Over the years, we’ve made all kinds of things using loom weaving techniques, but we’ve also made all kinds of DIY looms themselves. This helped us practice weaving with different materials and also let us make things in all different sizes. We started with cardboard and yarn, weaving different colours and thicknesses of yarn between a base yarn caught on cardboard teeth, and that’s one of the first techniques we taught our kids years later, but there are so many other kinds of awesome looming crafts out there to try!
Just in case you’re a yarn and weaving enthusiast too but you’re hoping to teach someone new or learn more weaving skills yourself, here are 15 awesome DIY loom crafts and projects that are all worth trying!
1. DIY rag rug on a homemade loom
Perhaps you live in a home with hard, chilly floors so you’ve always been interested in being able to make your own area rugs and floor mats? Then learning how to weave those out of stripped materials and scraps of fabric is a skill you’ll adore having! We love this tutorial from Cut Out and Keep because it walks you through the process of making just the kind of rug you need, but it also teaches you how to get longevity our of your looming skills because it shows you how to make your own durable loom out of crap wood and nails too. This frame is a lot more reusable than the cardboard kind you’ve probably made and worked on before!
2. Weaving on a cardboard loom
Perhaps you’re not quite ready to try something as large as an area rug yet and you’re rather stick to materials you already have in surplus at home rather than going out to buy wood, nails, and fabric? In that case, grab a sizable piece of cardboard from your recycling bin and dig into some yarn colours of equal weights in your crafting or knitting stash! Instructables shows you step by step how to make a simple flat loom by cutting notches along two edges of your cardboard and looping yarn into each. After that, you can start weaving! This size of cardboard loom is usually great for making things like pot mats and side table coverings to set vases of flowers on.
3. Beaded loom woven necklace
Are you already quite well versed in making cardboard looms so you’d rather make something smaller and more intricate, but you’ve been looking for a cool way to add another challenge to the project? Then beaded looming is absolutely something you should try! We love the way Brit + Co. made this stunning little woven choker completely with tiny gold seed beads for some extra sparkle.
4. Loom weaving with drinking straws
Have you actually done enough weaving to recognize that you have a bit of trouble keeping your tension even, so you’re looking for a method that has a little more structure to help you keep things neat and even? Then here’s an awesome alternative loom that will fix you right up! Check out how Dollar Store Crafts used cardboard, yarn, and simple plastic drinking straws to make a loom that avoids the all too familiar issue of pinching near the middle of the project where a basic yarn loom as less structure.
5. Rainbow Loom ring made on pencil crayons
If you have kids, or even if you don’t and you simple like keeping abreast of the latest trends in the crafting world, then we’re sure you’re already familiar with the art of rainbow loom! This is a weaving method that uses small, brightly coloured elastics woven together to create all kinds of different things, rather than working with soft materials like yarn and fabric. There are many different ways to make rainbow looming happen, but one of the simplest is this pencil crayon frame idea featured on Kids Activities Blog.
6. Rainbow Loom rattlefish style bracelet
Have you actually already done enough rainbow loom to know which frame or looming method you like best, so now all you need is a weaving style that will help you make a new pattern or effect that you haven’t tried before? Then we definitely think you should take a look at how Loom Love made this “rattlefish” bracelet featuring all kinds of bright colours and some really neat texture! we love the way their weaving technique creates an effect that looks like fish scales.
7. Eye cord style bracelet loomed on pens
Are you quite interested in the idea of looming around two writing utensils because the concept is very simple and you can to it essentially anywhere, but you’re looking for a weaving technique to use that gets you a finished product that’s a little bit neater and tighter than some of the things you’ve made so far? Then we may have just found the perfect tutorial for you! Craft and Creativity shows you how to make an eye cord style bracelet that twists around itself too look almost like a bangle.
8. Elastic loom charm bracelet
Now that you’ve learned how to make all kinds of bracelets using rainbow loom techniques, have you been looking for ways to jazz your pieces up a little bit? Then we think perhaps it’s time to learn how to incorporate charms into the equation! We love the way Creative Southern Home added dangling shaped beads onto their simple elastic bangle design, and we also love how simply they outlined their process so that you can learn to do it too.
9. Loom bracelet made on the end of a clothespin
Perhaps you already tried making your rainbow loom bracelets happen on a pair of pens or pencils but you didn’t like that the pencils were very free moving, without any real anchor to hold your work in place? Then maybe you’ll have an easier time with this clothespin method instead! Elmundo guides you step by step through the process of looming a simple bracelet around the two pinching ends of a simple wooden clothespin, like the kind you’d find at the dollar store. It’s just as portable as the pencils but a little more solid to work on!
10. Corked loom bracelet
We mentioned at the very beginning of this post that we have experiencing with corking, so imagine how excited we were when we found this tutorial for making rainbow loom style elastic bracelets on the same corking look we learned how to create yarn projects on originally! Craft and Creativity shows you how to get started with a wooden loom, some elastics, and a small crochet hook, giving you another way to make yourself an eye cord style bracelet in all kinds of colour combinations.
11. Ribbon weaving on a peg loom
This tutorial from Woolly Wormhead is one of our very favourites when it comes to referring our friends to good looming and weaving resources for two reasons! The first is that it teaches you another alternative method for weaving by showing you step by step how to both make and use a wooden peg style loom. The second reason is that this tutorial works very well with ribbon, and ribbon woven projects are absolutely stunning, no matter what your finished product is!
12. Elastic loomed fish
Are you quite new to the idea of making rainbow loom things, but you’re still feeling like you’d rather make something with a little more detail instead of just looming a single string until you’ve got enough to wrap around your wrist? Then perhaps you’d have more fun creating something like these adorable little elastic fish trinkets instead! DIY Crafts shows you how to weave your elastics differently to make the shape of the head and the tail, and even how to add an eyeball in a different colour for extra detail.
13. Native American style beading loom belt
Perhaps you’ve actually got a lot of experience with loom crafts and weaving and now you’re looking for an idea that will refine your skills and let you make something beautiful that has a little more finesse to it? Maybe you’ve even been hoping to practice beadwork so you can connect with an artwork that is part of your cultural history and heritage, continuing the important legacy of Native American handicrafts and beaded art! In either case, we think you’ll find this stunning woven jewelry tutorial from Mottes helpful.
14. Toilet paper roll and popsicle stick yarn spool loom
Have you been scrolling through our list hoping to find a completely DIY option that will not only help you teach your kids some basic weaving techniques, but that will also help them make some type of weaving tool of their very own from scratch? Well, if you’re already a big corking enthusiast, then we’re pretty sure we’ve found just the tutorial for you! Incredibusy shows you how to make your own hand held yarn loom out of an empty toilet paper roll and some popsicle sticks. We like the idea of decorating it too!
15. Embroidery hoop loom weaving
Are you a rather tight weaver who finds your cardboard looms don’t last very long before you’ve bend the teeth and worn the piece too ragged to use? Then maybe you need a simple base that’s got a little more hardy structure to it! We’ve tried recreating this embroidery hoop and yarn idea from Cassie Stephens before and we liked it so much that we still use it to make all kinds of small projects to this day.
