Making a Noren

2026 Private Commission

A Noren is both a thing to look at and move through. They have been a common object in Japan for thousands of years, as a functional privacy screen, blocking dust and sun, to featuring family crests or merchant branding.

An older, more weathered one might indicate the lineage of a business, while certain fibres, patterns or dye can indicate area, speciality or trade. They are designed to be part of the moving world, part of the daily function of a household or business.

A Noren also shows how aesthetics can enhance function. That objects can be beautiful and useful. Handcrafting them certainly takes time, but they are made to be lived with — brushing shoulders, catching air or fraying in their age.

Scroll down to follow my process from beginning to end.

1. A warp thread is chosen and measured on a warping-board, with the desired length x width pre calculated.
2. The warp is tied onto the loom. This particular one was in two parts.
3. The warp is spread out across the back beam. The threads are crossed between two bars (cross-sticks) that keep the warp threads in order.
4. A raddle, spaced per inch, helps to keep the thread consistently spaced.
5. Even spacing is needed to roll the warp-back.
6. Each strand is then threaded in a pattern through the eye of a heddle. This warp had 400 ends (threads).
7. Then a separate pattern through the spacing of a reed.
8. Now threaded, the warp is tied into knots.
9. This allows for the warp to be tied under tension onto a front-beam.
Even tension is crucial for consistency and practicality.
10. A weft thread is chosen and wound onto bobbins.
11. Now cloth can be woven. The first few inches are named a header, used to hold the woven fabric in place.
12. Towards the end of the warp length, a footer is woven.
As the warp is woven, paper drops from the beam, used to ensure threads dont catch.
13. At the back, I give space to cut my cloth off, leaving fringe length.
14. The cloth can now be pulled off the loom.
15. The cloth is then cut.
16. Meanwhile, I weave the hanging straps at an inkle loom.
These are also chopped up.
17. Finally they are pieced together.
17. The finished piece can now be hung.

MAKING A NOREN

1. A warp thread is chosen and measured on a warping-board, with the desired length x width pre calculated.

2. The warp is tied onto the loom. This particular one was in two parts.

3. The warp is spread out across the back beam. The threads are crossed between two bars (cross-sticks) that keep the warp threads in order.

4. A raddle, spaced per inch, helps to keep the thread consistently spaced.

5. Even spacing is needed to roll the warp-back.

6. Each strand is then threaded in a pattern through the eye of a heddle. This warp had 400 ends (threads).

7. Then a separate pattern through the spacing of a reed.

8. Now threaded, the warp is tied into knots.

9. This allows for the warp to be tied under tension onto a front-beam.

Even tension is crucial for consistency and practicality.

10. A weft thread is chosen and wound onto bobbins.

11. Now cloth can be woven. The first few inches are named a header, used to hold the woven fabric in place.

12. Towards the end of the warp length, a footer is woven.

As the warp is woven, paper drops from the beam, used to ensure threads dont catch.

13. At the back, I give space to cut my cloth off, leaving fringe length.

14. The cloth can now be pulled off the loom.

15. The cloth is then cut.

16. Meanwhile, I weave the hanging straps at an inkle loom.

These are also chopped up.

17. Finally they are pieced together.

17. The finished piece can now be hung.