Wacky Woven ‘Flying Carpets’

To create the warp: Take one piece of 9" x 12" Black Tru-Ray^®Construction Paper. Holding the paper vertically, mark 1" from the top on each side. Lay the ruler across the width of the paper connecting the dots and draw a line with pencil. Write your name above the line! This is the back of your paper. Fold the paper in half with the line and your name showing on the OUTSIDE of the folded paper.

On your pencil line, use a ruler to mark off 1" intervals going across the paper. When done, you should have made eight pencil marks. Use the ruler again to mark the same intervals on the folded edge of the paper.

Connect these pencil marks, and cut these eight lines, beginning at the fold and ending on the top pencil line. Unfold the cut paper and fold backwards a little to flatten out the fold. Place the paper with the pencil lines on the BACK. We will be decorating the FRONT.

Select two other colors of Tru-Ray^®Construction Paper. Cut into narrow 1/2" x 12" strips to decorate the carpet. Glue them vertically on to the paper as per the photo. Glue between the vertical cuts, do NOT glue over them!

Step Five

Decorate the glued strips with repeating patterns, using gel pens and metallic markers.

For your weft, select another color of Tru-Ray^® Construction Paper that is a different color from your warp paper. Cut four 1" x 12" strips from this color of construction paper and cut five 1" x 12" strips from the Black Tru-Ray^® Construction Paper. Use an alternating pattern of black and colored construction paper to weave across the warp paper. Remember, when weaving, each strip is opposite the one before it; in other words, if the prior strip went over, the next strip must go under. If you make a mistake, pull it out and try again! It will fall apart if it isn’t weaved correctly! Students who grasp this process quickly can help guide students who are struggling. The weft strips should stick out more than an inch on each side.

Snuggle the strips close together when weaving, so there are no spaces. You should be able to fit in a total of nine pieces of weft paper.

Step Eight

When weaving is complete, glue underneath the strips that stick out at the ends. Do not fold them under; simply lift them up, and put a dot of glue underneath. Turn the paper over and glue the ends on the back, too. Use a scissors to cut fringe on the strips that stick out on either side.

Step Nine

Use the gel pens and metallic markers to decorate the weft strips where visible, with repeating patterns.