Nature Weaving

As a girl I loved weaving and have recently got back into it.  For me anyway, it's such a relaxing activity and I wanted my boys to try it out...however, at 1 and 3 years old, weaving seemed a bit tough.

After watching an episode of "Gumboot Kids" I was inspired to try nature weaving with them- way easier and much quicker for little ones.   (If your children are older you can easily adapt this to be more challenging).

It was a pretty cold and rainy day but we needed to get out of the house- at least for a little bit, so we grabbed a bag and collected nature items.  We found items like dandelions, flowers, branches and leaves (anything that can be weaved between some yarn and a large branch- so not pinecones!)  We also made sure to find a branch that was a "y" shape. (This will be the base for your weaving).

We headed back inside to get warm and placed all our nature findings out on the table.  Other than natural items, you'll just need a small amount of yarn (any colour).  Depending on the age of your child, you may need to help with this part:  Tie the yarn at the base of the "y" and tightly wind your yarn from one side of the stick to the other until it reaches the top, where you will need to tie it again securely.

You should now have a criss-cross of yarn.  Show your children how to weave the flowers and branches you've found in and out, in and out, of the yarn until it rests securely.  Every child has their own unique ideas and imagination, so give them room and opportunity to weave their nature findings as they see fit.   I'm sure you'll be left with a beautiful nature weaving!

Almost everything you need for this little project can be found outdoors.  The only item you may need to buy if you don't already have some hanging around the house is yarn which you can get HERE