How To Do it yourself

Whether you need a simple four-strand braid for a dog leash or a complex decorative 16 or even 32-strand braid, this loom makes it easy to get the pattern perfect every time. It's even possible to braid fine silk threads on this loom without getting them crossed or tangled. And the loom is simplicity itself to build. This page takes you step by step through the entire process, and the companion article shows you how to get started with various simple braiding patterns.

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Being sturdy and long lasting, as well as unbelievably inexpensive, tire sandals are in common use from Latin America to Southeast Asia. They may not be particularly stylish, but they do the job of protecting the feet from sharp stones and thorns. All it takes to make a pair is an old tire, a saw, some sharp chisels, and a little patience.

This one-piece design uses no glue, and no stitching, so there are no separate parts and pieces to come loose and wear out. This web page, Adapted from Participating in Nature: Thomas J. Elpel's Field Guide to Primitive Living Skills, gives you everything you need to know to make your own tire sandals.

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Starting with a paper pattern drawn with your own foot as the guide, this web page takes you through the steps of cutting the leather and sewing the pieces together to construct a practical pair of authentic Native American woodland moccasins.

Included on the page is a link to an overview of Native American footwear design which covers some of the many variations found across the North American continent, and some notes on the varieties of beading and decoration often found on traditional moccasins.

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"The addition of a handsome, handmade article to the home is always a cause for pride. To be able to accomplish this easily and with satisfying results every time, is almost unbelievable. But such is the case when you follow these simple instructions for braiding a rug."

Here is a web page with the basic instructions for designing and making oval, round and square braided rugs. An additional web page located here is lacking instructions, but does have a nice series of photographs of making a round braid rug from start to finish. These two web pages, taken together, complement each other and give you everything you need to know to make your own braid rug.

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This conversion does not quite give you a complete wash cycle, but is used for the spin cycle only, to replace a hand wringer. The author washes his clothes in a commercially made hand-operated washing machine and then does the spin cycles in this pedal-powered contraption.

"Examining the construction of the salad spinner, I realized I needed a giant perforated metal tub that I could spin inside a solid tub so that the water forced out of the laundry through centripetal force would collect on the inner wall of the solid tub, then drain out the bottom, instead of flying all around the room. ... So my strategy was to adapt a broken washing machine to my specific purpose of spinning clothes."

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Not to be confused with the small "toy" looms often found in do-it-yourself books, this is a serious loom for serious weaving. The PDF has been translated into English, so expect a few "strange" sentences, but in spite of that the directions are clear and complete.

To quote the introduction: This loom presents the advantage to be simple to make. It contains no shaped detail which is easily building by a handyman equipped to work the wood. Furthermore, 90 % of the elements use an unique wooden section, what will facilitate the supply. We shall supply you so all that is necessary to make this loom by you or a carpenter. You will have so a loom, solid, sure and well conceived which will bring you the biggest satisfactions for a budget very reasonable.

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