![Image of loom making activity](png/lead_loom_1.width-340.png)
Anni Albers was a German artist born in Berlin in 1899. She was very interested in art from a young age. Albers studied at the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus was an exciting school of art and design in Germany. At the time, women were only allowed to study a few classes. Anni decided to study weaving and became one of the greatest textile artists of our time!
Albers used a loom to weave. A loom is a machine that makes cloth out of wool or other threads. You can make your own loom at home and turn wool into a beautiful mini-rug!
Here's some of her textile artworks. Look at all of the bright colours! Which one is your favourite?
Ready to make your own? Let's have a go!
You will need
![Photograph of materials needed](jpg/dsc_0407.width-340.jpg)
- Coloured wool (3 or 4 colours is best)
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Lolly sticks
- Cellotape
- Glue
- 2 Cardboard strips (15cm x 3cm)
- Piece of cardboard (15cm x 18cm)
Ready? Let's start ...
![Photograph of looming activity](jpg/step1_2.width-340.jpg)
1. To make your loom, draw a box 1cm inside the big piece of cardboard. Cut 11 slits, 1cm apart on the top and bottom edge. Next, glue the 2 strips of cardboard to sit at the end of the slits
![Photograph of loom activity](jpg/step2_3.width-340.jpg)
2. Wind a piece of wool up and down through the top and bottom slits, moving across the cardboard
![Photograph of looming activity](jpg/step3_2.width-340.jpg)
3. The back should look like this. Tie a knot to keep in place
![Photograph of looming activity](jpg/step4_2.width-340.jpg)
4. Choose your first colour and cellotape a long piece of wool to a lolly stick. Thread the stick from one side of the cardboard to the other, crossing over and under the wool threads
![photograph of loom activity](jpg/step5_2.width-340.jpg)
5. Keep adding rows, alternating the over and under threads until you're happy with the thickness of your first colour. When you decide to finish with a colour cut it from the lolly stick
![photograph of loom activity](jpg/step6_1.width-340.jpg)
6. Repeat this with your second colour. When adding new colours make sure to leave the end and starting threads long enough so you can knot them later
![Photograph of loom activity](jpg/step7_1.width-340.jpg)
7. Keep weaving under and over until you have filled your loom
![Photograph of loom activity](jpg/step8.width-340.jpg)
8. Next, unhook the threads from the top and bottom
![Photograph of loom activity](jpg/step9.width-340.jpg)
9. Pull the threads from the bottom end to tighten the top ones. Then tie the bottom threads and the loose ends in knots
![Photograph of loom activity](jpg/step10.width-340.jpg)
10. Finished! Looks great
This activity was made in collaboration with OKIDO.