Last reviewed: 2 November 2026
Updated November 2026. These Grade 6 notes on weaving cover sub-strand 1.5 of Grade 6 Creative Arts: what weaving and plain weave are, the materials and tools you need, how to make a serrated card loom and a shuttle, step-by-step weaving of a small mat or scarf, finishing with tassels, and how to talk about woven work. Practice questions with answers are at the end.
The content follows the Weaving sub-strand in the KICD Grade 6 Creative Arts curriculum design (revised 2024), which gives it 10 lessons. The design expects learners to identify a plain weave, prepare materials and tools, weave a mat on a serrated card loom using plain weave, and appreciate their own and their peers’ woven items.
On this page
- Grade 6 Notes on Weaving: Key Terms
- What Is Plain Weave?
- Materials and Tools for Weaving
- How to Make a Serrated Card Loom and Shuttle
- Steps in Weaving a Mat Using Plain Weave
- Finishing the Mat or Scarf
- Appreciating Woven Items
- Practice Questions With Answers
- Related Grade 6 Creative Arts Topics
- Frequently Asked Questions
Grade 6 Notes on Weaving: Key Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Weaving | Making fabric or a mat by interlacing two sets of threads at right angles |
| Warp | The threads stretched lengthwise on the loom; they stay still |
| Weft | The thread passed across, over and under the warp |
| Loom | A frame that holds the warp threads tight |
| Serrated card loom | A loom made from stiff card with small notches (serrations) cut along two opposite ends to hold the warp |
| Shuttle | A flat tool that carries the weft thread across the warp |
| Selvedge | The neat edge formed where the weft turns back |
| Tassels | The tied bunches of warp ends that finish the item |
What Is Plain Weave?
Plain weave is the simplest weave. In a 1/1 plain weave, the weft goes over one warp thread and under the next, all the way across. On the next row it goes under the threads it went over before, and over the ones it went under. This makes a chequered, firm fabric. A 2/2 version (sometimes called basket weave) goes over two and under two. Look at a sack, a handkerchief or a woven basket and you can often see the plain over-under pattern.
Materials and Tools for Weaving
- Recyclable materials for the weft and warp: yarn from old sweaters, strips of cloth or plastic bags, sisal or other fibres, and raffia. Using recycled materials reduces waste and protects the environment.
- Stiff material for the loom: thick cardboard (from a box) or hardboard.
- Tools: ruler, pencil, scissors, and a flat piece of card or a large blunt needle for the shuttle. A comb or fork can push weft rows together.
How to Make a Serrated Card Loom and Shuttle
- Cut a rectangle of stiff card, for example 20 cm by 15 cm.
- Along the two short ends, mark points about 0.5 cm apart, keeping the same number on each end and leaving a small margin at each corner.
- Cut a small notch about 1 cm deep at every mark. These are the serrations; keeping the spaces small gives a firm weave.
- For the shuttle, cut a strip of card about 10 cm by 3 cm with a notch at each end, and wind the weft yarn around it.
Steps in Weaving a Mat Using Plain Weave
- Warp the loom: tape the end of the warp yarn to the back, take it through the first notch, across the front to the opposite notch, round the back to the next notch and back across. Keep the tension even, not too tight. Tape the end at the back.
- First row: pass the shuttle over one warp thread and under the next, all the way across. Leave a short tail of weft and tuck it in later.
- Second row: come back the other way, going under the threads you went over before.
- Beat the rows: push each row down gently with your fingers or a comb so there are no gaps.
- Keep the edges straight: do not pull the weft too tight at the turn, or the mat will narrow in the middle.
- Change colours: the design asks for colour variation. Finish one colour at the edge, tuck in the end, and start a new colour in the next row to make stripes.
- Continue until the warp is almost full.
Finishing the Mat or Scarf
- Turn the loom over and cut the warp threads across the middle at the back.
- Lift the mat off the notches.
- Tie the warp ends in pairs or small groups close to the woven part so the weft does not slide off.
- Trim the ends to the same length to form neat tassels.
- Weave any loose weft tails back into the mat.
Appreciating Woven Items
When displaying work, talk about: evenness of the weave (no gaps or loose threads), straight edges, how the colours are arranged, neat tassels, choice of recycled materials, and how the item could be used, for example as a table mat, coaster or small scarf. Give feedback politely, starting with something done well. Weaving links to indigenous Kenyan crafts such as sisal baskets (kiondo) and mats, which you can find in local markets.
Practice Questions With Answers
- Differentiate between warp and weft. Answer: warp threads run lengthwise and are held on the loom; weft threads are passed across them, over and under.
- Describe a 1/1 plain weave. Answer: the weft goes over one warp thread and under the next, and alternates on each new row.
- Give two benefits of using recyclable materials in weaving. Answer: reduces waste and pollution; materials are cheap or free; teaches care for the environment.
- Why are the warp ends tied after removing the mat from the loom? Answer: to stop the weft from sliding off and the weave from coming apart.
- What causes a woven mat to become narrow in the middle? Answer: pulling the weft too tight at the edges.
Related Grade 6 Creative Arts Topics
Weaving is one of 13 sub-strands. See all of them in our Grade 6 Creative Arts notes, and find every subject on the Grade 6 notes hub. Recycling also links to environmental topics in Grade 6 Science and Technology notes. Creative Arts is examined in the KPSEA Creative Arts and Social Studies paper, which the KNEC 2026 KPSEA timetable set at 1 hour 40 minutes. Test yourself on the Grade 6 CBC Challenge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is weaving in Grade 6 Creative Arts?
Weaving is making a fabric or mat by passing weft threads over and under warp threads held on a loom. Grade 6 learners weave a small mat or scarf in plain weave on a serrated card loom.
What is a serrated card loom?
A loom made from stiff card with small notches cut along two opposite edges. The notches hold the warp threads evenly spaced and tight while you weave.
What is the difference between 1/1 and 2/2 plain weave?
In 1/1 the weft goes over one warp thread and under one. In 2/2 it goes over two and under two, which gives a basket-like pattern.
Which materials can be used for weaving in Grade 6?
Recyclable yarns from old sweaters, strips of cloth or plastic bags, sisal, raffia and other fibres, with stiff cardboard for the loom.
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