You can create your own yarn painting using glue and scraps of yarn and wool.
By Andrea Mulder-Slater
The Huichol Indians of Mexico are known for their yarn paintings. The Huichols take beeswax which they melt in the sun, and spread it over a piece of wood. They then push coloured yarn into the wax to create images.
What You Need:
- A piece of wood or cardboard (start small – about 5″ x 6″ to 7″ x 8″).
- Pencil.
- Bits of yarn or wool – all colors.
- White glue.
- Books that show examples of the Art of Mexico.
What You Do:
- After deciding on an image (do a number of sketches first), draw your final idea on the wood or cardboard, taking care to leave lots of space between lines. (Remember, the yarn is thicker than your pencil lines).
- Make sure your yarn is cut into manageable lengths.
- Spread a small amount of glue onto one side of your wood or cardboard.
- Work left to right or right to left filling in as you go.
- Be sure to flatten the yarn as you work and take care that no background shows through between the yarn.
