Sun and Moon Weaving

These images show you just a glimpse into some of the wonderful Mexican Sun and Moon Weaving works that were created at Blaxland Library by children these holidays. Students learnt about the significance of the sun and moon motifs in Mexican art, craft and culture, as well as important recurring patterns and symbols displayed on materials such as Mexican textiles and clay art/handicrafts. The students used a number of mediums - such as pencils, markers and oil pastels, before adding woven accents. Beautifully done, everyone! How-to below...

What you'll need:

1. White paper plates
2. Oil pastels
3. Textas 
4. Squeezable glitter pen
5. Wools of different textures
6. Scissors
7. Lead pencils
8. Eraser
9. Sharpener

Method:

Look at and discuss examples of the Sun and Moon face motif from Mexican culture. More info here.

Look at other recurring symbols found in Mexican art and craft, and explore their cultural significance. 

Children outline their duel face on the central circle of the paper plate, and then extend the design up on the outer rim of the plate (ie adding flames for the sun side). 

Using markers/textas to outline and do a bit of fiddling colouring in. Use oil pastels to complete the colouring, to give a texture, painterly surface. 

Cut strips inwardly on the rim of the paper plate, approximately an inch apart. 

Choose your favourite wool to start, tie a double-knot around your first section of the rim (or use masking tape on the back of the plate to secure the wool). From then on, it's just the usual in and out method of weaving around the plate until you are ready for a new colour (double-knot the new wool the the end of the old) or to tie off. 

We then made a loop of wool and tied it to weaving at the top of our faces, in order to be able to hang the works up!