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Activities / Khes / Khes Paper Check Weave

Khes Paper Check Weave

Khes-Inspired Checks: Weave a Coloured Paper Mat

Level
Beginner
Duration
30 - 60 mins
Budget
₹99 – ₹428
Age
6+
State
Punjab
Craft
Khes

Materials

  • Thick coloured paper in 2 colours, A4
  • Masking tape, 24 mm
  • Card or a cereal-box piece for backing
  • Scissors, ruler and pencil
  • Glue stick

Steps

  1. Set up your table and pick two bold paper colours
    Khes is a handloom cotton cloth from Punjab, traditionally woven in checks and stripes, and here you will weave a paper version to see how the checks form. Clear a table and lay out thick coloured paper in two strongly different colours, such as red and white, plus scissors, a ruler, a pencil, masking tape, a glue stick and a piece of card. Common mistake: choosing two similar colours, because the checks then barely show.
    Tip: Choose one dark and one light colour, so each check stands out.
  2. Mark 8 strips of 2 cm by 20 cm on each colour
    On the back of each coloured sheet, draw parallel lines 2 cm apart with a pencil and ruler, and make each strip 20 cm long. You need 8 strips in each colour, 16 in total. An A4 sheet gives about 10 strips of 2 cm by 20 cm, so one sheet of each colour is enough. Mark all strips before you cut, so the widths match.
    Tip: Measure from the same edge for every line, so all strips are exactly 2 cm wide.
  3. Cut out the 16 strips with scissors
    Cut along each pencil line in one long, steady stroke. Stack the strips by colour in two piles. Check that the strips are all the same width by laying a few side by side. A strip that is wider than the rest will bulge out of the checks. Children under 8 should have an adult help with cutting.
  4. Lay 8 strips side by side, alternating colours, and tape the top
    On the table, lay the strips down vertically, edge to edge, alternating red and white. Check that no gaps show between the strips. Tape the top ends of all 8 strips to the table with one strip of masking tape across them. These strips are the warp, the threads that stay still on a loom. Common mistake: leaving gaps, which make the weave loose.
  5. Weave the first cross strip over one, under one
    Take a red strip and lay it across the warp near the top, going over the first strip, under the second, over the third, and so on across all 8. Slide it up tight against the tape. This strip is the weft, the thread that moves on a loom. The first strip sets the pattern, so do it carefully. Common mistake: skipping a strip, which breaks the check pattern.
  6. Weave the second strip in the opposite pattern
    Take a white strip. This time go under the first warp strip, over the second, under the third and so on. This is the opposite of the first row. Slide it up tight against the row above. Keep alternating colours and the over-under pattern for each new strip. Every second row copies the first one.
    Tip: If you lose track, look at the row above and do the opposite.
  7. Keep weaving until all 8 cross strips are in
    Continue until you have woven 4 red and 4 white strips in. Push each strip firmly against the one above. After 8 strips the checks appear: red-over-red squares, white-over-white squares and mixed squares. Step back and look at the mat. It should look like a small piece of Khes cloth.
  8. Glue the strip ends down on all four sides
    Remove the tape at the top. Put a thin line of glue stick on the ends of each strip, on the back side, and press them down on the nearest woven strip so nothing slides. Do this on all four sides, a few strips at a time. Hold each side for 10 seconds. A dab of glue under every end is enough. Common mistake: too much glue, which crinkles thin paper.
  9. Trim the edges and mount the mat on card
    Trim the ends to a straight edge with scissors, cutting 5 mm from the last glued strip. Glue the mat on a piece of card slightly bigger than the mat, for example 20 by 20 cm, and leave it under a book for 15 minutes. Write your name on the back. Your paper Khes is ready to display as a mat or a coaster.
    Tip: Cut the card first, so you only have to fit the mat in the middle.

Sustainability

High - uses scrap paper. Inspired-by exercise: real khes is a handloom cotton cloth woven in checks and stripes on a handloom

Safety

Minimal; scissors are sharp for young children