Weaving Bookmarks

 

Description: This is the lesson I taught introducing straw-based yarn weaving and Mexican heritage. They begin by taking four straws and spacing them out slightly so that they are not touching. They then taped the straws together at one end. Next, they selected a section of yarn and tied one end to the taped side of the leftmost straw. From there, they weaved the yarn through the straws in an over-under, back-and-forth pattern, ensuring that the yarn remained tight and close to each other. When the yarn reached close to the top, they tied it down on the straw to the far right. Afterward, the students then pushed four strings through the straws and tied them off at the end without the tape. Finally, they carefully pushed the yarn off the straws and tied the other side of the strings off.

Extension: This is a great introduction activity into weaving, and would be greatly beneficial if followed up the next year with a larger weaving project. Such as weaving bags, headbands, book covers, and scarves. Also, weaving is a major part of multiple cultures so teachers could use weaving as a way to introduce multiple cultures over some time, while students work on harder weaving projects.