dowel.
6. Remove the piece from the loom.
7. Tie the ends and finish.

Presentation (1): winding the warp and weaving the weft 

A) Winding the Warp:
1. Choose the first colour of embroidery thread.
2. Using this thread tie a knot onto the bottom left peg.
3. Pinching the thread between your thumb and index finger, draw the thread up and over the first peg at the top of the loom, left to right.
4. Keeping the tension pull the thread down to the first peg at the bottom of the loom.
5. Wrap the string around the first peg at the bottom travelling clockwise around the peg.
6. Pull the string over to the second peg at the bottom of the loom.
7. Wrap the string around the second peg, moving clockwise one time around the peg.
8. Keeping the tension, pull the string up to the second peg at the top of the loom.
9. Draw the thread up and over the second peg, left to right.
10. Pull the thread down to the second peg.
11. Wrap the thread around the second peg, moving clockwise one time around the peg…..
12. Continue winding the thread around as many pegs as desired. (We have used orange as the first colour and wound the orange thread over 3 pegs, creating 6 warp strands)
13. When finished winding the first colour tie a knot on the last peg used. (all of the knots will be along the bottom pegs)
14. Choose the second colour of embroidery thread.
15. Using this second colour, tie a knot onto the next available peg along the bottom of the loom.
16. Wind in this second colour as desired.
17. Continue winding on each colour of the warp until every peg has been used, then tie the final knot on the last peg at the bottom, far right of the loom.
18. Check the tension on the strings and adjust the warp so that the tension is evenly distributed over the strings.
19. The tension should be firm, however not too tight.

(Depending on the age and skill level of the child you may want to invite the child to help wind the warp. This part does require the ability to keep tension in the strands and tie simple knots. A child unable to wind the warp may still be able to weave the weft. This child may be invited to weave the weft once the header has been demonstrated to them, or at least one colour has been woven for them to see how it’s done.)

B) Weaving the Header:
The Header can be woven using any colour and thickness depending on the utility and design of the piece being created. For example, for art pieces (which is what we are making here) or rugs, or scarves, the colour and thickness should compliment the piece and become a part of the overall design. For things like placemats, the header is meant to be folded behind the fabric, ironed and sewn down. Regardless of these choices the header should be woven in properly, to secure the warp and create a solid foundation to begin. In our example, we have woven pink yarn as the header. Try to weave the header in just right so that it does not bow the warp. (squeeze the warp strands tightly together) The outer or end warp strings should remain fairly straight. The Header is the beginning of what is called the weft.

Measuring out the yarn needed for the Header
1. Choose the colour of yarn you would like to use for the header.
2. Decide how thick you would like to make it? Estimate the number of rows of yarn you will need to create this thickness? (or measure)

(Estimating correctly is something that usually takes practice. It’s fine to make a wild guess and be totally wrong because over time and with practice your wild guesses will become better estimations. This process is called trial and error and it’s something that will happen naturally. However, you could also use a ruler and attempt to get the measurement right the first time? If that’s preferred you can measure it out like this. With the ruler in your left hand, hold the ruler vertically up against the left end warp strand aligning the first measurement tick with the top of the wooden peg. Then proceed to make the decision on how thick? Lay the ruler down flat on a table. Place the yarn horizontally across the ruler and check how thick the yarn actually is? Our pink yarn is about 2.5mm thick. So, 2 yarn widths would make about 1/2 a centimeter. (see picture below) We would like to make our header 2cm. Counting by 2 yarn widths up to 2 cm is 2,4,6, and 8. 8 yarn strings will create around 2cm, and just less as the strings are pressed together and offset. So in this case we would need to measure out 8 rows of string for a header width just less than 2cm) (As a basic method for measuring, count how many yarn strings will fit into either 1/2cm or 1cm. Then skip count up to the desired thickness)

(When the child is able to skip count and has some familiarity with using a ruler it would make sense to show them how to measure)

3. Count out the estimated or measured number of rows as explained next. (we decided on 8 rows for our header)
4. Pinch the yarn end between your left thumb and index finger and hold the string on the left side of the warp, on the left side of the end string.
5. With your right hand pull the yarn one length horizontally across the weft strands (and a little more) and pinch the yarn.
(This is one row with a little more for wrapping)
6. Change hands so that the measured length is now pinched in your left hand instead of your right.
7. Move your left hand over to the left side of the warp, on the left side of the end string.
8. With your right hand pull the yarn one length horizontally across the weft strands (and a little more) and pinch the yarn.
(This is two rows with a little more for wrapping)
9. Carry on measuring each row until you have measured the number of rows estimated for the desired thickness.
10. Cut the string at this length and set aside.
11. Wind the yarn back onto the yarn ball and return the yarn to the bag.

