This was originally posted in February of 2025. I’m updating it in July of 2026 with some corrected links and additional ideas.
Tapestry weaving can seem like a pursuit that requires A LOT. A lot of equipment, materials, and knowledge.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Weaving tapestry can be quite simple and your materials and equipment do not have to be complicated. If you want to learn tapestry weaving, below are some suggestions for how to get started. There are also many resources for people already deep into the tapestry experience, but this post is mostly for people who are pretty new to tapestry weaving.
At the end of the post is an actual list you might use to shop with.
Why does it feel so tricky?
I’ll tell you right up front, the biggest secret to learning something new like tapestry is to practice. That means weaving a lot of tapestries and being able to accept that they won’t be what you envision for awhile. Adult learners can get very frustrated with learning something like this that involves both an intellectual component and a motor skills component. We have to understand what is happening but we also have to learn the motor skills to make our hands do what we want them to and that takes time. It can feel especially challenging for people who haven’t woven or worked with yarn before. But I promise if you commit to weaving five small tapestries, you’ll see a huge improvement from the first to the fifth.
Find a teacher: knowledge
Rebecca teaching at a retreat in Taos, New Mexico in 2024
It is very helpful to have some guidance whether that comes through a book, an online course, a workshop, free tutorials online, or a combination of all of those. Check out these avenues for learning.
A book. If you learn well from books, my book, The Art of Tapestry Weaving, is the one you want mostly because it teaches the basics in a modern, approachable way.
Online courses. A short leap into the basics is provided in Introduction to Tapestry Weaving. Or Warp and Weft: Learning the Structure of Tapestry is a comprehensive beginning course. Weaving Tapestry on Little Looms is another great place to start. Find information about all classes HERE.
Got the basics but want more practice? Once you’ve worked your way through one of my beginning classes, I recommend jumping into the Tapestry Discovery Box (re-releasing fall of 2026).
Workshops. There are many other people who teach in person and I recommend keeping your eye out for tapestry weavers near you that are teaching beginning classes. Often you can find one through a local guild or even at your local library. Ask the fiber people in your town and you may find someone to help you out right next door. If that fails, keep an eye on the regional and national conferences if you’re in the USA. They almost always have at least one tapestry course.
Free videos. There are many of these. If you take this route without a structured class or book, you’ll be picking up bits and pieces here and there instead of building a cohesive set of techniques. I have almost 20 years of free content on my blog HERE. I recommend using the category list or if you’re looking for a specific subject, use your browser (Google for example) to search my name plus the subject (Rebecca Mezoff tapestry loom warping for example). My YouTube channel is another avenue. Other tapestry weavers have teaching videos on YouTube as well.
Change the Shed. I’ve been doing this free YouTube program since March of 2020 and there are more than 160 episodes for you to watch on my YouTube channel. In this program I weave something while answering questions. There is a wide variety of projects I’m working on on many different looms. You can get an overview and find something you want to learn about by going to the Change the Shed pages on my website HERE.
Rebecca Mezoff’s book, The Art of Tapestry Weaving on a student desk at a workshop at Harrisville Designs. The loom is a Mirrix Little Guy.
Equipment
If you’ve never woven before or tapestry is new to you, I recommend starting with a small or medium sized loom until you learn a few skills. Here are some possible options depending on what you want to spend:
Copper pipe loom. This one is soldered but you can use super glue and it’ll work just the same.
A simple non-tensioned frame loom (also includes looms in other shapes!). Everlea looms makes wonderful small peg looms which I review HERE. Lost Pond looms are well made and easy to use. There are many others! They just need to be sturdy and give you the sett you want.
A tensioned frame loom. Mirrix makes the Chloe pocket looms in three sizes. These are peg looms with tensioning. The warping is easy and you can change the sett combs on all the looms. Chloe comes in 5, 8, and 10 inches wide. My new favorite is the 10 inch loom because it has two threaded rods and can’t twist. They’re all good though.
A tensioned frame loom. There are many good tensioned frame looms out there. Mirrix makes a very sturdy metal loom in many sizes. Schacht makes a beautiful wooden loom called the Arras. Both the Mirrix and Schacht Arras frame looms have shedding devices and optional treadle assemblies.
