Tape Loom: Getting Ready for Colonial Day

I'm getting my tape loom ready for Colonial Day, which is a once-a year-event for 2nd graders at my grandkids' school.  The kids learn about living in Colonial times.

They learn to weave on a 4 shaft loom and a tape loom.  They also learn about quilting, making a cloth doll or wooden toy, making butter, cornbread, and lemonade, and using an ink well and a slate and more.  They also have a Colonial school session and learn about manners in Colonial times.

They all dress up in Colonial outfits for the school day, and the teachers and many of the helpers also dress up.

I bring my reproduction tape loom by Jonathan Siedel for the kids to each weave on.  They learn that people in Colonial times use the tapes (or bands or straps) in many ways.  The Colonists used tapes to tie something closed, such as a cloth feed or seed sack.  They were used to tie aprons and bonnets.  They could be used to hold up stockings or pants.  They could be used as a strap for a powder horn or a leather bag.  They could be used as trim for clothing.  They had many uses.

I wove a bookmark for each 2nd grader using my inkle loom so they would have a piece of weaving to take home.

I designed this inkle loom pattern for the flag design.  Feel free to use it if you'd like to make one.  I also made a guitar strap using my flag design, and it is in an earlier post.

Colonial Day is such a fun experience for the kids.  We helpers and the teachers really enjoy it, too.