How to Weave on an Oseberg Style Loom

Cut out eight 2-inch square tablets out of heavy-weight cardboard. Punch four holes in the corner of each tablet with an ice pick or knitting needle. Trim the corners of each tablet into curves with a sharp knife or scissors.

Cut a 2-inch square of cardboard into the shape of a thick figure eight or hourglass shape for your shuttle.

Wind your warp color yarn into four balls. The warp threads will run the length of the band you will be weaving.

Wind the weft color yarn onto the shuttle so that it can be passed through the width of the band while you are weaving it onto the warp threads.

Place all eight tablets together like a deck of cards and push four lengths of warp thread through each of the corner holes of all of the tablets. Use a darning needle to push the threads through, if necessary. Tie the four yarn ends to one post of the loom while you hold the deck of tablets. Release the first tablet and pass the four threads from that tablet around the opposite loom post. Release the second tablet and repeat the steps until you have released all of the cards. Now untie the first end, cut the four threads from their balls and tie the two sets of ends together.

Twist all eight suspended tablets one-quarter turn in the same direction at the same time. Pass the shuttle weft thread through the shed, the gap between the top two threads and the bottom two threads on each tablet. Turn all eight tablets together one-quarter turn, creating a new shed, and pass the shuttle through the new shed. Using your hands or a fork, push the weft threads tight into the prior weave after each iteration to form the woven fabric. Repeat until the woven fabric is the length you desire.

Adjust the tension of the affixed yarns as needed when the band contracts as you weave. Move tablets, if needed, to make bigger sheds for the shuttle to pass through. When you have woven the desired length of your band or belt, finish by sewing together the last two woven rows of each end of the band with a simple overlap stitch, then cut and trim the threads from the loom. Or cut the warp threads from the loom, turn under the ends of the woven fabric and sew a normal hem on each end of the belt.