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Lesson 5 of 7
  • Year 11

Weaving techniques: crafting textures and patterns

I can design and create a woven sample that uses shape and texture to produce a clear pattern.

Lesson 5 of 7
New
New
  • Year 11

Weaving techniques: crafting textures and patterns

I can design and create a woven sample that uses shape and texture to produce a clear pattern.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Artists use constructed textiles in diverse ways, from functional design to large-scale installations.
  2. Cultural background and personal identity often influence an artist’s choice of materials, colours and techniques.
  3. Experimentation with texture and form allows artists to push the boundaries of traditional weaving and tapestry.

Keywords

  • Tapestry - woven fabric where the weft forms the pattern or image

  • Texture - the surface quality created through weaving

  • Constructed textiles - fabrics made by interlacing fibres through techniques like weaving or knitting

Common misconception

Constructed textiles are only made by weaving on a loom.

Constructed textiles include any fabric created by interlacing, knotting, looping, or bonding fibres such as weaving, knitting, crochet, macramé and even non-woven techniques, not just loom weaving.


To help you plan your year 11 art and design lesson on: Weaving techniques: crafting textures and patterns, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Spend some time teaching students how to draw their grid out on grid paper. They should count their warp threads and then count their weft threads and try to mark them on their grid. It is a good idea to also add colour at this stage.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Loom, plastic weaving needle, yarns, grid paper, pencils, coloured pencils.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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.
Match the definitions and the words

Correct Answer:ruching,gathering fabric with stitches: it creates ripples, folds, or pleats.

gathering fabric with stitches: it creates ripples, folds, or pleats.

Correct Answer:texture,surface quality of fabric

surface quality of fabric

Correct Answer:fold/folding,fabric is bent or doubled to form ridges, pleats, or layers

fabric is bent or doubled to form ridges, pleats, or layers

Q2.
Changing or altering fabric to create new shapes, textures, or forms could be described as:

tapestry
Correct answer: manipulation
weaving

Q3.
True or false: Stiff materials like bubble wrap cannot be manipulated.

True
Correct answer: False

Q4.
In Elizabethan times, dramatic ruff collars were made by:

folding, digital printing and starching
machines, pleating and starching
Correct answer: folding, pleating and starching

Q5.
Match the words with the techniques

Correct Answer:layering,building up surfaces with multiple pieces of fabric

building up surfaces with multiple pieces of fabric

Correct Answer:fringing,cutting edges into strips to create movement and texture

cutting edges into strips to create movement and texture

Correct Answer:ruching,gathering fabric to create ripples and folds

gathering fabric to create ripples and folds

Q6.
True or false: Fabric manipulation is only used to make clothes look more decorative.

True
Correct answer: False

Additional material

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