Mexican Serape or Rebozo

Why

Celebrate Hispanic heritage! The rich colors of Crayola Metallic FX Crayons are ideal for creating replicas of Mexico's traditional fabrics.


Steps

1. Do you know how your clothes are made? Look at your jeans. Some threads go one way and others cross over those threads. This is called weaving. What other clothes are made of woven fabric?

2. Each area of the world has its own distinctive (originally handmade) fabric. The colors used to dye the yarn often come from local plants. Throughout Central and South America, people often dress in their own woven fabrics. Mexican men may carry a traditional serape over one shoulder. This blanket can be wrapped around them to keep warm. Women's shawls are called rebozos, and double as baby carriers.

3. With Crayola Metallic FX Crayons, draw a woven design for a serape or rebozo on black construction paper. Choose bright colors that stand out next to each other. To make the pattern look like it was woven, keep thread colors going in the same direction.

4. A fringe is created when woven fabric is removed from the loom and loose ends of thread are tied so they do not unravel. To make similar fringe, cut two pieces of colored paper the same width as the short ends of your serape or rebozo. Cut a fringe along one edge of each piece. Glue the fringe to your weaving with a Crayola Glue Stick.

Safety Guidelines

Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project.

Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.

Related Crafts

Crafts

 

Supplies

crayola supplies
  • Metallic FX Crayons
  • Glue Sticks
  • Blunt-Tip Scissors
  • Construction Paper
household supplies
  • colored paper

Where & When

"My kids decorated paper with crayons and then cut it into strips. Weaving them was pretty simple."
Gerri G., mom of 7- and 9-year-olds.

"Serape colors and designs vary by region. Students chose an area of Mexico and researched its colors and patterns first."
Fionn K., craft club leader.


Interesting Info

The lengthwise threads of woven fabric are called the warp and the crosswise threads are the weft. How much warp shows depends upon a number of things such as how tight the weave is. A loom is the tool that is used to interlock the two directions of threads. Looms come in many different sizes and complexities.