Molas Exploding with Color
Create a vibrant paper version of a traditional craft from the Cuna Indians, who live on islands in the Caribbean.
1. Cuna/Kuna Indians, who live on the San Blas Islands near Panama, make a popular type of art with fabric, called molas. Layers of colorful cloth are carefully cut away and sewn in simple designs. Most molas are pictures of nature and animals with interesting designs placed inside and around them.
2. On paper, use Crayola® Erasable Colored Pencils to outline an animal or bird. Use a simple circle for an eye, or a line to suggest a mouth. If you change your mind, just erase.
3. Draw your design in a mola style on Crayola Color Explosion Paper with the Color Reveal Markers. Make up an interesting pattern for the inside, using shapes that are separate from each other. Leave black areas inside the outline, too.
4. Make thin dotted lines all around the outside edge of your outline to look like stitches (the Cuna use a blind stitch, but your lines will help people understand that it is a replica of sewn artwork). Leave the background black or add a simple design to fill the space.
5. Display your beautiful mola for your family!
Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.
Color Explosion™ Black—Wash hands well with soap and water after use.
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