You may remember making a God’s Eye weave in scouts or at camp as a child. The Ojo de Dios, or Eye of God, is a Native American craft of the Huichol Indians of northwestern Mexico.
The Eye of God is a symbol of the power of seeing and understanding the unknown. They are made for children when they are born and a new eye is added for each year until they are five.
These are easy and fun to make and are a great craft to share with your children. Because they require few materials and are very simple (but time-consuming) to make, they make a great rainy day activity!
I have done this activity with children from 1st through 8th grades and it is always a hit — it works particularly well for very energetic kids or those with ADHD.
All you need are two relatively straight sticks and some yarn or string.
Variegated or multicolored yarns work really well, but you can also change colors by cutting the yarn and tying on the new color with a small knot.
You can use popsicle sticks or dowels, but sticks found outside lend a natural look. You can use short sticks or long ones, thick or thin, but I try to look for sticks thicker than a pencil and thinner than my thumb.
Instructions For The Eye Of God Project:
Begin by crossing the sticks in an X. Next, tie the end of the yarn around the two sticks.
Start wrapping the yarn diagonally in an X around where the sticks cross. Do this a couple of times. This will hold the two sticks together.
Now begin the wrapping pattern. Hold the sticks where they cross and with your other hand, loop the yarn around the first stick one time. Push the loop you made right up against the yarn already on the stick.
Turn the cross 90 degrees to the right and wrap a loop around the next stick, taking care to push the yarn up against the yarn already on the stick. Turn the cross 90 degrees to the right and repeat the loop on the next stick. Keep turning and looping until you are satisfied with the eye. If you run out of yarn or want to change colors, simply tie a new piece of yarn to the end and keep wrapping.
When you are satisfied with your God’s Eye, simply tie a knot on the back, and hang it up to enjoy!
You can get creative with this project by changing colors of the yarn to make different stripe patterns. Try using different sizes of sticks or adding eyes at the ends of the sticks so that there are 3 or even 5 eyes. See how many you can add onto one project!
I like to share fun ideas for easy arts & craft projects that you can do with kids. I especially enjoy coming up with unique ideas for kids crafts that can be enjoyed when you’re on the road, traveling, or vacationing outdoors (camping).
