Create Your Own Ojo de Dios

The Huichol tribe of western-central Mexico doesn’t have TVs or computers or microwaves. They live simple lives, remaining separate from what we think of as society. Instead of a writing system, the Huichol tribe passes on knowledge and stories through traditions, ceremonies, and art. The Ojo de Dios, or God’s eye, is an example of traditional art that is used to pass down knowledge.
An Ojo de Dios is made by wrapping string around sticks. It represents the eye of God which sees and understands all things. The father weaves the inner eye when his child is born and then another layer is added each year until the child turns five. The Ojo de Dios is believed to give protection to the child.

To make your own Ojo de Dios, follow the directions below.
Supplies Needed:

Colored yarn
Two sticks or Popsicle sticks
Scissors
Glue (optional)

Gather your supplies. Your sticks should be about the same length. I recommend using thicker sticks than I used because they kept threatening to snap in half as I wove.

Cross one stick over the other to form and X. If you have small hands, use a little glue to keep the sticks from uncrossing or moving around. Wrap your piece of yarn around the cross and tie and knot. Now you’re ready to begin weaving.

Lay the bound sticks in an X in front of you with the knot on the bottom. You will begin with the upper right stick. Wrap the yarn from underneath so the end is to the left of the stick. Then flip the end back over the stick so it ends to the right. Wrap the yarn under again so the end is to the left of the stick. This makes one complete loop.
Now spin the sticks clockwise and repeat these steps on the nest stick. Continue going around until the eye begins to form. Keep in mind that as you work you are looking at the back of the Ojo de Dios.
Change colors if you’d like, or complete the entire Ojo de Dios with the same piece of yarn. To change colors, just tie a knot between the two pieces of yarn and continue weaving with the new piece. You should tie the knot over one of the sticks because it will be easier to hide. Don’t clip the first color too short. You should do a few rotations with the new color to hide the end before cutting it off.

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Create Your Own Pop-Up Pumpkin Card

Yesterday you learned about how pop-up books became popular. Today you can make your own pop-up. Spread good wishes for Halloween with this festive pop-up card!

Supplies needed:

Orange construction paper in at least two shades
Brown construction paper
Heavy piece of paper to be the card
Scissors
Glue Stick
Clear Tape
Pencil


Fold the piece of heavy paper and half and set it aside.

Fold each sheet of orange paper in half and then in half again. Trace a circle onto the orange paper. Try using a cup or a bowl to do this.
Cut the circles out and fold each one in half. Then unfold them and stack them on top of each other, alternating colors. Staple them together. Make sure to put the staples on the fold line.

Glue the outermost circle to the inside of your card, centered on the fold line.
Decorate the card anyway you want, then send it to someone you care about.

I left out a step when I made my pumpkin card. You have to tape the half circles together and I thought glue would work just as well; it doesn't. So here are the directions for taping. Glue the bottom half circle to the card. Roll a piece of tape (so it's sticky on both sides) and attach the bottom half-circle to the one next to it. Then tape half-circle 2 to half-circle 3 near the bottom. Tape half-circle 3 to 4 near the middle. Tape 4 to 5 near the bottom. Use this pattern until you reach the second to top half-circle. Roll another piece of tape and attach this half-circle to the top half circle. Glue the top half-circle to the card.
I ran out of orange paper so I couldn't make another pumpkin. Instead, I made a bunch of grapes. Look at the grapes above to see the taping pattern. Below is the finished pop-up card.
Be creative. You can make any simple shape pop-up this way. Try a festive fall apple.

For more pop-up instructions go to pop-up master, Robert Sabuda's site.

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Pop-Up Books: A History

The first pop-up book (or moveable book) was not for kids. It was a book about astronomy, published around 1306. In the book, a series of wheels were attached together so they could spin. The circles could be rotated to illustrate theories. For the next 400 years, pop-up books were used only by scholars.

In the 1700s people began creating pop-up books for kids.

