Weaving with CD Looms

Here's a new work choice for the Spirit Play classroom or a quiet lap-activity to work on during service: CD loom weaving.

There is a good tutorial here, as well as many colorful examples using fun and funky yarn and colors. I included a selection of colors in each box and basket, each piece about 3 feet long, and a 3x5 card with brief instructions on the back.  (I forgot to include the round-tipped child scissors in the box pictured, but they'd go in, too, so that the kids would have everything they needed at the ready.)

Here is one way to write out the instructions:

  

• ·         Move the shuttle over, under, over, under the warp yarn, or the lines going out from the center of the circle.
• ·         When you want to change colors, cut the old yarn, leaving a little tail that you can tuck in later.
• ·         Then, tie the new yarn with a small knot to the next closest warp string. Tie the other end of the new yarn to   the back of the shuttle.
• ·         Continue in your over, under, over, under pattern.
• ·         When you finish, tie your last bit of yarn to the warp string.
• ·         Remember, there is no wrong way to do this. The learning is everything.
• ·         Keep your weaving, or donate it to the church to use as a glare interrupter to help songbirds not crash into our windows. Thanks!

 It would be great to have picture instructions, too, for pre-readers.

At first, I thought we might build up a stash of these that could be used as glare interrupters to help songbirds not fly into our windows. But I'll have to get a couple of samples up and view them from outside to see if they work that way. They're lovely as art pieces just the same, and could be an all-the-time work choice or could be a special work choice along with a Grandmother Spider story or with the book "Extra Yarn," which is about a little girl who has a never-ending supply of yarn that she uses to knit for all her friends, neighbors, and even enemies.