Digitizing Looms¶
| Path | Target | Duration | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curiosity | Kids 8 to 18 | 1,5 h | Crafts, 2D & 3D Digital Fabrication |
Introduction and context¶
Digitizing looms is an activity designed for children to create a wool piece with a digital fabricated loom. The participants can discover the huge range of possibilities of the Digital Fabrication with a demonstration of the machines working and they learn also about the wool cycle
Objectives
The aim of this workshop is to introduce the European day of wool, to explain the wool cycle by showing all steps one takes to arrive to the end result
-
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the wool cycle
- See how the digital fabrication machines work
- Use the looms and their creativity to make a bracelet, a saucer, a small decorative piece etc
Target audience and context of use
This activity is suitable for any age between 6-99 years old.
In the actual context, the activity took place outdoors in the courtyard. The venue is a weaving studio of a lady who weaves on large looms and makes her own woolen yarns. The workshop was conducted for kids (8-15 years old) that visited the venue on the mountain with their parents.
The ideal number for each group is 15 kids and 2 instructors, one for the digitally fabricated looms and manufacturing and the other who explained the wool cycle.
This activity can be conducted in different places indoors or outdoors, in schools, neighbourhoods, festivals, museums, cultural centers etc
For a more advanced level, where children have knowledge of digital design, the fabrication of a customized loom design can be considered,for which one laptop per kid with a design software installed must be provided.
In this case, the duration of the workshop expands to 2,5-3 hours to accommodate the design phase .
Preparation and materials¶
Dive into the slides presentation provided here, to understand the step by step instructions.
Create your team of facilitators and organize some testing sessions and brief meetings for coordinating with facilitators.
Check that all the tools and materials are available and set up the logistics for the venue.
Have a plan B if your venue is outdoors, protect the participants from sun, rain or other weather conditions
Prepare in advance:
- Kits with all parts of the looms (3d printed weaving shuttles, lasercut plywood looms and acceessories.
- Prepare a completed model for the instructor to follow the step by step process with the participants.
Kit of materials for participants
| MAT 1 | MAT 2 | MAT 3 | MAT 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loom Kit | Superglue | Yarns | Scissors |
Equipment, Tools and Materials
- Tables where kids weave,
- Table for the machines
- TV or projector to show the presentation (not mandatory)
- Scissors
- Needles
- Common sewing accesories
- Kits of different looms (at least 1 per participant)
- Threads and yarns of multiple colors and thickness
Step by Step Instructions¶
STEP BY STEP overview
Safety rules & Tips
- Tip: hide the cables for participants not to trip over the machines.
- Safety: Use needles with rounded point for the children
Presentation for the class
Flyer for participants
Downloadables¶
| Presentation | Brochure | Design |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Brochure | Design |
Tips to facilitate the activity in context (to-do / not do)¶
- To-do
- Wrap the loom for the kids in advance
-
Let the kids freedom to wrap the looms by themselves. Check these references for frame loom and circular loom
-
Not do
- Work in a hurry
- Deliver the material in a disorderly way
Estimated cost
Always consider to find local providers.
| Quantity | Description | Link to vendor |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Superglue | AMAZON |
| 4 | Merino Wool Yarn | AMAZON |
| 4 | Thick Wool Yarn | AMAZON |
| 3 | Baby Merino Wool Yarn | AMAZON |
| 8 | Set of Scissors for kids (left & right handed) | AMAZON |
| 10 | 4mm lasserable plywood 600x300 mm | AMAZON |
| 1 | 3D printing filament | AMAZON |
Licence and credits¶
Attribution — ShareAlike CC BY-SA This activity has been designed by Olivia Kostifa for shemakes.eu. It is based on Decode's learning experiences
Related and supporting activities/modules
It can be combined with the other topics of Topic/skills, within the Sustainability and Industry 4.0 Packages of Fabricademy.