Tag: week 8

Fabric Hammocks

Lots of you little ones will have memories of Miss Krystal tying hammocks in our play sites. This week I wonder if you can find a place you can tie one in your backyard? You will need to find two sturdy trees at least your whole arms width apart or a little farther. Or if you have a big tree you can try tying your hammock into it’s branches like we did.

You will need:

  • a grown-up (to reach branches and tie knots)
  • two large trees or branches (at least an arms length apart)
  • a piece of fabric as long as a child (a sheet, a tarp, table cloth. Lots of things will work)
  • two lengths of para cord
  • Step 1: Tie a knot in one corner of the fabric.
  • Step 2: Wrap the paracord around the fabric above the knot several times and tie off with a basic knot.
  • Step 3: Pull tight.










    I don’t use a fancy knot here because this knot is going to take A LOT of strain and I’d like to be able to undo it eventually.
  • Repeat steps 1-3 on the kitty-corner.
    The diagonally opposite corner as shown.
    Note the kitty at the opposite corner ; )
  • Step 5: Hang.






    I generally loop the rope around the branch twice as I find it gets less movement that way and stays high longer.
  • You will probably have to adjust the height a few times until it is perfect.
  • Here I tie a Prusik knot with a quick release bite instead of pulling all the way through. Again this knot is going to take a TON of stress so if you want to undo it….take precautions.
  • It should look something like this.
    Corners flapping in the wind.
    I may have put the cat in the hammock.












  • Test and play!
    I teach children how to get into a hammock bum first but if they don’t listen I am content to be mildly entertained while they fail. Falling out a few times seems to teach caution best
  • Children love to wrap themselves with the flaps created by the corners. It’s a bit tricky to spread it out enough to get in by yourself so this is where it’s nice to have siblings.

To the grown up:

One of the most versatile things you can have in a toy box is a lightweight sheet of fabric. It can be a roof or a wall, a bed or a blanket, a cape or a creek; the possibilities are only limited by your imagination…..and knot tying abilities…. and maybe your willingness to wreck the fabric.

But seriously an old bed sheet, a ground tarp that’s lost it’s water proofing, a piece of fabric, an old shower curtain, any of these things is fort fodder and worth a spot in your toy collection.

Cardboard Nature Weaving

We are going to learn to weave on a loom together!

When I was a little girl in about grade 3 I went to a summer camp where a woman with very long hair and beautiful earrings taught us how to weave with beads on a loom. I had never seen a loom of any kind before and I watched with keen interest as she carefully threaded the beads onto her needle and through the threads. As she wove row upon row of beads, a picture began to appear before our eyes and I was hooked. Weaving would forever be something that enchanted me.

There is something comforting about the simple repetition involved in weaving a thread through a loom. Back and forth, back and forth, over and under, over and under. Each new thread tucked against the others begins to make a pattern. Even if I miss a thread here or there and mess up a little it still comes out looking lovely.

You will need:

  • Your cardboard loom
  • several long thin pieces of nature
  • a bit of coloured yarn
  • scissors
  • a stick a little longer than your loom
  • some string to tie your stick to your weaving
  • First I wandered around my yard and collected some long, thin things I thought would look pretty in my weaving.
  • I also brought some yarn and string with me into the backyard.
  • Then I got to work….
    Over under over under
    LOTS of times
  • I carefully snipped the bottom strings and tied them in knots to take it off my loom.
  • All done and even got it off my loom!
    My daughter, the artist, says it’s very pretty so I must have done well.
    What does yours look like?

To the grownup:

If you are needing more details instructions there is a beautiful (slow to load) post by the marvelous Jean at the Artful Parent. And for really great instructions about how to get your weaving off the loom and onto a stick you can hang on your wall head on over to Babyccino for how to get your project off the loom and add a stick so you can hang it on the wall.

If you look closely at my “finished product” you’ll see I didn’t actually tie the stick to my weaving I just stuck it through the loops. I also used masking tape to “hang” it. Still looks pretty. I might finish it one day….maybe….