Wild weaving

Nature, with its abundance of colours, textures, and seasonal variety, is the best inspiration for art. Children love to pick, collect, and display the treasures they find outdoors. Turn these collections into beautiful and unique natural tapestries with this simple weaving activity.

Materials needed:

• Yarn
• Sticks
• Lots of nature materials for weaving, such as long-stemmed flowers, grasses, sedges or ferns, flexible leafy branches or birch bark
• Scissors and clippers for cutting materials

Instructions:

1. Cut sticks to the desired length, and lay them in a rectangle. Wrap yarn around the corners and tie tightly to create a sturdy frame. Make sure all the knots are very tight—an adult might have to help with this step.

2. Tie the end of the yarn at one corner and begin to wrap the yarn tightly around the frame in a zig-zag pattern. Try to keep the yarn evenly spaced.

3. Continue wrapping to the opposite end of the frame. End off by tying the yarn to the frame.

4. Weave your collected nature materials in and out through the “loom”.

5. Trim the excess materials on the edges to finish off your masterpiece!