While there are those people that do not appreciate handmade gifts, there are a lot of people that understand the thought and time that goes into these types of presents.
That being said – as a weaver you know that weaving is not a fast past-time so giving woven presents is not something that you might want to do for everyone.
No judgment.
So for those weavers that want to give the gift of weaving to more people without sacrificing anything – I have created tutorials for 6 one-day weaving projects. Do not worry! These easy and quick weaving projects do not look like they took you only a few hours to make.
If you are looking for ideas of what yarn to use or other supplies then check out my weaving supplies page to see what I use in my studio.
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Quick weaving project tutorials and ideas
Woven iron-on patches
These small patches are the perfect quick gift for anyone who likes to decorate their bag or jackets. They can also be basically anything you want/can fit into the size that you decide to create.
Patches tend to be on the smaller side and can be simple or complicated. Due to their small size, more complicated patches can be a lot harder to do. If you are wanting some more detail then you always have the option of adding embroidery on top!
To keep this patch simple and fast we are going to stick with a standard 6 EPI for our warp sett. You can use whatever loom you want, but I recommend a small frame loom for its ease of set-up and the least amount of loom waste.
Learn about different types of frame looms HERE.
Learn how to make a cardboard loom HERE.
Supplies needed
Yarn for warp and weft
Small loom
Iron-on fabric backing or pins
Iron
Set up your frame loom for the size that you want to create. In this case, I am weaving a 2-inch square at 6 EPI which requires a total of 12 warp ends.
Next: weave your patch!
Some ideas for what you could weave:
- Choose your intended giftee’s favorite colors and make a design with those.
- Weave their first initial or all of their initials.
- Weave a simple colored square and add embroidery to the surface.
Once you are finished weaving and you have taken it off the loom, you will need to cut down your iron-on fabric (if using) so it is ready for you to attach it to the back of your weaving.
If you are using the same one I have linked above then you will iron the backing onto your weaving for only 2 seconds on medium heat. Paper side up. When your patch is ready to be attached you will use your iron on medium for at least 15 seconds. The package says that you should iron it for about 6-8 seconds, but I found that that was not enough.
Just keep an eye on it and move your iron around.
That is it!
If you are not using the iron-on fabric then you can include pins with your patch when you gift it.
Small mounted wall-hanging for anyone!
One of the most iconic things that you can weave for a gift is a wall-hanging. Since we are going for fast and easy, making a smaller weaving that you then mount to a fabric-covered canvas gives it a larger presence and also makes it ready to hang!
Similar to your woven patch gift, what you make for your wall-hanging is completely up to you. Think about the person that you are making it for and try to incorporate that into your ideas.
One idea that seems to be pretty popular is monograms! If you are wanting to weave some imagery or shapes then make sure to check out my e-book where I walk you through both simple and complex shapes for your tapestry, plus tips for creating and securing your cartoon.
Some other ideas for this would be to mount some already made samples that turned out well or patterns/ designs in the giftee’s favorite colors.
One of the best parts about using samples is that you already wove them! All you have to do is finish them up and mount them. This also means you can get them out of your studio if you do not want to hold onto all of your studio experiments. I know I have a lot of samples that are just hanging around.
Supplies needed
Fabric for covering the canvas
Grey thread
I like to buy pre-stretched canvas and cover it in fabric for a simple and clean look. In this case, I am using linen fabric. It is simple enough to not take away from the mounted weaving, but has enough texture to make it interesting.
Stretch your fabric and use a staple gun to secure it on the back. It is important to keep the fabric taught so that it does not wrinkle on the front.
To attach your weaving to the canvas you can use a simple stitch in strategic spots. I like to use grey thread for this. You can read all about why every weaver should have grey thread in their studio HERE.
When you are attaching your weaving to the canvas make sure to bring your thread up between your weft and not through it.
Move your thread across the top of your weaving and make sure it will fall between the wefts and disappear.
Bring the thread back down through the canvas and repeat all the way across.
Do this on the top and bottom of the weaving.
You will also want to add a hanging wire onto the back of your canvas. This will make it a better hanging experience for your giftee.
Woven keychain
A keychain is probably one of the simplest and fastest gifts that you can make, but that does not mean it will not be something that everyone will love!
There are a lot of different sizes and shapes that you could weave up, but for this gift idea uses 6 EPI for a 1-inch x 4-inch weaving.
Supplies needed
Small loom
Yarn for warp and weft
Tapestry needle
When you take the woven keychain off the loom you will finish off one side like you normally would. This will be the bottom of the keychain.
Take one of these keychain clips and put the top warp through the D-shaped ring. Weave your warps back into your weaving and around the D-ring. This is very similar to weaving in your weft ends. Make sure to weave them in far enough that they will not slip out when the keychain is in use. About 2 inches or so (I only did about an inch, but more would be better)should suffice and allow the friction of the yarns to keep it secure.
Pull the tails a bit while you cut off any remaining warp yarn. Keeping them under this tension will allow them to easily retreat back and hide in the warp tunnels.
If you are worried about them coming out still, or you just want some extra security then you can apply a tiny bit of fabric glue to the warps when you pull them out so that it will get in the warp tunnel when it goes back in.
