Oceanian Crafts
We have selected 3 fun crafts based on our virtual tour of Oceania for you to try out. They are all unique and utilize different skill sets. So, pick the one you believe is most accessible or that you'll most enjoy, or try all 3!
One of the crafts will require a purchase from your local hardware or craft store, or from Amazon.com. We will make a supply list for each craft and provide any necessary links.
Māori Tukutuku Art
Tukutuku cardboard panels. Image from https://garciasgalaxy.edublogs.org/2016/12/02/tukutuku-panels/
Description from Artsycraftsymom.com: "The Maori people love art, and they’ve included it everywhere – in clothing, jewelry, tattoos, and architecture. One example of this is the decoration done on meeting houses called wharenui. The houses are decorated with a kind of latticework called Tukutuku, which have symbolic meanings. Try making your own Tukutuku panels out of cardboard, with the help of this tutorial from Garcia’s Galaxy."
Supplies Needed: Cardboard, box cutter, string or ribbon (to hang the panel), masking tape (to create the white spaces you see above), sharpies or acryllic markers (to create bold outlines around the masking tape patterns), and your favorite colored paints!
Yapese Rai Coin Necklace
The small Micronesian island Yap may have the world's most unique currency - rounded stones with holes carved in the center. These stone are sometimes at tall as an adult, and were used to barter for other goods. Stone on these small islands is a valuable commodity as it is scarce, hence how something so commonplace to us can be of such value to others.
Yapese rai stone. Image from Wikimedia Commons.
Our craft: find or acquire a smooth, round stone (whatever size you'd like to wear as a pendant) and make a rai coin necklace.
Below is a video for how to drill holes in stone. Once you've found or purchased some pretty, round stones for your necklaces, get the following supplies and start crafting your own currency...I mean jewelry!
Supplies: Hand-held drill, diamond-tipped drill bits for stone carving (only about $10-20 for a set!), a small plastic dish filled with water (watch video below for application), and a leather cord for the necklace.
*Bonus supplies: Get some acrylic paint and some brushes and decorate your stone!
Basket Weaving Using Vines
Basket weaving is a huge part of many native cultures around the world, and Oceanian/Polynesian culture is no different. Like many Oceanian arts, this is another practical craft, and the more experienced you become, the fancier you can get!
Watch the YouTube video below for a nice guide on a beginner basket using blackberry vines.
Supplies Needed: Heavy duty gardening gloves (don't get your fingers cut on all the brambles!) and some gardening shears.
