There are a number of techniques that can be used for creating
braids and the simplest equipment has to be the tablet weaving
card.
Tablet Weaving
 Tablet
weaving (or card weaving) is a method of producing braids,
straps, belts, edgings and hair bands and a large range of
yarns work effectively with this method. It is necessary to
use a strong yarn for the warp as it is subjected to high
tension and twisting but softer, lighter yarns are adequate
for the weft.
 This
is an excellent place to begin to learn the basics of weaving.
The equipment
is inexpensive and portable and the technique provides opportunities
for experimentation with design and colour, practical use
of mathematics and problem solving and is a creative activity
for both adults and children to share.
Luceting or Cord Making
The craft of luceting can be traced back to Viking times.
The lucet produces a square cord which can be woven using
string, wool, silk or cotton threads.
 The
cords have been used in clothing for thousands of years. They
were used to tie doublet and hose in the middle ages and bodices
in Elizabethan times. Ornamental frogging was created using
the luceting technique and the Victorians made silk cord neck
chains and watch fobs.
Probably the most portable of braiding techniques, the Lucet
has been adapted, along with the techniques, to absorb a whole
new crafting audience. Ziggy
Rytka's Lucet Kit and DVD offer an excellent way
to learn the techniques.
Inkle Weaving
 Inkle
weaving is also an ideal activity for children and created
on a simple loom
(pictured left). It is used to produce braids, bands, belts
and straps just as the tablet weaving cards but the warp is
unsleyed and therefore a warp-faced surface usually results.
The weft is completely hidden except along the edges.
Strong, smooth yarns with  two
or more ply are used for this weaving technique as they need
to be able to withstand the pressure of the shed separation.
The shed is the space into which the shuttle passes and is
controlled by heddles which are string loops attached to the
warp strings.
Kumihimo
 Kumihimo
is a Japanese craft of braiding usually using lengths of silk
strands but also other threads, such as fine cotton and linen.
The braids are created either on a loom called a Takadai
which allows for wider pieces of fabric to be woven or on
a Marudai
(pictured left) which is portable and can be stood on a table
top.
 The
warp threads when set up on a Takadai lay at an oblique angle
and are weighted with bobbins
(right) to keep a consistent tension. Instead of a separate
weft thread, each warp thread takes turns to become a weft
thread in a similar way to plaiting.
 The
threads on the Marudai are fed through the hole at the top
of the stand and weighted in the centre to keep the braid
in place. The unwoven threads are counter-balanced by bobbins
to help maintain the tension.
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