One company, Dean & Son, made about 50 titles between 1860 and 1900. Each element of the scene was attached to the one in front of it with a piece of ribbon. When the ribbon was pulled, the whole scene popped up.

Because pop-up books are so complex, each book must be put together by hand. This was true in the 1800s and it is still true today.

Lothar Meggendorfer created some of the most complicated and original pop-up books of the 1800s. It wasn’t enough for one scene to pop-up on each page; Meggendorfer often had half a dozen parts of a scene moving at once and in different directions. Below is an example of a Meggendorfer pop-up.

The first pop-up book that resembled the books we’re used to was created in 1929 by S. Louis Giraud. The illustrations in the book popped up automatically when the reader opened the book rather than when the reader pulled a string or tab. Pop-up books continued to be popular as a growing number of talented artists created unique books. An example of a pop-up by Giraud is shown below.
Check out this gallery of pop-up books through the years, put together by Rutgers University.

Come back tomorrow to make your own simple pumpkin pop-up card.

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Make Your Own Mask Part 2

This Halloween, celebrate by making your own mask. You can even use it as part of your costume for trick-or-treating! If you need some inspiration, look back at the article about Venetian Masks and the article about African Masks.

Supplies Needed:

1 Round Ballon
Pencil
Masking Tape
Papier Mache (Please read the article Create Your Own Papier Mache Sculpture)
Newspaper
Scissors
Paints
Paintbrushes
Elastic


Blow up your balloon until it is slightly larger than your head. Tie off the balloon and tape the eraser end of the pencil to the end of the balloon. This will make it easier to hold the balloon.

Create your Papier Mache mixture. (Follow the directions on the Create Your Own Papier Mache Sculpture article.) Dip strips of newspaper into the Papier Mache mixture and attach to the balloon. You can cover the entire balloon if you wish to make two masks or just cover half if you only want one mask. If you make one mask at a time, you can create jagged edges if you wish. Lay two or three layers of newspaper over the balloon.

Let the Papier Mache dry over night.

When the Papier Mache has dried, pop the balloon. If you chose to make two masks, use a pair of scissors to cut the Papier Mache shell in half.

Use your own face to judge where to cut hole for eyes and a mouth. Decorate you mask any way you want. You can add a nose or a crown by gluing pieces of cardboard to your mask. Use strips of Papier Mache covered newspaper to secure anything you add to the mask. When you’ve finish, let it dry again.

Finally, paint your mask. To attach the elastic, poke two small holes on each side of the mask, one hole about a half an inch above the other. Tie a knot in one end of the elastic. Thread the other end through the bottom hole, from the inside out, until the knot catches. Then thread the elastic back through the upper knot. Pull the elastic across the back of the mask and thread through the upper hole, from the inside out, then through the lower hole. Make sure you’ve pulled the elastic tight enough to hold the mask on your head, then tie at knot at the end and cut of the extra elastic.

For another make your own mask project, click here.

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Make Your Own Mask

This is a classic make-your-own-mask project and is especially good for younger kids. Don't forget to look at the articles on Venetian Masks and African Masks if you need some inspiration!

Supplies Needed:

Paper plate
Elastic
Many colors of construction paper
Paints, Crayons, etc.
Glue
Scissors.
Anything else you might want to add, such as feathers, sequins, buttons, jewels

Begin by painting the back of the paper plate. You can paint it any color you want or use more than one color. Use your imagination.

When the mask has dried, cut out eye holes and a mouth so you’ll be able to see and breathe.

Use the construction paper and other materials to decorate the paper plate. You can try making a beak out of construction to create a bird mask. Or you could add construction-paper horns to be a rhinoceros or a dinosaur. Add just one horn to make a unicorn mask.

Poke a hole in each side of the mask and attach the elastic.
__________

Here’s another interesting mask-making technique. It requires a computer and is a bit complicated, but it’s worth a look. http://www.microsoft.com/athome/morefun/createmasks.mspx


For another Mask project, check back tomorrow.

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