Weaving the Header onto the warp
1. Tie the measured yarn onto the tapestry needle.
2. Pinch the end of the tapestry needle with your right hand. (the eye of the needle should be squeezed between your right thumb and index finger)
3. Point to the height above the far right peg where you wish to begin the first row. (Leave about a 3 to 10 cm space between the top of the peg and where you plan to begin your weaving)
4. Move the tip of the needle behind the first string.
5. “This is under”
6. Move the needle forward and over the second string.
7. “This is over”
8. Move the needle forward and under the third string.
9. “This is under”
10. Move the needle forward and over the fourth string.
11. “This is over”
12. Continue moving the needle forward, under and over the warp strands until these strands have covered the length of the needle. (At this point your fingers will be pressed up against the end string)
13. Using your left hand pinch the tip of the needle and pull the weft string through the warp. (do not pull the weft string all the way through, just enough to gain the slack needed to continue)
14. Pinch the needle back again into your right hand, between your right thumb and index finger.
15. Look at the last warp strand. The weft string should be running under this strand.
16. Point the tip of the needle over the next strand.
17. “This is over”
18. Move the needle forward, and under the next strand.
19. “This is under”
20. Move the needle forward, and over the next strand.
21. “This is over”
22. Continue moving the needle over and under as many strands as the needle can hold.
23. Once the needle is full, using your left hand pinch the tip of the needle and pull the weft string through the warp. (pull just enough to gain the slack needed to continue)
24. Continue on in this manner. (The pattern should remain consistent, under, over, under, over, under, over, all the way along)
25. When you get to the last warp strand on the left, pull the weft string all the way through leaving a tail on the right side. (About 20cm or more) You may leave the tail out to be finished later on.
26. Check the left end strand of the warp. Does the weft string go under or over this? When the weft ended over, begin the next row under so that the weft string wraps around the end. When the weft ended under, begin the next row over so that the weft string wraps around the end. Either way the weft strings must wrap around the end strands or when you begin the next row the string will slide right out. So you must begin oppositely to how you ended, every time.
27. Using the left hand weave the second row similarly to the first by moving the needle over and under each of the warp strands.
28. Using the right hand weave the third row, and so on until you have create the desired thickness for your header.
29. Once you are ready to finish, weave back part way and cut the string. This will secure the string onto the warp.

C) Weaving the multi-coloured Weft: 
Weaving the different colours of weft onto the warp can be done in exactly the same way as the Header albeit with the Sunset Method added. (see below) Invite the child to choose the colour of yarn, decide on the thickness, measure the yarn out and weave the weft. With your help they should be able to do it.

The Sunset Method
The Sunset Method is used to ensure the weft strings are not squeezing too tightly on the warp causing bowing, or continual shrinking along the way up the woven fabric. It’s very simple. Once a row has been woven through, slack is created in the shape of a semi-circle. It appears similarly to the setting sun on the horizon. The Sunset Method begins after each a row has been woven through the warp.

1. Once a row has been woven through the weft.
2. Pull the string all the way through the warp strands. (Do not pull the string so tight that it is tugging on the end string)
3. Using your fingers, push the string up at the centre and at the same time pull the weft string to the side, this will create that lovely sunset curve through the warp.
4. Pick up the fork tool. (use which ever hand is preferred)
5. Using the fork tool, tap the sunset curve at the center, all the way down the horizon. (This should create two curves joined at the center)
6. Using the fork tool tap down the right curve, tapping the string down and moving from the center to the right side of the warp.
7. Using the fork tool tap down the left curve, tapping the string down and moving from the centre to the left side of the warp.
8. Once the row has been tapped down into place,you may begin weaving the next row.

Presentation (2) : weaving the footer, sliding on the dowel and finishing the piece.