Hands are symbols of strength and power. Around the world hands are also seen as a sign of welcome, protection, and blessing. Khamsas are amulets, or good luck charms, in the form of a hand.
They originated in Morocco and spread among Mediterranean cultures. Khamsa is the Arabic word for “five” and refers to the five fingers. A khamsa with spread fingers is an averting hand, while a closed finger hand brings good luck.
You'll need
- aluminum tooling foil or metallic paper
- craft foam or newspaper
- pencil
- ballpoint pens
- scissors
- tacky glue
- decorated papers
- sequins
- ribbon or string
- plastic gems (optional)
Procedures
- Select a sheet of foil or metallic paper.
- Place your hand on the sheet, making sure that it fits within the edges. Position your fingers in a way that you would like.
- Trace around the fingers, hand and wrist. Cut out the shape of the hand. If using foil, place your khamsa on a piece of foam or small pile of newspaper for cushion. Use the ballpoint pens to press designs into the hand form.
- Draw designs and cut out different shapes from pieces of scrap foil and decorative papers and then glue them onto your khamsa.
- Glue on sequins and/or gems.
- To hang your khamsa, use a pen tip to poke a hole at the top of the wrist and thread a piece of ribbon or string through the hole.
- Once your khamsa is dry, it can be hung on a wall or door, or worn around your neck.
- Selecciona una hoja de aluminio o papel metálico.
- Coloca tu mano sobre la hoja, asegurandote que quepa dentro de los bordes de la hoja. Posiciona tus dedos de la manera que quieras.
- Traza alrededor de los dedos, mano y muñeca. Recorta la forma de tu mano. Si usas la hoja de aluminio, coloca tu khamsa sobre una hoja de goma eva o sobre varias hojas de periódico para acolchonar. Usa el bolígrafo para presionar diseños en la forma.
- Dibuja diseños y corta diferentes formas del aluminio y papel decorativo. Después, pega las formas a tu khamsa.
- Pega las lentejuelas y/o las gemas.
- Para colgar tu khamsa, usa la punta del bolígrafo para hacer un agujero en la parte superior de la muñeca y pasa un pedazo de listón o cuerda a través del agujero.
- Una vez que tu khamsa esté seca, puedes colgarla en una pared o puerta, o usarla como collar.
