I’ve written about tapestry looms and my smaller tapestry diary works quite a lot on this blog.* One of my most popular blog posts is from 2019 about small tapestry looms. The information in that post is now outdated and most of the looms I was talking about are not even available any more. So let’s look at some newer options for small looms and why you might choose one over another!

Why weave on small looms?

The ultimate portable loom, this Handywoman Shop bamboo loom is also very strong and light so I can take it backpacking! This was woven in the Rawah wilderness of Colorado.

Tapestry is sometimes thought of as a monumentally sized art form. Indeed, there are many traditions where tapestries are many meters in height and width. But tapestry weaving can also be something that you do at a much more accessible size. Weaving small is portable, more affordable in terms of equipment and materials, and it takes far less time to complete a project!**

Small projects allow us to play and to weave things that don’t feel intimidating. And if we don’t like the results, it is easier to change things or just start over! I very much enjoy weaving my large-format tapestries, but weaving small things about my daily life will always be a joyful experience.

Types of small looms

Most small tapestry looms are some variation of a peg loom. Some of these looms have pegs that stick out from a bar of some sort and some have slots cut into a wooden bar. Usually these looms do not have tensioning, but there are a couple exceptions to that.

I’ll give you examples of three kinds of looms below.

Peg looms without tensioning
Peg looms with tensioning
A frame loom with tensioning you can make yourself

Peg looms without tensioning

Some of my favorite looms in this category are the Handywoman Shop looms, Lost Pond looms, and the Schacht Lilli loom. Let’s look briefly at each of these.

Handywoman Shop Looms

These looms are made by Janet Fox. If you’re looking for a beautiful tool in lovely woods made by a master woodworker, this is your loom. They come in several different sizes. The one pictured to the left is a medium sized loom, 8 x 10.5 inches. They come at 6 or 8 dents per inch in various woods. The ends of the bars where the teeth are are rounded somewhat and the wood is cut with the grain. The teeth of this 8 dent loom seem exceptionally sturdy and I’ve never had any of these looms break. I use the 6 and 8 dent looms of this size a lot as well as a 6 dent tiny loom for backpacking which is pictured to the right.

Handywoman Shop’s website is: https://www.handywomanshop.com/

Schacht Lili Loom

Schacht used to make a loom called the Easel Weaver which I liked for portable weaving. They no longer make that loom, but they do have a somewhat larger peg loom called the Lilli loom which is sturdy and would be great for car trips. I’ve used these looms for workshops and find that the sturdy nature of the loom means it is indestructible when thrown in the car for travel. It is not as small as the other looms and the sett is a little odd. The pegs are at about 5.5 warps per inch but you can double warp for about 9 epi and that is good enough for me!

Schacht is a wholesaler though they do now sell most products on their own website as well. Check your local weaving supply shop or find their products here: https://schachtspindle.com/

Lost Pond Looms

A comparable loom to the Lilli Loom is the Lost Pond Loom. These looms have wooden teeth in a standard sett (8 epi is easy to get) and they’re very sturdy. The Peeper is a similar size to the Schacht loom. I also like their smaller loom, The Minnow if you’re looking for a travel loom. These looms are less expensive than the Schacht Lilli loom and perform just as well with a better sett. The Lilli loom tends to “rack” a little bit (become a polygon instead of a rectangle) and the Lost Pond looms are made so this is impossible. They’ll stay square.

Find Lost Pond Looms on their website here: https://edenbullrushes.com/

Schacht’s Lilli loom on the left and the Lost Pond Peeper on the right.

Peg looms with tensioning

Mirrix Saffron and Chloe looms

Mirrix makes two small looms with tensioning ability. The Saffron was their first one and they’ve updated that with the Chloe loom. Both looms are still made. For travel, I prefer the Saffron. It packs up really small and is quite light.

The Chloe is heavier, but in general, I like weaving on it more. (Psst… Mirrix is having a big sale on Chloe looms this week through April 13th, 2025.***) I like the Chloe loom in the 8 inch width with the stand and the extended rod. A longer loom is always something I’m looking for. I regularly use the 8 and 12 epi combs on this loom but whatever sett you want they can probably accommodate.

I have reviewed the Chloe on the blog HERE.

The Chloe looms are on the left (5 inch) and in the center (8 inch) with the extra combs in front on the table. The Saffron which comes at 8 epi is to the right with the wooden bars top and bottom.

Sketch looms

These looms likely deserve more attention from me. I find that they are great looms for travel because they are super light and easy to carry along with you. I find that they can’t provide the tight tension I’d like, but they can provide some and you can get various parts in different setts. They’re fun and easy to warp and likely we’d all benefit from having one in our travel kit.

