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Weaving is a time honored craft and we’ve updated it with this popular step by step Hula Hoop Weaving Tutorial. This fun basket is a great way to herd those small stuffed animals into a place of their own. If you want to use this tutorial to make a circle rug, don’t pull the weave too tight so that it lays flat instead of curling up.

Trivia:

Early experiments with string and thread in the Stone Age lead to the first woven textiles.  As they experimented with branches and twigs the basic principle of weaving was applied to branches and twigs to create fences and shelters for protection. Source: WeaveDesign – Weaving History.

Supplies

•  Hula Hoop
• Tee shirts at least three colors
• Scissors

Instructions

Lay one color tee shirt flat and cut bottom seam off shirt. Then cut strips of the tee shirt in 1 1/2″ to 2″ strips up to the arms. Exact measuring isn’t necessary. You’ll need 10 strips of this color

Stretch the first strip over the hoop dividing the circle in half. Then stretch the second strip over the hoop dividing each half into quarters and then each space in half again until you have used up the 10 strips. Push two of the spokes together to create the uneven number of spokes necessary for the under/over weave.  

Attach first tee shirt strip by creating a half hitch knot at the center on the doubled spoke as seen in this photo. Pulling tight to secure.

Treat each spoke as one for the first part of your pattern. Weave the first color strip over and under each spoke as seen in the photo. As you complete each circle check your weave to make sure there are no mistakes because this is the time to correct them.  

Add each new strip with a half hitch to the previous loop changing colors in your desired pattern.  

Once you have decided how large you want to make the bottom of your bowl, pull the weave tighter as you go to make it curve up and create your sides.

Once you have reached the final size of your bowl, cut the strips in half off of the hoop and tie in a square knot. When you get the loop that ends the final circle, which should end at the doubled spoke, treat the spoke as one loop when you cut and pull the bottom two strands through the last circle loop and tie in a square knot with the other two ends.