Weaving into recycled packaging

Recycled cardboard packaging woven into with printed newspaper.
The completed weaving was then printed and hand stitched - by Shaun West
 
I have been teaching weaving as part of the Constructed Textiles module of my course Experimental Textiles for many years. When I taught 'in person' we would create a huge pile of fibres, paper, yarns, fabrics and plastics in the middle of a huge table and the group would take what they thought would work for them. We always concentrated on interesting texture rather than weaving techniques. It is quite possible to create something rather special with simple techniques and interesting materials.
The work in the first 5 images in this post was created by Shaun West in 2013. 
All you need to weave, is a grid or a warp. With recycled cardboard packaging that is sliced in regular intervals it becomes quite possible to stretch it out and weave into it. Choosing to weave with painted and printed recycled newspaper keeps to a muted colour pallette. This way you can enjoy all the texture and not be distracted by a lot of colour.
 
  In this detail you can more easily see the print and hand stitch - by Shaun West  

This piece is made entirely by weaving printed and painted newspaper - Shaun West

Weaving into recycled cardboard packaging with neutral colours. Shaun has used all manner of yarns and fibres including cotton doilies, newspaper and wool tops.
 
More of the heavier cardboard packaging woven into with printed newspaper. This was then printed onto and hand stitched. By Shaun West.

 
10 years later - weaving was part of a recent module on the current online version of Experimental Textiles. Brown paper packaging is now also cut to create a honeycomb effect. The cuts are smaller and more regular and paper is more fragile to work with than the cardboard. But it is still possible to weave into, if you are careful . . 
 Jane Wolfe created this beautiful wall piece. Weaving into the paper was a fabulous idea. Using neutral threads and other media to weave with also a great idea. But to twist the whole piece and make it 3D really made it sing.  I appreciate I may be biased as I love working in 3D.


Circular woven piece by Jane Wolf

 

I hope you have enjoyed seeing these woven pieces, They might give you a few ideas . . . .
 

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