Harvest is a special time for communities around the world; this is the time when crops are picked and gathered in, or meat is preserved. Communities work together to harvest food and store it to feed their families over the long winter or dry season.
Harvest also means celebrations for the abundance of food and good company. Many crops provide not only food, but clothing, and the supplies to make decorations and crafts. For example, corn or maize is a staple food for many cultures and multiple parts are used for creating many things. The corncob is used as a brush and fuel for a fire, the corn husk is braided, woven, and shaped to make rope, mats, and even dolls. Harvest dolls are made in many countries out of corn husks, wheat straw, or straw of other grains.
Feel the texture of working with natural materials, try making your own corn husk figure, what will you make?
You'll need
- corn husks or paper bag
- pipe cleaners or string
- tacky glue
- scissors
- decorative elements: pieces of fabric, ribbon, yarn, and sequins.
Procedures
- If you are using corn husks, soak the dried husks in water until they are soft and flexible. Pat them dry with paper towels. If you are using a paper bag, cut four pieces of 5" x 10". You can crumple the paper to soften it.
- Use two husks, or two pieces paper, and wrap a pipe cleaner or string tightly around one end (narrower end of the husks), about 1 inch from the end.
- Separate the husks, or paper, by holding one piece in each hand, then flip them over and back together so the corn husks are in a stack once again.
- Wrap a pipe cleaner, or string, around the ball that is formed. This is the head.
- Make arms by rolling a husk, or paper, together lengthwise. Slide the arms through the middle of the two strips of corn husk or paper, just below the neck. Wrap a pipe cleaner around to make the waist. Use scissors to trim the arms.
- You should now have a figure with a skirt. If you want to create legs simply divide the skirt into two strip and wrap a piece of pipe cleaner at the bottom.
- It's time to decorate your doll/figure, add hair, draw a face, and use pieces of fabric and ribbon to dress up your figure.
- Si estás utilizando hojas de maíz, remoja las hojas secas en agua hasta que estén suaves y flexibles. Seca las hojas con toallas de papel. Si utilizas una bolsa de papel, corta cuatro piezas de 5" x 10". Puedes arrugar el papel para suavizarlo.
- Usa dos hojas de maíz, o dos piezas de papel, y envuelve un limpiapipas firmemente alrededor de un extremo (el extremo más estrecho de las hojas de maíz), aproximadamente 1 pulgada a partir de la punta/orilla de las hojas.
- Separa las hojas de maíz, o papel, sosteniendo una pieza en cada mano, luego voltéalas y júntalas para que las hojas de maíz estén agrupadas una vez más.
- Envuelve un limpiapipas o una cuerda alrededor de la bola que se formó. Esta es la cabeza.
- Haz los brazos al enrollar una hoja de maíz o papel, a lo largo. Desliza los brazos a través de la mitad de las dos tiras de hojas de maíz o papel, debajo del cuello. Envuelve un limpiapipas alrededor para hacer la cintura. Usa tijeras para recortar los brazos.
- Ahora deberías tener una figura con una falda. Si desea crear piernas, simplemente divida la falda en dos tiras y envuelve un pedazo de limpiapipas en la parte de abajo para sujetar las piernas.
- Es hora de decorar tu muñeca/figura, ponle cabello, dibujale una cara, y usa piezas de tela y listones para vestir a tu figura.