Make yourself a pipe loom. For about $30-45 depending on whether you need to buy tools and how expensive copper or threaded pipe is where you live, you can make an excellent loom with tensioning. I teach you how to make this kind of loom (and others) in the Fringeless course as well as Weaving Tapestry on Little Looms. There is also enough information to put one together in THIS blog post. Pipe looms can also be made from black/galvanized pipe (nipple) or even PVC pipe.
You can find more information about looms on my blog. Try this category link for all my loom posts: https://rebeccamezoff.com/blog?category=Looms
There is also a kit available from Gist Yarn that includes a Mirrix Chloe loom, warp, tapestry weft, and my Introduction to Tapestry Weaving course. You can choose which pieces of that kit you need before purchasing.
And if you want to understand various kinds of looms and how to choose the one that is right for you, I have a short online class that reviews a whole pile of tapestry looms.
Materials
Yarn choices can also seem overwhelming. I have had moments of complete yarn snobbery in my life, but I’m going to say here that it is better to start than to fuss about having the perfect yarn. Yes, there are definitely yarns that work better for tapestry weaving. THIS blog post talks about that. But if you have a stash of Red Heart yarn from your days crocheting afghans, you can weave with that. You just want something that isn’t too bouncy. Really soft yarns (most knitting yarns) are poor choices for tapestry weaving. Pull out the yarns you have and think about the character of each of them.
And if you need to buy some yarn to start with, I recommend considering Harrisville Highland (if you live in the USA. If elsewhere, consider a similar yarn, about 900 ypp for work at 8-10 epi, Quebecoise or Crown Colony are options). Harrisville Designs is a small business and wool mill in New Hampshire and Highland was probably created for weaving textiles like blankets. It works well for tapestry weaving also. The color choice isn’t fantastic, but it is a good place to start. Look on the knitting yarn page of their website and purchase in skeins if you don’t want to scour it yourself (scour is just a fancy word for wash. The Highland that comes on cones has oil in it from the carding process and it needs to be washed out. This process is quite simple and you can definitely do it if you want to buy cones.)
More information about yarn can be found on my blog here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/blog?category=Yarn
Look at tapestries
This point is often missed by new weavers. Especially if you’re new to the world of art, you may not have a habit of looking at what other people are doing. I highly recommend spending some time just looking at tapestry. It will help you understand what is possible in the medium and what might be better left to the painters. I recommend starting with the Artist Pages on the American Tapestry Alliance website. The range of tapestry work there is very broad. So if you’re looking at a life-long professional’s work, admire that, look carefully, go to their website and marvel some more. But don’t expect yourself to meet that level of art-making for awhile. If you’re looking at a newer weaver’s work, also marvel at what they’ve done and think about what aspects you could incorporate into your own weaving.
There are books and show catalogs with lots of tapestries in them. The American Tapestry Alliance has catalogs from most of their shows and they are generally well done and certainly worth purchasing. A book with a wide variety of tapestries in it is Micala Sidore’s The Art is the Cloth which I reviewed HERE. She released a new book in 2026 called Tapestry Talking which I reviewed HERE. Watch for other tapestry shows that have catalogs such as Heallreaf in the UK or shows from guilds or other tapestry groups. I am encouraging you to spend time looking at what people are doing right now in tapestry all over the world in any way you can find images. Of course going to see actual tapestries anywhere you can is the best inspiration.
American Tapestry Biennial 11 in San Jose, gallery view. More about this show on my blog HERE.
Join a community
Many weaving guilds have study groups of tapestry weavers. I think a fiber friend can be a huge support, even if they don’t weave tapestry themselves. Set a date to get together to do your fiber crafts. And if you have a friend who is a tapestry weaver, so much the better! Plan to go take a workshop together and make sure to share your progress with each other often even if you don’t live in the same place.
Online communities around tapestry are also a great way to share your questions and what you’re working on. Facebook has many groups for tapestry weavers, some being focused on particular aspects of the medium such as small format or shaped tapestry. I have a Patreon group you can join HERE and a private Facebook group for people who have taken online courses from me.
Allow yourself to play
Weaving handspun on a tiny loom while backpacking. In Summer of Tapestry I advocate a lot of experimenting and wandering!
