Ojos de Dios • 1st-5th, 6th-adult 
Oja Portals

A God's Eye (in Spanish, Ojo de Dios) is a spiritual and votive object made by weaving a design out of yarn upon a wooden cross. Often several colors are used. They are commonly found in Mexican and Mexican American communities, among both Indigenous and Catholic peoples.  The spiritual eye of the Ojos de Dios is thought by some believers to have the power to see and understand things unknown to the physical eye. 

​

Our craft can be easy for young children as well as complex for older teens and adults.

Embosed Mexican Tin Art • 3rd - 8th

One of the least known, most versatile, and most beautiful expressions of Mexican folk art is hojalata (tin artwork), also known in some parts of Mexico as, lamina or lata. Since the 1500's, this humble metal has been made more pleasing by being shaped, stamped, punched, painted and cut into a wide variety of decorative and functional artwork.

Mexican tin art is created with a sense of humor and imagination. Many people in Mexico have tin art displayed in their homes, while other places such as cathedrals have symbolic religious tin ware displayed.

​

Our craft is made with thick aluminum and is embossed with wooden tools, painted and embellished. 

Native American Bead Worok • Kinder - 8th

One of the most common arts and crafts practiced by multiple Native American tribes included the decorative use of beads of various types. Generations before Europeans landed on the shores of the new world, Native American beadwork used primarily stone, shell, quills, and bone carved patiently with non-metal tools. As the decades went by and new materials like metal and glass were introduced by the new people arriving on the shores, the beadwork patterns used on clothing, jewelry, and decorations became much more intricate and stylized.

Chicos Nichos • 2nd - Adult

In Mexican and South American cultures, small, decorated boxes called “Nichos” are commonly found in homes and public places, displayed on walls or pedestals. Made from wood or tin and often painted with bright colors, they provide a stage-like setting for an object or collection of objects that have great significance. Most commonly functioning as an altar for a religious icon, a Nicho can also serve as a memorial to a loved one or as a reminder of an important event.

​

Themes for our Nichos are Saints, Corazons, Superheros, or Frida Kahlo or Pocket Altars.

Papel Picado and Papel Flores • Kinder - 5th

Papel Picado is a decorative Mexican art craft made by cutting elaborate designs into sheets of tissue paper. They can also be made by folding tissue paper and using small, sharp scissors. Common themes include birds, floral designs, and skeletons. Papel picados are commonly displayed for Fiestas and religious occasions.

Papel Flores were first predominantly used in churches or home alters.  When votive candles began being used in churches, the flowers were barred because they posed a fire hazard.  Eventually paper flowers became more secular and were made more elegant and colorful.

​

Our Papel Picados and Flores are made simply with tissue paper and scissors.

Fiesta Maracas • Kinder - 2nd 

Maracas are one of the most recognizable of the percussion instruments, a pair of rattles made from gourds or other materials. Maracas are essential to Latin and South American orchestras and bands.  They are usually oval or egg-shaped with a handle. The family of musical instruments is divided into groups depending on how sound is produced. Solid or sealed objects that have full, distinctive sounds are classified as "idiophones." Maracas are part of a further subgroup of instruments that are shaken rather than struck. Idiophones that are struck include cymbals, castanets, and the xylophone.

​

Our craft is made with plastic spoons and plastic eggs filled with beans, beads and rice.  Kids will dance with their Maracas.