Learn to weave with a weaving loom craft kit
Backstrap Belt Weaving Kits - Learn Inkle-Style Belt Weaving, Made in the UK
Backstrap belt weaving - sometimes called inkle weaving is a form of weaving that produces narrow woven fabric: belts, straps, ribbons, and bands. The backstrap loom is a simple, portable tool: one end loops around a fixed point (a door handle, a table leg, or a hook), and the other end loops around the weaver's body, allowing the weaver to control the tension of the warp by leaning back. The result is a warp-faced woven structure with clean, crisp lines and a satisfying rhythm once the weaver finds their pace.
The finished pieces from these kits are narrow woven belts approximately 2 cm wide and as long as the weaver chooses to make them typically 1 to 2 metres for a belt or strap. The technique is ancient, practised across many cultures, and produces some of the most structurally distinctive woven fabric available from a small, inexpensive loom.
Both TabbyandTweed belt weaving kits are designed and made in the UK by Emma and Gill, two weavers based in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Each kit includes the backstrap loom (made from FSC-certified birch plywood), all accessories, and a full instruction booklet. The kits are available as a standard kit (£30) and as a gift box kit with a threaded heddle and yarn (£40).
Belt Weaving feedback: 'I absolutely love this! Arrived quickly. I was able to get set up pretty easily and having a go! Fantastic quality item'
Frequently Asked Questions - Backstrap Belt Weaving Kits
What is backstrap belt weaving and what does it make?
Backstrap belt weaving - also called inkle weaving or backstrap loom weaving is a form of weaving that produces narrow woven fabric: belts, straps, ribbons, and bands. The technique is ancient, found in weaving traditions across many cultures, and produces a warp-faced woven structure meaning the pattern is formed by the warp threads rather than the weft, creating clean, graphic lines and strong, durable fabric.
The backstrap loom is a simple, portable tool. One end loops around a fixed point (a door handle, a table leg, or a hook on the wall), and the other end loops around the weaver's body, allowing the weaver to control the tension of the warp by leaning back slightly. The loom travels with you and it can be used at a table, on a sofa, or outdoors.
The finished pieces from a TabbyandTweed belt weaving kit are narrow woven belts approximately 2 cm wide. Length is controlled by the weaver, a typical belt or strap is 1 to 2 metres long.
Is belt weaving suitable for a complete beginner?
Yes, Backstrap belt weaving is suitable for beginners who are confident following written instructions and are comfortable with a new physical technique that requires a little practice to find the right body tension. It is not quite as immediately accessible as bookmark weaving or circular weaving as those kits can be picked up and started within minutes; belt weaving has a short learning curve in the first session as the weaver learns to manage the backstrap tension.
Most beginners find their rhythm within thirty to sixty minutes of starting. The TabbyandTweed belt weaving kit includes a full instruction booklet written for new weavers, and customer feedback consistently reports that set-up is straightforward and the technique is quickly satisfying once underway.
If you have never woven before and are deciding between belt weaving and another kit type, a bookmark loom kit may be a more immediately forgiving first experience. Belt weaving is an excellent second or third weaving project for someone who has already tried frame loom or rigid heddle weaving.
What is the difference between the standard kit (£30) and the gift box kit (£40)?
Both kits contain exactly the same weavimg components: the backstrap loom (made from FSC-certified birch plywood) and accessories needed to begin weaving, and a full instruction booklet. The gift box kit has the heddle threaded with a warp and is presented in a gift box with tissue paper, making it ready to give as a gift without additional wrapping. The standard kit (£30) is packaged for posting and is the right choice for someone buying the kit for their own use.
What exactly is in the kit?
Each TabbyandTweed backstrap belt weaving kit includes: the backstrap loom made from FSC-certified birch plywood (designed and made in the UK); a set of warping pegs; a wooden shuttle and a full instruction booklet covering loom setup, warping, and weaving step by step. The loom is reusable. Once the included yarn is used up, the loom can be re-warped with any yarn of a similar weight to create further belts in any colour combination.
Is belt weaving the same as card weaving or tablet weaving?
No — belt weaving, card weaving, and tablet weaving are related but distinct techniques. Backstrap belt weaving as taught in TabbyandTweed kits is an inkle-style technique: the warp is set up on a rigid heddle or a series of pegs, and the weaver creates a shed (a separation of warp threads) by raising and lowering the heddle to pass the weft through. This produces a plain-weave warp-faced fabric.
Card weaving (also called tablet weaving) uses a series of small cards or tablets with holes through which the warp threads pass. Rotating the cards creates complex patterns and twisted structures that are not achievable with inkle-style weaving. It is a more complex and pattern-versatile technique.
TabbyandTweed kits teach inkle-style backstrap belt weaving specifically. If you are interested in card weaving, the skills learned with a backstrap belt weaving kit are a useful foundation but the loom and technique are different.
Is belt weaving a good gift for someone who already knits or weaves?
Yes - belt weaving is an excellent gift for someone who already works with yarn, because it uses familiar materials in a completely different structural way. A knitter who receives a belt weaving kit will find the yarn-handling instincts they already have useful, while the backstrap tension technique is entirely new and engaging.
For a weaver who already has a rigid heddle loom or a frame loom, belt weaving is a natural next technique to explore - it produces a different type of fabric structure and uses a different loom type, so it is a genuine extension of their craft rather than a repeat of something they already do.
The gift box kit (£40) is presented with gift packaging ready to give.
How long does it take to weave a belt?
The setup and warping for a first belt typically takes thirty to sixty minutes, including reading the instructions. Once warped, the weaving itself is rhythmic and relatively fast - a 1metre belt can typically be woven in two to three hours of weaving time, spread across one or more sessions.
Belt weaving is a portable craft: the loom is lightweight and can be used on a sofa, at a table, or outdoors. Many weavers find it a good project to pick up and put down between other activities.