Find them on their website here: https://sketchlooms.com/

Sketchlooms make the three looms to the left. The loom to the right is a Louet.

Pipe looms

It is possible to make a tiny pipe loom. I haven’t been able to source the materials myself, but the astute among you have done it. The smallest pipe looms I’ve made have been with 1/2 inch copper pipe and those end up being fairly big. But they can still be portable and I often take one with me car camping. I give instructions for making these looms in many online classes. The Fringeless class has instructions for copper pipe looms, PVC looms, and galvanized/black pipe looms.

How do I choose the right loom for me?

A loom can be a very individual thing. I use all of the looms I’ve mentioned here in different situations, so you might need more than one. But to start with, a loom that isn’t too tiny is a good idea. Save the tiniest Handywoman Shop or Sketch Loom for your travel bag and learn tapestry on a bigger loom.

What sett do you want to weave at?

If you like 8 epi, look for a loom that is easily warped at that sett. If you love finer weaves at small scale, then look for a loom that might weave at 12 epi easily. For example, I have both 8 dent and 6 dent Handywoman Shop looms. I never weave at 6 epi at small scale, but the 6 dent loom is easily double warped at 12 epi so it gets a lot of use by me!

If you don’t like fudging the sett, make sure that your loom will give you the sett you want. You might consider the Mirrix Chloe if you want the sett of the loom to match the sett you’re weaving at exactly. That loom has interchangeable combs so you can change them out depending on what sett you want. Just don’t forget to purchase the other combs with the loom!

How much do you want to pay?

Some looms are definitely less expensive than others. If you’re on a budget and you want a very sturdy loom that weaves beautifully at 8 epi, look at the Lost Pond Looms. If you want a sturdy loom with tensioning and you’re a tiny bit handy, you can’t beat a homemade copper pipe loom.

How big do you want to weave?

These are all small looms and there are size limitations to your tapestries when you use them. If you want to weave pieces that are as long as the loom, you should look to a loom that can be continuously warped so you can advance the warp as you weave. (I didn’t talk about these looms here, but the Classic Mirrix looms or the Schacht Arras are excellent choices.)

If you’re wanting to weave very tiny things, then get a Handywoman Shop loom for a beautiful and sturdy loom that will last you a long time! They’re simple and easy to warp!

Do I need tensioning?

Not necessarily. I do like a firm tapestry tension and so the copper pipe loom or the Mirrix Saffron or Chloe are appealing because you can tighten (or even loosen) the warp. This is a very helpful feature. I also like that you can make these looms longer or shorter. A long loom is easier to weave on but a short loom is easier to pack in your travel bag!

What class should I take to learn about weaving on small looms?

That’s me weaving on my 8 inch Chloe loom last summer in a campground in Colorado. I carry that loom in the plastic box that is on the table and it works great for car trips.

I have two beginning classes about weaving on small looms. One is called Weaving Tapestry on Little Looms and is a longer class with various options in warping and headers depending on what loom you’re using. My most popular class about small looms is called Introduction to Tapestry Weaving. This class is only $39 and is a great introduction to tapestry weaving whether you’re going to continue weaving only small tapestries or will also try larger format works. This class is also offered with a kit from Gist yarn if you want to purchase a loom (Mirrix Saffron), warp, and weft all in one place.

Once you’ve taken Introduction to Tapestry Weaving or another introductory tapestry class, consider using your small loom for one of these two classes:

Summer of Tapestry 2025. I run this class every year with new material. We focus on making small, fun tapestries inspired by our enviroment. It is my favorite class to teach and I guarantee you’ll find a wonderful weaving community right in the online course.
Tapestry Discovery Box. This is another great class to take on smaller looms. It is a quarterly subscription product run in collaboration with Gist Yarn. You’ll get a class focused on a tapestry technique along with 7 colors of Gist Array tapestry yarn every quarter. This is another great online community!

No matter what you weave on your small looms, I hope you enjoy the adventure of weaving tapestry!

*You can find those posts in the category lists or just by googling my name and a subject in a search bar.

**If you’re interested in a fun class all about weaving small tapestries about your world, consider joining Summer of Tapestry. I run this class every year with new material and the 2025 edition opens in mid-May. Registration is open today, so get yourself set up for a summer of fun.

***This is not an affiliate link. The Chloe package that Mirrix has which is an affiliate product is not on sale. I will receive nothing if you purchase a Chloe on this sale, but you will have a great loom to weave on, so take advantage!

Tapestry weaving on small looms: which should I choose? 2025 update!