How to Make a Christmas Tree Weave
Put a festive twist on your wonderful weaving with this textural Christmas tree wall hanging! You'll be able to hang it up year after year without the fear of those needles dropping. Personalise your weaving by selecting your favourite colours to decorate the tree.
Project by @peasandneedles.
You will need
How to make
To warp up your loom, tie your warp thread around the first notch from the left. Secure with a double knot.
Bring the warp thread directly towards the top, hook around the notch and bring it back down towards you. Repeat this creating an 's' movement. Try to keep the tension of your warp nice and tight. This will be the base of your weave so needs to be strong. Tie off the warp around the last notch using a double knot.
Using your cream wool, wrap 2 strands at a time around your shuttle. To start weaving you will want to weave from the middle, bring your shuttle up from behind around halfway. Weave the shuttle up and over the warp threads.
Once you reach the end you will want to weave back in the opposite direction, this time weaving the opposite to the row below.
Repeat this for 8 rows. This is your basic weave which is called 'tabby weave'. Once you have finished your 8 rows, weave your shuttle into the middle and trim the wool, making sure all ends of your wool are poking out the back.
To create your first row of tassels, take your gold wool and cut strips approximately 35cm in length. Lay 12 strips on top of the warp threads. Each tassel will use 2 warp threads at a time. With your left hand, twist the wool over and around the warp and poke it back through.
Repeat this with your right hand with the second warp thread.
Bring the two sections together and gently pull towards yourself. This is your first tassel.
Repeat the technique until you have a complete row of gold tassels. No need to trim your tassels just yet, wait until the weave is off the loom at the end. To add extra tassels, add 2 extra tassels on either side.
Weave 20 rows of tabby weave with your brown wool on middle 8 warps. I have doubled the wool so its thicker and quicker to weave.
Fill in either side of the brown with cream wool. Again I have doubled the cream wool. With the smaller sections like this it is easier to weave using your wool needle.
To mark out where you will want your Christmas tree to be on your weave, take a ruler and a marker. Work out the middle of your weave and mark on the warp thread the triangle leaving 3 warp threads either side. This shape is where you will weave to create the tree.
Take your chunky green, cut small pieces of wool and add 4 tassels on the left of the tree. Tabby weave 2 rows on the right
Weave a couple of more rows to the left, decreasing in warp threads as you go to create a shape. Add 2 more chunky tassels on the right. To create more texture, take 10 strands of your lighter green and tie it around a warp thread.
Tie the wool into a knot and then weave around a warp thread. Tie another knot and then weave around the next warp thread. Keep going until you have a nice chunky section. Weave a couple of tabby rows.
To create a plait in your weave, which is also called Soumak. With 2 strands of dark green, weave in your ends.
Wrap your wool over and under each warp thread until you reach the end of your tree shape.
Reverse the technique and work back towards where you started.
Weave a few more rows with tabby weave to create your shape.
Adding more texture as you go with tassels and knotting. Just remember to keep with in your marked warp threads to create the perfect Christmas tree triangle shape.
Mix and match the techniques, this is where you can play with your wool or follow the pattern in the pictures.
To create loopy tassels, cut off a large piece of wool, just over 1m in length. You will need 4 or 5 of the same length. Weave your ends in and lay your wool over the top of the warps, just like you would when making a tassel. With the strands of wool in your right hand, twist under the warp. Exactly as you would with a tassel.
With your left hand, twist the wool over and under next warp thread. With your fingers hook the loops and bring down. Repeat these steps working to the left.
Keep weaving and playing with the wool.
Once you reach the top of your marked warp threads you will have created the shape of your Christmas tree.
Load up your shuttle with double strands of cream and weave in the missing sections. Weave the right side until you are at the top of the tree.
Repeat on the left side.
Once your weave is back to being one height, you can tabby weave all the way across. Weave until you are about 4cm from the top of the loom.
When you reach the left hand side you will need to secure your weave so it is easier when you take the weave off the loom. Tie a double hitch to each warp thread.
Now to decorate the tree! Place your wooden beads on the tree to work out the perfect placement. I have used 5 beads for this bit. To add some colourful 'baubles' double knot bundles of wool in pink, red and gold. Each bundle should have about 10 strands of wool.
Using your wool needle and some cream wool, thread from behind your weave, through your bead and back down. Knot the two pieces of wool at the back.
Place your colourful 'baubles' on your tree to get an even covering. Thread your needle with the wool and thread through to the back of the weave. Knot them together.
To make a little 'star' for your tree, wrap some gold and yellow wool around your fingers. Slip it off and tie around the middle. Trim the loops to create the fluffy pom pom. Give it a trim so its nice and neat.
Sew to the top of the tree.
To hang your weave on your doweling, carefully release the first looped warp thread. Wrap the looped warp thread around your dowel twice. Work your way along your weave, releasing each looped warp thread one at a time.
When you have wrapped all warp threads around your dowel, carefully tease your weave off your loom at the bottom.
To be able to hang your weave tie a piece of the cream wool around each end of the dowel. You can have this any length you desire. Here we have used a piece approximately 50cm in length. If you have any beads left over you can add one either side for some extra decoration.