Cultural Diversity

Henna Hands

Suitable for:

Upper Primary and Lower Secondary levels

Materials:

Cover Paper, Budget Fineliner Pen, Cover Paper Black A3, Glitter Stretch Tubing, Glue Stick and Uni Signo Broad Pen White

How to Make Henna Hands:

1. On a sheet of Cover Paper, trace around both arms and hands of a friend and one hand of your own.

2. Cut the shapes out and use a black fine line pen to decorate each one with patterns that you might see used in henna decorations.

3. Decorate the border of a sheet of A3 black Cover Paper with a white pen in a pattern that complements the patterns used to decorate the hands.

4. Glue the three decorated hands on to the black Cover Paper, elevating the shapes to stand above the sheet by only gluing some of the fingers and the opposite end of the shape to the paper, leaving the bulk of the hands without glue.

5. Cut small lengths of Glitter Stretch Tubing and attach them to the wrists by twisting each end of the length together to create a number of bracelets.

Dreamer Step: Experiment

Plaster cast of a hand painted and decorated with a black henna pattern.
Press a hand into a slab of clay to make the mould. Pour plaster into the mould and allow it to set. Peel away the clay when the plaster is set and allow a couple of days for the cast to completely dry. Paint the hand with a skin coloured paint and when dry use a black marker to decorate with a henna-like pattern. Display on a fringed piece of Hessian mounted on card. Decorate with Glitter Stretch Tubing bracelets and decorated fabric to create a sleeve.

© Copyright Zart Art 2009. Activity and teacher notes written and designed by Zart Education.

Key words: Art, craft, activity, activities, children, kids, school art activities, hand, culture, cultural, year of rapprochement, textiles, 3D, construction