DIY Garden Loom

Make your own DIY garden loom to keep the kids (and maybe even the adults) busy outdoors.

Garden looms are a creative take on nature play for kids that combine the traditional elements of weaving with a plant-based twist. They're easy to make, versatile to use, and create quite the garden feature. Here's how to make your own.

How to make your own garden loom:

1. To begin, we sourced four strong and (relatively) straight sticks. We used branches cut from a mulberry tree that had been left to dry. They had a lumpy, bumpy texture that the twine could grip to, and they had some twiggy branches that we decided to keep. For a good-sized frame, choose sticks at least a metre long.
   
   
2. Lay out your sticks in the shape of a frame, with the vertical ones on top of the horizontal ones. The vertical sticks will eventually be dug into the ground to hold the frame upright, so allow plenty of extra length at the bottom—approximately 30 centimetres.
   
   
   
   
   
3. To tie the sticks together, we used ordinary garden twine and a square lashing technique. This method starts with a clove knot to the left, followed by even turns around the poles to make a square shape, followed by another clove knot to finish. Tie them nice and tight or you’ll get a bit of a lean to your frame! Be generous with the twine: we needed about 3 to 4 metres per corner.
   
   
4. Now you’re ready to add the ‘warp’ threads. These run vertically and will be what you weave through. We used the same garden twine, looping over the top and tying (as tightly as possible) to the bottom of the frame.
   
   You can experiment with the quantity and spacing of your threads.
   
   
   
   
5. Now it’s time to plant your frame. Dig it into your garden patch, making sure it’s deep enough to keep it sturdy.
   
   Explore your garden and neighbourhood for leafy fronds, or flowers (anything that takes your fancy) to thread through your loom. We used lomandra, fern leaves, lilly pilly, nasturtiums and plenty more.

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