Free: How to weave with natural fibers for your creations

January 31, 2023

Learn step-by-step methods for weaving jewelry and clothing from natural fibers or synthetic raffia.

Inspired by the shapes, textures and colors of nature, Mercedes Salazar (@mercedessalazar) designs jewelry and accessories from natural fibers. The designer uses ancestral techniques to explore the creative possibilities offered by various materials, and transform them into unique accessories.

In this exclusive step-by-step guide, Mercedes shares her method for creating three simple, traditional Colombian weaves using natural fibers or synthetic raffia. Discover braiding techniques as well as parallel and cross line weaving, and connect with age-old methods to create modern styles when designing your own creations.

Types of jewelry

Mercedes Salazar explains that contemporary jewelry falls into two categories: traditional jewelry and modern jewelry.

– traditional jewelry are handcrafted using precious metals.– modern jewelry follow contemporary design trends and use an endless array of materials, such as resin, plastics, rubbers, recyclable materials and paper, to name a few – in fact, you can use anything to create modern jewelry.

The charm of traditional techniques

Mercedes sees jewelry as an art form that fulfills our human need for creativity and imagination. For her, the use of ancestral techniques and the exploration of Colombian cultural heritage in her creations are an important way to share this philosophy with an important new generation of textile jewelry designers, who also champion the beauty of traditional knowledge.

By traditional techniques, Mercedes means crafts carried out mainly by women in various communities in Latin America. These processes, passed down from generation to generation, take time and involve meditative states in which people often share stories through oral culture. “It is my responsibility as an artist to protect these traditions,” she explains.

What does the guide contain?

The eleven-page PDF contains photos and explanations that teach you how to create three types of weave using simple, step-by-step methods: interlacing, line weaving, and cobweb style. Mercedes’ easy-to-follow instructions make it easy to understand how to achieve these styles, even if you have no prior experience.

After clicking on the button below, you will find a .zip file in the Downloads folder on your computer containing the file Free Guide: How to Weave with Natural Fibers by Mercedes Salazar. You will need to use a free program, such as WinZip, to unzip the file.

This download is no longer available. (Until December 3, 2021.)

If you want to check out the material after this date or learn more about Mercedes’ craftsmanship, sign up for her course, Woven Jewelry in Natural Fibers. You will learn traditional Colombian weaving techniques to create a jewelry collection with natural fibers or synthetic raffia.

About the Author

Mercedes Salazar was born in Bogotá and studied jewelry design at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico City. Driven by her fascination with the ability of human beings to bring their ideas to life using the materials that surround them, she founded her own jewelry and accessories brand 20 years ago.

Since then, his business has grown and today has a team of 50 people who collaborate with more than 200 artisans throughout Colombia. Her work can be found on her brand’s website and in international stores. She has also exhibited her jewelry in cities around the world, including Mexico City and Paris.

Like Mercedes’ course, the guide is designed for anyone interested in designing and handcrafting a jewelry collection from natural materials.

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