August 24, 2017

I do not normally make how-to articles. I remembered that the last time I made some for my Grade 2 students a year and a half ago. During that school year, I was also inspired by a story of the Navajo weaver who made a blanket out of a sheep's wool using an enormous native loom. I also recalled visiting Binatuan Creations in Puerto Princesa Palawan. Last summer, I started researching about how to make my own loom. I made two DIY looms, one made out of cardboard, and the other one made of an old picture frame. However, I was looking for something to use for a long term.

I have been eyeing some shops online that sells looms. However, they were all from abroad. Lazada also sells some for children but it is over-priced. I am also worried that it might break while being shipped to me. So, last weekend, I consulted my Dad on how to make a wooden loom. he showed me that he already bought the materials and asked me for the measurements that I wanted. We started making my loom right after dinner. Whew! Dad was determined to help me.

Materials Needed:

• long plies of wood (measurements depend on how big your loom is; mine is 13" x 8")
• small, round barbecue sticks (you can also use nails or wooden pegs)
• small saw/cutter
• ruler/measuring tape
• cutting mat
• transparent glue
• pencil and eraser
• hammer
• drill

The goal was to make my loom look natural. Simple but functional.

First, we measured the plywood that fit my desired size, a 13" x 8" lap loom. I didn't want it to be too small or too big. I aim to make various lengths and sizes. I wouldn't be making blankets soon, anyway. Hehehe.


Second, Dad cut the two vertical plies and two horizontal plies of wood.


Third, I cut the barbecue sticks into tiny pegs. Each peg measured 2 cm. Dad demonstrated how to do this with a cutter. It was a little bit hard because some sides of the sticks broke. When that occurred, I didn't include it because it would not stick properly to the wood.



Fourth, Dad measured the distance between the tiny pegs on the two horizontal plies of wood.He marked 0.6 mm in between each peg hole. I opted for this measurement because I can always use every other nail if I want a larger woven space. It still gives me an option whether to make finer or bigger weavings.

My Dad also marked a line across the peg holes to keep them aligned. Then, he drilled the small peg holes one by one. By this time, I was still cutting pegs. I made 40 pegs on each horizontal plywood. 80 pegs in total.


Fifth, Dad put transparent glue in every hole and then inserted a peg in it. Then he pounded on the peg until it fits perfectly in each hole. The problem was the alignment of one part of the peg holes in both sides. Hahaha! Dad discovered that he made a mistake when he turned the loom over. He drilled on the wrong line. But it was alright because the only thing that would be affected while weaving was the consistency of the thread's length. I could easily adjust to this problem because I do not always need to weave up to the end of the threads.






Putting the plywood pairs to make a frame was the last step. Dad glued them together and let them air dry. He also attached a paper clipper to keep the plies of wood together. After 30 minutes, it dried up!


The loom was done after three hours which was a little longer than we thought. The truth was we didn't work continuously. Lol! Dad watched his favorite drama, Ang Probinsiyano, for an hour while I worked on the pegs. I also wrote my research paper and ate a Japanese version of Barquiron while he was in front of the television. So, it could have been two hours or less if we worked non-stop. My cat Rui who was overly curious as usual even accompanied us.



This was my Dad and I's first project together after several years. *big grin* I remember creating my Science project with him back in high school and grade school (I even won first place award for this! Sorry for bragging but I'm just too proud of him!). Making this with him became more meaningful. I had been dying to use it ever since we finished it. But there are no excuses now that my MA journey is ending. Finally, I have more time to weave!!!

Here are some references that helped me decide the design and size of my loom. I found the appropriate size that suited my needs. Check them out!

References:

1) The Weaving Loom - This is my favorite site that I subscribed to a few months ago. They are very helpful because there are plenty of references for beginners. Love it!

2) Dream A Little Bigger - I stumbled upon this site when I was looking for the perfect size of my loom. I didn't use nails like the blogger here. But her step-by-step was useful too. Aside from that, her cats caught my eye. :3

3) A Pretty Fix - The pictures are so nice! I couldn't document mine well enough because I was pretty messed up that night. But this blog helped me decide regarding the distance of one peg to another. This also inspired me to create a cleaner / minimalist version of a loom.

If you already made a loom, let me know how you did it. If you made some mistakes, tell me how you fixed it. Or if you're about to make one, let me know how you plan to make yours.

Aside from writing about my relationship with God, travels, and special life events, it feels really good to write about things that I create or the things I make with people around me.

Weaving things together,

K