JustBeginning
Beginner's guide

So you're getting into weaving

Weaving is one of the oldest crafts still practiced exactly as it was centuries ago. The good news: a rigid-heddle loom is genuinely approachable, your first scarf takes a weekend, and the gear list is short. Here's what you need — and what to wait on until you're sure this is your thing.

By Colin B. · Published May 23, 2026 · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
Person actively weaving at a loom, warp threads visible

Photo by ALAN DE LA CRUZ on Unsplash

The 60-second version

If you only buy 3 things to start:

  1. Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom, 16" — The Ashford 16-inch rigid-heddle is the most recommended beginner loom — solid build, excellent support, grows with you.
  2. Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool Yarn, Natural — Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool is a forgiving first yarn — 100% wool, worsted weight, stays firm under warp tension.
  3. Weaving Stick Shuttles, 5-Pack — Extra stick shuttles let you switch colors mid-weave without re-loading — buy a few more than your loom came with.
Budget total
$125
Typical total
$220
Most of your budget is the loom ($80–$210). Yarn and tools add another $30–$50. Budget for at least two skeins — you'll want to start a second project before the first one is finished.
At a glance

Our top pick in each category

The fastest path through this guide — each best-starter pick by category. Scroll for the budget and upgrade alternatives.

CategoryTop pickPriceWhere to buy
LoomAshfordAshford Rigid Heddle Loom, 16"$$$ See on Amazon →
YarnLion BrandLion Brand Fishermen's Wool Yarn, Natural$ See on Amazon →
Shuttles & ToolsBe Creative Craft SuppliesWeaving Stick Shuttles, 5-Pack$ See on Amazon →
Finishing SuppliesSusan BatesSusan Bates Tapestry Needles, Size 24/26 (2-Pack)$ See on Amazon →
Before you buy anything

A few things worth knowing first

Start with a rigid-heddle loom, not a floor loom. Floor looms produce beautiful cloth — but they cost $500–$3,000, require dedicated studio space, and have a steep setup learning curve. A rigid-heddle lets you weave real fabric on day one. After six months, if you still want a floor loom, you'll know exactly which one.

Buy yarn when you order the loom. You'll want to start immediately, and waiting for a second shipment kills momentum. Grab two or three skeins of smooth worsted-weight yarn — nothing slubby, nothing fluffy. Save the handpainted luxury fiber for your third or fourth project.

Width matters. A 16-inch rigid-heddle is the sweet spot — wide enough for a proper scarf or small table runner, narrow enough that warping isn't overwhelming. Anything under 12 inches limits you to bookmarks and narrow bands.

The gear

What you actually need

person holding white paper towel

Photo by Chris Chow on Unsplash

Loom

The loom is your one big purchase, and for beginners it's nearly decided for you: start with a rigid-heddle loom. It's a frame with a single heddle that creates the opening (called a shed) you pass your shuttle through. Tilt the heddle up, pass the shuttle. Tilt it down, pass it back. That's plain weave. The 16-inch width is the most popular beginner size — wide enough for real projects, narrow enough that your first warp doesn't take an entire afternoon.

Loom — what's the difference?

A few common shapes, each making a different trade.

Rigid-heddle

Simple, fast setup — the standard beginner choice.

Shafts
1
First warp time
45–90 min
Patterns
Plain weave + basic

Best for Beginners, scarves, table runners, quick projects

Tradeoff Limited to plain weave and basic patterns vs. multi-shaft looms

↓ See our pick
Table loom

Multi-shaft patterns without a floor loom footprint.

Shafts
4–8
First warp time
2–4 hours
Patterns
Twills, lace, color work

Best for Intermediate weavers who want complex patterns without a full studio

Tradeoff Longer setup and steeper learning curve than a rigid-heddle

↓ See our pick
Floor loom

The full weaving experience — unlimited patterns, production scale.

Shafts
4–16+
First warp time
4–8 hours
Patterns
Unlimited

Best for Serious weavers, yardage production, complex pattern work

Tradeoff Expensive ($500–$3,000+) and requires dedicated floor space

Best starter
Ashford

Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom, 16"

$$$

Ashford has made rigid-heddle looms for decades, and the 16-inch is the most-recommended beginner size. Excellent build quality — solid wood, precisely spaced heddle. Their tutorial library means you're never stuck, and the direct-warping method keeps first setup simple. An add-on second heddle lets you grow into complex patterns without replacing the loom.

Watch out for: The loom doesn't include a warping board — you'll use direct warping to start, which is fine. Longer warps eventually benefit from a separate warping setup.

See on Amazon →
Budget pick
Beka

Beka Original Rigid Heddle Loom, SG-20

$$

Beka has been hand-crafting weaving equipment in their family workshop since 1973, and the SG-20 is a well-respected budget loom with solid construction. If you're not sure weaving will stick, this is a reasonable way to find out without a $200 commitment. The 20-inch width is a genuine bonus over most starter looms.