This medium is a wonderful one for beginners. If you want to become a professional, you absolutely can do that. It just takes practice. But it is also a wonderful thing to spend time doing as a hobby. At the beginning I believe it requires a willingness to play, experience mistakes, and try again. It will take a lot of weaving before you can match the image in your head with what ends up being woven. Just be okay with that and you’ll be well on your way. And always have fun with it.
The class I teach that most embodies this philosophy is Summer of Tapestry. The 2026 class is full of adventurous people making fun and simple things and you can still join us.
A shopping list!
Ready to jump in? These are simply suggestions and you should feel free to substitute depending on where you are in the world and what your goals for tapestry weaving are currently. You can always sell a good loom to someone else and try a different one and there are always people who can use the yarn that doesn’t work quite right for you. So start small and don’t be afraid to make a few mistakes along the way.
Loom
If you want a small loom for small weavings, try the Mirrix Chloe Pocket Loom or one of the other looms listed above. I am a big fan of making your own loom. A tensionable pipe loom made of black/galvanized pipe, copper pipe, or PVC pipe is simple to make and works very well.
If you want a larger loom that sits on a table, try a classic Mirrix or the Schacht Arras Tapestry Loom. (Psst. Have a floor loom? Some of them work really well for tapestry weaving. More information on my blog about that HERE.)
Knowledge
Are you a book person? Get this book.
Prefer an online course? Introduction to Tapestry Weaving or Weaving Tapestry on Little Looms will go well with that new loom.
Ask Santa for a trip to the next fiber conference…
Look for a local yarn store or fiber guild that has some tapestry weavers in it and start making local friends that can support you in your learning.
Yarn
I most often recommend beginners start with Harrisville Highland yarn at 8 ends per inch. You’ll find more information about recommended anchor yarns in my book and courses or THIS blog post. But you can start with a thin tapestry yarn that is bundled. I teach you how to do weft bundling in my beginner classes as well, so if you want to jump right in with Gist Array or weaversbazaar fine or medium, do it! The first Tapestry Discovery Box course is all about weft bundling (coming back in fall 2026!).
If you have some yarn that isn’t too soft and bouncy at home, try that.
Warp: I highly recommend that beginners start with cotton seine twine. For setts around 8 ends per inch, 12/9 or 12/6 work well. This is a cabled, very strong cotton. It works really well for tapestry and you’ll find it HERE. A lot of beginners problems can be avoided by using the appropriate warp.
Other tools: tapestry fork (Schacht has a great option, the Duet), shed stick (I love Stephen Willette’s), and tapestry needles. Other standard fiber tools may be needed depending on your equipment like tapestry bobbins, a color wheel, tape measure, slit-sewing thread, more sizes of tapestry needles, etc.
Some good choices for weft yarn for beginners include: Gist Array, Harrisville Highland or one of the weights of weaversbazaar. Gist and Harrisville Designs are in the USA and weaversbazaar is in the UK.
Bottom line needs summary
You need these things:
loom
warp
weft
tapestry needle(s)
tapestry fork or beater
shed stick especially if your loom doesn’t have a shedding device
I have resource links for all these things on my website under FAQ: https://rebeccamezoff.com/resources
If you just want to buy a kit with many of these things in it plus my Introduction to Tapestry Weaving course, take a look at this kit from Gist Yarn that includes a Mirrix Chloe loom, warp, weft, and the course.
Curiosity: The most important ingredient
Rebecca with her 8 inch Mirrix Chloe loom and a tiny tapestry diary piece woven with handspun while camping in the Rocky Mountains.
Tapestry weaving is about making images in cloth. It is a fantastic exploration in terms of color and form. It is also an art medium. As such, it is a great way for you to express yourself. Artists are curious. Don’t be afraid to experiment and play. You’ll make the most discoveries through allowing yourself to make mistakes and even to make ugly things. It is okay. The next weaving will be more to your liking.
Just keep practicing!
Want to get started with tapestry weaving?
I have a number of beginner trapestry weaving courses to meet you where you are:
Want something quick to dip your toes into? Start with Introduction to Tapestry Weaving.
Want to dive deep and lay a rock solid foundation for the rest of your tapestry weaving journey? Join Warp & Weft: Learning the Structure of Tapestry.
Want something in between? Check out Tapestry Weaving on Little Looms.
Wherever you are in your tapestry weaving journey, I can't wait to see you in class.