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  • Year 5

Unweaving, wrapping, transforming: textile sculpture

I can unweave, draw and build with fabric and recycled materials to make a sculpture.

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View unit
Lesson 1 of 4
New
New
  • Year 5

Unweaving, wrapping, transforming: textile sculpture

I can unweave, draw and build with fabric and recycled materials to make a sculpture.

Download all

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Sculpture can start by unmaking as well as making.
  2. Fabric and fibre can express culture, memory and care.
  3. Repetition, wrapping and scale can create emotion and meaning.

Keywords

  • Wrap - to cover or surround something by winding material around it

  • Thread - a thin strand of fibre, like string or cotton, used for weaving, sewing, or tying materials together

  • Unweave - to pull threads out of fabric to see how it’s made or to create new patterns

Common misconception

Recycled materials are rubbish, and art made from them is not important.

Artists turn everyday scraps into powerful pieces. Using waste shows we care for the planet and value every material, big or small.


To help you plan your year 5 art and design lesson on: Unweaving, wrapping, transforming: textile sculpture, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

When introducing recycled materials, show pupils a high-quality artwork made from fibres and scraps. This will provide an opportunity to appreciate the tactile quality of the artwork and also to identify the materials that have been transformed.
Teacher tip

Equipment

A square of hessian, tweezers, paper, pencil, aluminium wire, scissors, one recycled material (like netting, cloth or fruit bag) string, ribbon, plastic, masking tape and your wire sculpture.

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
A sculpture is always made from hard materials like stone or metal.

true
sometimes true
Correct answer: false

Q2.
Which of these materials could be used to make a sculpture?

clay
wire
recycled cloth
Correct answer: all of the above

Q3.
When you wrap or tie materials around a shape, you are creating ...

Correct answer: texture / form
flat surface
form / reflection
texture / space

Q4.
Recycled materials can't be used for professional art.

true
Correct answer: sometimes false
false

Q5.
Match the material to its use:

Correct Answer:wire,creates structure or frame

creates structure or frame

Correct Answer:fabric,adds texture and wrapping

adds texture and wrapping

Correct Answer:clay,can be shaped or moulded easily

can be shaped or moulded easily

Q6.
Put the steps for making a wrapped sculpture in order:

1 - shape wire armature
2 - wrap fabric
3 - add details

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Sculpture can begin with unmaking as well as making.

Correct answer: true
sometimes true
false

Q2.
What did you use to create patterns by unweaving?

paintbrush
Correct answer: hessian fabric
wire
fabric glue

Q3.
Nnenna Okore uses fabric and fibre to connect with traditions.

Correct Answer: Nigerian

Q4.
Which of these is the last step of creating a sculpture?

unweave fabric to make patterns
Correct answer: wrap and weave recycled materials
draw and build a wire form

Q5.
What does Sheila Hicks use to make her sculptures?

paper and paint
wire and glass
Correct answer: thread and fibre
paint and chalks

Q6.
Recycled materials tell stories through texture, colour, and scale.

true
Correct answer: sometimes true
false