Woven cup-cozy for your friend that drinks coffee/ tea
If you have someone in your life that loves their coffee or tea then you can weave them up a personalized cup-cozy!
This cup cozy works just like those disposable cardboard ones that you might get from a coffee shop, but you can make them for just about any cup that is not the same circumference all the way down. Having a mug with a wider top will make sure that it stays on and will not slip off.
Supplies needed
Yarn for warp and weft
Any frame loom
1 Button
Tapestry needle
Again I am using 6 EPI and I am using a variegated yarn. This yarn makes it so that the weaving has a lot going on with very little work. It is as easy as weaving up a simple rectangle and using interesting yarn will allow you to weave faster!
You will set up your weaving to be 2-inch x 9-inch and it will have 12 warp ends. This should be a pretty good size for any travel mug you come across. If you have a specific one in mind, though, I recommend measuring it to get an exact measurement.
Including a button on your cozy will give it a nice touch and can also make it so it can be used around a cup with handles. Sew your button onto the cup cozy and attach a small braided loop on the other side for the button to go through.
Bonus points if you include a travel mug to go with your cozy plus some tea and coffee!
Woven “hoop” ornament or necklace
These miniature embroidery hoops are the perfect way to hold small sections of weaving to display.
You can use these to make everything from a necklace to an ornament! It all just depends on what you use to attach at the top.
I used miniature hexagon embroidery hoops, but you can also find them in different sizes and shapes.
I just happen to love hexagons.
You can absolutely weave something new for your hoop, but you can also use up some leftover woven yardage or samples. I used the woven fabric I had left from my loom bench cushion (this could also be a good gift – but it will take longer than a day.)
The biggest thing that you need to keep in mind when choosing a weaving to put in your hoop is that it can not be too thick. Tapestry or any other weft-faced weaving will be too thick to insert. Instead, stick with a balanced weave or any other weave structure that will weave up thinner. You can also use thinner yarn to make sure it fits well.
Supplies needed
Woven fabric
Glue
Extra yarn or chain to attach to finished piece
After you have a weaving ready, cut out a piece a little bigger than the hoop itself.
Make sure you have secured your fabric before cutting it. Learn how to secure your weaving HERE.
Push the smaller solid piece through the hoop with the fabric facing up. Once it is in place then close the hoop with the included screw and nuts. If the fabric is thick enough, you may not be able to use both nuts. That is ok! Just make sure you can close it with at least one.
Cut any excess fabric from the back of the hoop.
The larger solid piece is used to back the hoop and make sure it all looks clean. You can really use any glue you have on hand to attach the back to the hoop.
I used wood glue and painted it on with a brush since the hoops are small.
Hold the backing on until it is secure!
Depending on what you want to use these for you can either braid some yarn to create an ornament or attach a chain for a fun and chunky hand-made necklace.
Woven portable utensil holder (for reusable straws/utensils) for your sustainable friend
It is becoming more and more popular to keep a reusable straw and utensils with you whenever you leave the house.
While there is nothing wrong with keeping these things in a bag or in your glove box – having a dedicated pouch could be a fun way to make sure you always have them on hand. It also makes sure they are easy to find and not just floating around. So if you have a friend that keeps their utensils with them then this is a great gift for them!
Admittedly, this gift idea will probably take the longest of the list. You can definitely do it all in one day (I did!), but you may need to work on it a second day too.
Similar to our cup cozy this one is mostly just a rectangle. This biggest difference is that at the very top you will weave an extra few inches on one half.
Set your loom up for 6 EPI again and at least 4 inches wide. Go a little wider if you know they have a lot to carry! The height can also depend on what they will put in it, but to be safe The shortest part of the weaving should be at least 8 inches tall.
Supplies needed
Yarn for warp and weft
Frame loom
Tapestry needle
1 Button
After finishing, Sew your button onto the shorter half of your weaving towards the top. You can do this later, but it will be easier if you do it now.
Fold your weaving in half and sew your sides and bottom together to make a pouch. You can use either the same color or a contrasting color to do this. Make sure to fully enclose the bottom so that nothing can fall out. A simple yarn wrap will do really well to close up the bottom (see images below.)
The side can be closed up with a blanket stitch. This will be decorative and not take nearly as long as wrapping the entire side.
To do a blanket stitch:
Start the same way you started your yarn wrapping – bring your yarn from the inside of the weaving and around to the other side, but before you pull it tight – put your tapestry needle through the loop that it creates. Pull tight and move your needle over a few millimeters and do it again. Do this across the entire side and end with a simple knot!
Next, take some extra yarn and braid it. Attach this yarn to the flap. This will be used to wrap around your button and keep your pouch closed.
Bonus points if you make your pouch with recycled or scrap yarn and/or fill it with reusable utensils if your giftee is just getting started on their sustainability journey. These are the bamboo sporks that you can see in the images above.
All of these quick weaving projects can be done in a day (some in only a few hours!) They could all take longer, though, if you decide to add a lot of imagery or color changes to them. Keep your weavings simple, but maximize their wow-factor by choosing interesting yarns or adding simple patterns like stripes!
