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Bookmark
Activity
One of the first basketry
projects Maine Indian children learn to make is a bookmark. This
activity introduces students to Maine Indian basketry by making
a traditional bookmark from readily available materials. The use
of partners is recommended for this activity. Preparation of materials
should be done by the teacher or parent prior to beginning the activity.
Required
Materials:
Brown or tan poster board or light-weight cardboard (not corrugated)
Black, brown or tan raffia (papery cord found at craft stores)
Scissors
Rulers
Cut strips of cardboard 12 inches long by
1/4-inch wide. Twenty students will require approximately 55 strips.
Take 35 of these strips and cut them into 4-inch lengths.
| To
Start:
• On a flat surface, place a long strip (the stem)
down first.
• In a radial pattern, place five smaller strips about
2-inches from the top of the stem.
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| To
Weave:
• With a firm grip to hold the strips in place, begin
weaving a piece of raffia around the strips in an over and
under pattern. A thicker piece of raffia will be easier to
weave than a narrower piece. To start, the weaving pattern
is over one, under one.
• Once you return to the start, weave under two strips,
then continue in the over one, under one pattern. Repeat this
pattern until the raffia runs out.
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To start a new piece of raffia, hold the raffia where the
ends of the two pieces meet and continue weaving in the same
pattern. Once you have gone around twice, the ends will be
locked into place and the excess can be trimmed.
• Continue weaving in new strips of raffia until you
have 3/4-to-1 inch of weaving completed.
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| To
Finish:
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With approximately 3 inches of raffia left, slide the end
of the cord under the woven section closest to the stopping
point in the weave. To make this process easier, wet the end
of the raffia slightly and push it under the weave using another
piece of thin cardboard or the end of a nail file. Once the
end is under the weave, gently pull it snug and trim the excess.
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| Pointing:
• Trim the ends of the short strips, so there is approximately
3/8 inch of cardboard remaining. Remember! Don't trim off
the stem!
• Go back around the short strips and cut into angled
points.
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| This activity
may present some dexterity challenges for students. To facilitate
the weaving, teachers may wish to glue the smaller strips into
place on the stem before students attempt weaving |
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