13. Woven Raffia & Yarn Sunshine Wall Hangings
Introduction A modern, warm, textile sunburst crafted on a round cardboard loom using natural golden raffia and soft neutral-toned yarns.
What This Idea Means This craft teaches elementary weaving principles, radial symmetry, and texture layering, giving children a gentle entry point into fiber arts.
Materials Needed
- Sturdy corrugated cardboard circles (6 to 8 inches in diameter)
- Natural fiber raffia ribbon (matte straw finish)
- Chunky wool yarn in warm tones (mustard, linen, dusty peach, terracotta)
- Tapestry needle (blunt tip)
- Scissors
- Ruler and pencil
How to Make It
- Cut small notches (roughly 1/4 inch deep) evenly around the perimeter of the cardboard circle at 1/2-inch intervals.
- Warp the loom by winding a neutral base yarn across opposite notches, crossing in the center until all notches are threaded like bicycle wheel spokes.
- Tie a length of chunky yarn to the center hub on the backside.
- Weave the yarn over and under alternating warp spokes from the center outwards, packing each row tightly toward the middle.
- Switch yarn colors to create concentric rings of varying textures.
- For the outer perimeter, thread lengths of raffia around the remaining outer spokes, leaving the ends exposed and splayed outward.
- Trim the frayed raffia ends to an even length around the perimeter to form a sunburst halo.
Tips & Variations
- Tip: Keep warp tension firm but not overly tight so the cardboard circle does not bow inward during weaving.
- Variation: Add loops of soft fringe hanging from the bottom quadrant for a bohemian wall-hanging finish.