Watch out for: Check the heddle for bent or misaligned teeth before you warp it — a warped heddle means uneven sett and frustrating tension.

See on Amazon →
Upgrade pick
Ashford

Ashford Brooklyn Four-Shaft Table Loom, 16"

$$$$

The Brooklyn is Ashford's current 4-shaft table loom — a significant step up in pattern range from any rigid-heddle. Four shafts open up twills, lace weaves, and complex color structures. Folds flat for storage and clamps to most tables. If you've finished a dozen rigid-heddle projects and want more, this is the upgrade.

Watch out for: Threading a 4-shaft loom takes most weavers several hours the first time. Don't skip the rigid-heddle phase — the concepts carry over.

See on Amazon →

Yarn

Weaving has different yarn rules than knitting or crochet. Your warp threads — stretched along the length of the loom under tension — need to be smooth, tightly spun, and strong enough not to break or fray under abrasion. Weft (what you weave in sideways) can be more varied, but should move cleanly through the heddle. For your first project: use the same worsted-weight, smooth wool for both. Save the textured, fluffy, or handpainted yarns for later.

Best starter
Lion Brand

Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool Yarn, Natural

$

100% wool, worsted weight, large skein — a reliable beginner weaving yarn. Firm enough to stay put under warp tension, forgiving of uneven edges while you're learning. The 8 oz skein gives you enough for both warp and weft on a first scarf project. Wool blooms beautifully after washing, so your finished piece looks better than it did on the loom.

Watch out for: Wool blooms and softens slightly after the first wash. Your finished piece will look and feel different from on the loom — almost always for the better.

See on Amazon →
Budget pick
Lion Brand

Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton Yarn, White

$

100% cotton, no stretch — easy to weave and shows your structure clearly, which makes it a good learning yarn. Because cotton doesn't spring back, you can see exactly what you did and correct it. Also machine washable and easy to gift once you make something worth giving.

Watch out for: Cotton has no elasticity, so uneven tension shows more than with wool. Selvedges may be irregular at first — that's the trade-off for cotton's clarity.

See on Amazon →
Upgrade pick
Cascade Yarns

Cascade 220 Superwash Merino Yarn, Cream

$$

When you're ready to make something worth gifting, step up to Cascade 220 Superwash Merino. Machine washable, excellent drape, and available in dozens of colors. Use it as weft when you want a show-quality result; it's also sturdy enough for warp. Cream is a good neutral starter — it takes overdye beautifully later.

Watch out for: Superwash Merino has less natural grip than untreated wool, so threads can shift before washing. A slightly tighter sett helps.

See on Amazon →

Shuttles & Tools

Your loom comes with one stick shuttle — the flat board you wind yarn onto and pass through the shed. That's enough for single-color weaving, but the moment you want stripes or color changes, you'll want two or three extras. A pick-up stick is a smooth, flat rod for manually lifting selected warp threads to create patterns beyond plain weave. Not all looms include one — if yours didn't, it's a $10–15 purchase that meaningfully expands what you can weave.

Best starter
Be Creative Craft Supplies

Weaving Stick Shuttles, 5-Pack

$

Five smooth stick shuttles in one order. Your loom likely came with one shuttle — having five lets you keep multiple weft colors loaded and ready without stopping to re-wind. The right size for a 16-inch rigid-heddle, and a small enough purchase to buy without overthinking it.

Watch out for: Match shuttle length to your loom width. Most rigid-heddle weavers use 11–16 inch shuttles; longer shuttles are awkward to manage in the shed.

See on Amazon →
Specialty pick
Schacht

Schacht Pick-up Stick, 18-inch Medium

$

A pick-up stick opens up pattern weaving beyond plain weave — simple twills, lace patterns, warp-face designs. You slide it under selected warp threads, turn it on edge to create a secondary shed, and pass your shuttle through. If your loom didn't include one, this is a $15 purchase that meaningfully expands what you can weave.

Watch out for: Get a smooth, well-finished stick — rough wood or splinters will catch on warp threads and snap them.

See on Amazon →

Finishing Supplies

Finishing is what turns woven cloth into something you'd actually use or give away. Before cutting your piece off the loom, hemstitch the beginning and end — a simple stitch that locks the weft threads so the weaving doesn't unravel when you remove the tension. After cutting off, wet finishing (a gentle handwash) sets the fibers, slightly fulls wool, and transforms the cloth from stiff to soft. A tapestry needle and a yarn swift handle almost everything you'll need.

Best starter
Susan Bates

Susan Bates Tapestry Needles, Size 24/26 (2-Pack)

$

Blunt-tipped tapestry needles with a large eye are what you need for hemstitching and weaving in loose ends. The blunt tip is critical — you're working between threads, not through fabric. This set covers the size range you'll encounter in worsted-weight weaving.

