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Activities / Pochampally Ikat / Ikat Paper Strip Weave

Ikat Paper Strip Weave

Ikat-Style Paper Weave: Why Ikat Edges Look Soft and Feathered

Level
Beginner
Duration
45 - 75 mins
Budget
₹745 – ₹1,085
Age
8+
State
Telangana

Materials

  • Watercolour paper, A4 (US pad is 9 x 12 in), 300 gsm
  • Watercolour paint set, 12 colours (you need blue and red)
  • Paint brush set with a wide flat brush
  • Masking tape, about 2.4 cm wide
  • Scissors, ruler and pencil
  • Glue stick
  • Card or an old cereal box for the backing
  • Board or stiff cardboard to tape the strips on
  • Water jar, rag, newspaper and a heavy book

Steps

  1. Understand the idea and set up your table
    In ikat, yarns are tied and dyed before they are woven, so the pattern edges come out soft and feathered. You will copy that by painting paper strips first and weaving them afterwards. Cover the table with newspaper and lay out watercolour paper, a ruler, scissors, watercolours, a wide brush, a jar of water, masking tape and a board. Common mistake: weaving first and painting second. That gives sharp edges, which is not ikat.
    Tip: Keep a rag nearby for wiping your brush.
  2. Cut 20 strips, 2 cm wide and 20 cm long
    Cut two sheets of A4 watercolour paper into strips along the long side: mark every 2 cm and cut along each line to get 14 strips per sheet. Trim each strip to 20 cm. Keep 10 strips for the warp (the upright strips) and 10 for the weft (the crossing strips). Use scissors, or a craft knife with adult help. Common mistake: uneven widths, which make the weave gappy.
    Tip: Use a ruler as a guide and make small pencil marks at the top and bottom first.
  3. Number the warp strips on the back, from 1 to 10
    Turn the 10 warp strips over and write a small number from 1 to 10 in pencil at the top of each. Lay them side by side in order, edges touching. The order matters, because the painted pattern lines up across neighbouring strips. Do the same for the weft strips, numbering them 1 to 10. Common mistake: skipping the numbers, since mixed-up strips ruin the pattern.
  4. Paint a wet-into-wet blue band across the warp strips
    Tape the top ends of the numbered warp strips to the board, side by side and touching, with the front facing up. With a wide brush and clean water, wet a band across the middle of the strips, about 6 cm tall. Touch blue paint into the wet band so the colour spreads and the edges blur. Leave about 20 minutes to dry. The band crosses every strip, like a tied and dyed yarn.
    Tip: Use plenty of water. The more it blurs, the more ikat it looks.
  5. Paint a red band across the weft strips
    Tape the 10 numbered weft strips to the board in the same way. This time wet a band across the middle, about 6 cm tall, and touch in red paint so the edges blur. Let the band drift a little off-centre on purpose, so it will not line up exactly with the blue when you weave. Dry for 20 minutes, until the paper feels cool and dry.
  6. Peel the tape and flatten the strips
    Peel the tape off slowly and lift the strips, which may curl a little. Lay them in order on a flat surface and press them under a heavy book for 10 minutes. Both bands should look soft at the edges, with no hard lines. If a strip is still damp, wait 5 minutes.
  7. Tape the warp strips side by side on a board
    Put the warp strips back in order, 1 to 10, side by side with edges touching and the blue bands in a row. Tape the top ends firmly onto the board with masking tape. The strips should lie flat and straight. Common mistake: leaving gaps between strips, which make the finished weave look lacy.
  8. Weave the weft strips over and under
    Weave weft strip 1 across the warp: over strip 1, under strip 2, over strip 3, and so on. Weave weft strip 2 starting under strip 1, so the over-under pattern alternates. Push each strip up snug against the last. Keep the weft strips in order, 1 to 10, so the red and blue bands cross each other. Common mistake: pulling the strips hard, which tears the wet-painted paper.
    Tip: Weave the middle row first, and the pattern will line up nicely.
  9. Push the strips close and glue the ends to a card
    When all ten weft strips are woven, push them tight against each other. The bands will not line up perfectly, which is exactly how handwoven ikat gets its soft, feathered, dreamy look. Dab glue under the loose ends and press the weave onto a card backing. Remove the tape, then trim the edges with scissors. Hold it up to the light to see the soft colours blend.

Sustainability

High - reuses paper scraps. Inspired-by exercise: real ikat is made by tying and dyeing yarn before weaving, not by painting

Safety

Minimal; wet paint on paper, so cover the table; take breaks during fine weaving