I love classic paper crafts for kids, like today’s project: Paper Weaving. I’m certain we all did this at some point as a child and for good reason, it’s a great fine motor skills art activity for younger children and a beautiful design and art project for older children. It is also a great introduction to the art of weaving and knitting through the use of the familiar art supply paper.

In true Babble Dabble Do form, we couldn’t just do paper weaving, we had to mix it up a little! We tried basic paper weaving with bold colored paper and some catalog pages recycled from a design mailer. Then we tried more random slots for a varied texture, and lastly we curved it up! The Cutting Templates we used are included in this tutorial for your use! The results are as beautiful as I imagined they’d be!

Paper Weaving

Age Appropriateness: 5+

Materials

• PAPER WEAVING Cutting Template 
• Colored Paper
• Old Magazines, crepe paper, newspaper Cut into strips
• Xacto Knife and Ruler (adults only)

Instructions

• Step One  Adults should prepare the base/template by cutting slots with an Exacto knife in the paper base according to one of our templates. Be sure to stop cutting  1” from the top and bottom of the paper.
• Step Two Cut paper strips that are at a minimum the width of the paper base. I recommend longer strips and trimming them later.
• Step Three Time for the kids! Give your child the base and put out a collection of paper scraps. If this is their first time weaving you will need to walk them through the steps of pulling the paper over and under the slots. Make sure to pull the paper over and under alternate slots with each new layer to create a woven texture.
• Step Four Continue until the slots are filled.
• Step Five If desired trim edges of paper strips to match the paper base.

That’s it! My four year old didn’t quite grasp the concept of alternating layers but still enjoyed pulling the paper through the slots.

Now what?

Hang ‘em or turn ‘em into something else. Any ideas out there? Here’s our shortlist so far:

• Placemats
• Vase
• Lamp shade
• Paper Wallet

Looks Like

Josef Albers Josef Albers’ work was all about pattern, colors, and geometry. He was originally a painter but worked in the fields of design, education, and graphics, a true 20^th century renaissance man! Homage to the Square is perhaps his most famous series of paintings; do a Google image search of his work and you will be inspired by the color and compositions!

More

I remember loving paper weaving as a kid and I couldn’t let paper month pass by without revisiting this classic art project for kids. The bold graphic look is what appeals to me most and the combination of exploring composition and developing fine motor skills make this project a perfect one for kids of all ages and adults like me!

If you liked this project be sure to check out other 60 paper craft projects here on Babble Dabble Do.