Boho Woven Wall Hanging

Woven wall hangings bring such a cozy, tactile element to a room, but buying them pre-made from artisan shops can be quite pricey. The good news is that weaving your own is surprisingly accessible, deeply therapeutic, and doesn’t require a massive, expensive wooden loom!

In fact, for this beginner-friendly tutorial, we are going to create our own loom using a sturdy piece of cardboard. It’s the perfect way to test the waters of weaving before committing to buying actual equipment.

Making Your Cardboard Loom

Find a thick, sturdy piece of cardboard (an old shipping box works perfectly) and cut it to the size you want your finished weaving to be, plus an extra inch on the top and bottom. Along the top and bottom edges, use a ruler to mark lines every quarter inch.

Use scissors to cut small slits at every mark, about half an inch deep. Now, take a strong, thin cotton string (this is called the warp yarn) and wedge it into the first top-left slit. Pull it straight down to the bottom-left slit, wrap it around the back of the cardboard tooth, and bring it up to the second top slit. Continue this zigzag pattern until your loom is fully warped.

Selecting Your Yarns

This is the fun part! Gather an assortment of yarns in different colors, thicknesses, and textures. Roving yarn (which is very thick and unspun) creates beautiful, fluffy clouds of texture, while thinner wool or cotton yarns are great for finer details and geometric blocks.

You will also need a tapestry needle (a large, blunt needle) to weave the yarn over and under the warp strings.

The Basic Tabby Weave

Thread your tapestry needle with your first color of yarn. Starting at the bottom left, weave the needle over the first warp string, under the second, over the third, under the fourth, and so on, all the way across. When you reach the end, pull the yarn through, leaving a small tail.

For the next row, you do the exact opposite. If you went OVER a string on the last row, you go UNDER it on this row. After a few rows, use a fork or a wide-toothed comb to gently push the yarn down so it’s packed tightly together. This is called "beating" the yarn.

Experimenting with Techniques

Once you’ve mastered the basic tabby weave, you can start playing with other techniques! Try "soumak" weaving for a braided look, or make "rya knots" to create long, luxurious fringe at the bottom of your piece.

Don’t be afraid to mix colors and textures wildly. Weaving is incredibly forgiving, and abstract, organic shapes often look the most striking.

Finishing Your Piece

When you’ve filled the loom, carefully slip the warp loops off the cardboard teeth at the top. Slide a wooden dowel or a pretty branch through those top loops to secure them. For the bottom loops, cut them and tie them together in pairs to secure your weaving.

Hang your new masterpiece on the wall and admire the incredible texture and warmth it brings to your space!