See on Amazon →
Specialty pick
Stanwood

Stanwood Needlecraft Wooden Umbrella Swift, Medium

$$

Weaving yarn often comes in skeins that need to be wound before use. Trying to weave directly from a loose skein guarantees tangles. An umbrella swift holds the skein open while you wind it onto a shuttle or ball winder. If you're buying wool yarn in skein form — most good weaving yarn — a swift pays for itself in your first session.

Watch out for: Make sure the clamp fits your table thickness — a loose clamp means the swift walks off the edge mid-wind.

See on Amazon →
Going deeper

Your first month of loom weaving

A rigid-heddle loom looks complicated until you realize there are only two skills to learn: warping (setting up the threads) and weaving (the back-and-forth that makes cloth). Here's what the first month actually feels like — one project at a time.

Read the guide →
Save your money

What you don't need yet

Beginners get pressured to buy a lot of stuff that doesn't help them play better. Here's what we'd skip on day one.

  • A floor loom — Spend six months on a rigid-heddle first. A floor loom ($500–$3,000+) demands dedicated studio space, weeks of threading setup, and a completely different learning curve. You'll know if you want one after real experience.
  • A spinning wheel — Making yarn and weaving yarn are two entirely different hobbies. The rabbit hole is there if you want it — many weavers eventually follow it — but get weaving first.
  • A boat shuttle with bobbins — More efficient at floor-loom scale, but overkill for a rigid-heddle. The bobbin-winding overhead doesn't pay off when your weaving width is under 20 inches. Stick shuttles are faster for this scale.
  • Art yarn (slubby, thick-thin) for warp — Beautiful for weft; disastrous for warp. Thick-and-thin yarn clogs the heddle and snaps under tension. Use it as weft only, after you know your loom.
  • An inkle loom or tapestry loom — Different tools for different kinds of weaving. Inkle looms make narrow bands; tapestry looms are for picture weaving. Both worth exploring eventually — just not in week one.
First week

Your first seven days

A short, real plan to get from gear-on-doorstep to actually playing.

  1. Order your loom and yarn together — aim for the same delivery window so you can start immediately. · Buy
  2. Watch a direct-warping tutorial before the loom arrives — 15 minutes of video saves 45 minutes of confusion. · Learn
  3. Warp your first project when the loom arrives. Expect 45–90 minutes the first time — completely normal. · Action
  4. Weave a small sampler: a few inches of plain weave, varying how firmly you beat each row to understand tension. · Action
  5. Cut it off the loom and wet-finish it — a gentle handwash, then dry flat. You've made cloth. · Action
  6. Post your first project on r/weaving. The community is genuinely welcoming to beginners. · Action
    • r/weaving · Active, kind community — first projects always welcome
FAQ

Common questions

How long does it take to warp a loom for the first time?

Expect 45–90 minutes for a simple first warp on a rigid-heddle. The first time is slow; by your third project you'll have it done in 15–20 minutes. The main time is threading each warp end through its heddle slot or hole — time-consuming, meditative, and occasionally maddening.

What's the difference between warp and weft?

Warp threads run lengthwise on the loom under tension the whole time you're weaving. They take a lot of abrasion from the heddle and need to be smooth and strong. Weft is what you weave in sideways, passing your shuttle through the shed. Everything you weave is an interlacing of these two elements.

Can I use the same yarn for warp and weft?

Yes — and you should for your first project. It simplifies your planning and lets you learn the weaving motion without different yarn behaviors complicating things. Just make sure the yarn is smooth and firm, not fluffy or stretchy, so it survives warp tension.

How wide should my first loom be?

16 inches is the sweet spot. After takeup (weaving drawing in at the sides) and wet finishing, you'll end up with about 13–14 inches of woven width — exactly right for a scarf. Anything under 12 inches limits you to bookmarks and narrow bands.

Do I need a warping board?

Not at first. Most rigid-heddle looms support direct warping — you wind the warp directly onto the back beam using a threading hook. A warping board becomes useful when you want warps longer than about 4 yards or plan to set up multiple projects from a single warp.

What is hemstitching and do I have to do it?

Hemstitching is a finishing stitch you do before cutting your piece off the loom. It locks the outer weft rows so the weaving doesn't unravel when you remove the tension. Without it, your piece will fall apart at the ends. It takes about 10 minutes and a tapestry needle — not optional.

Going further

Where to next

Related hobbies

Browse by category

Authoritative sources

  • r/weaving — The most active weaving community online. Beginners are genuinely welcome — post your first project and you'll get kind, specific feedback.
  • Jane Stafford Textiles (YouTube) — The best free resource for rigid-heddle weavers. Clear, patient, technically exact. Start with any of her beginner rigid-heddle videos.
  • Ashford Wheels & Looms — Free tutorials from the loom manufacturer. The direct-warping and first-project videos are exactly where to start.
  • The Woolery — Well-regarded weaving retailer with a good educational section. Useful for understanding the vocabulary of weaving supplies.
  • Handwoven Magazine — The established weaving publication. More pattern-focused than gear-focused, but the beginner issues are excellent.
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