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Multicultural Kid Blogs

For families and educators raising world citizens, through arts, activities, crafts, food, language, and love.

Making a Simple Arpillera with Kids

October 5, 2015 by Julie Hoffman

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How to Make an Arpillera with Kids | Multicultural Kid Blogs

Each spring my First Graders dive into our Perú theme, focusing on culture and language at the same time. My favorite part (and theirs!) is making our own, 7-year-old friendly arpilleras. Inspired by arpilleras made in Chile and Perú, my students brainstorm elements to include in theirs- mountains, the sun, hills, rivers, trees and shrubs, vegetables, flowers, houses and of course, people and animals. We make them in two parts- the background, made of construction paper, and a person and animal, both of which are three dimensional. Here’s how we do it, no sewing involved! (a materials list follows the instructions):

How to Make a Simple Arpillera with Kids

The background

Each of my students receives a piece of blue construction paper to start- this forms the basic background upon which they layer the rest of their elements. Mountains, hills, lakes, trees, houses, vegetable gardens, etc are cut out of colored construction paper provided and glued in layers onto the blue paper. I show them an example I have made with some layers only partially glued on to give them a sense of how they can create the layers, mimicking the layers of cloth that are used to make real ones out of fabric. I encourage them to include lots of detail, just like the arpilleras we explore in my classroom, full to the brim with objects. Once the background is finished, we set it aside. Now, on to the three dimensional people and animals!

How to make an Arpillera background | Multicultural Kid Blogs

Animals

Each kiddo gets to make one animal (due to limited class time) of their choice: a sheep, a llama or a donkey. I have already copied the design out on stiff drawing paper using our school copier and cut them out; the shapes are a bit challenging for little hands to cut out, so doing this part ahead of time really helps. Once they choose an animal, I put their name on the back, they color the front, and then choose a yarn- I have a variety of all natural yarns in browns, grays, black, and white. The yarn is wrapped around the bellies of the animal to the kiddo’s poofiness preference. I place a dab of glue on the back and stick the end of the yarn into it and let it dry. Super cute!

animal arpillera collage

People

Each kiddo also makes a person (again due to limited class time), either a girl or a boy. Before we start the project I create the bodies out of pipe cleaners, attach a head and put hair on the head, using alpaca wool a friend of mine gave me. If no alpaca wool is available, sheep wool roving is just as great! You can get it at most yarn stores now as it is used for needle felting, or perhaps you know someone who spins wool or has fiber animals and is willing to donate.

I also cut out small rectangles of fabric in a variety of colors for the skirts, and pants (2 identical pieces for each pant) as well as a narrower rectangle for the shirt, in which I cut a slit half way lengthwise (this goes around the neck and down the back to form the front and back of the shirt). Each kiddo gets to choose their clothing and then we construct the person! See the photo collage below for step by step instructions.

How to make people for an Arpillera | Multicultural Kid Blogs

Before kiddos take their finished projects home, I safety pin their animals and people to a large arpillera background I made many years ago in the hallway outside my classroom. It is a fun and amazing display for the whole school to enjoy!

Materials List:

  • Construction paper in a variety of colors
  • Pipe cleaners- 2 types: a) multicultural colors for the bodies and b) various colors to be used as belts
  • Multicultural wooden head beads, available in many craft stores or here
  • wool in grays, black, browns
  • yarn- grays, black, white, browns
  • fabric
  • stiff white drawing paper
  • crayons, glue

For information about the history of arpilleras see these two links:
http://benton.uconn.edu/arpillera/what/
http://www.santiagocultura.cl/2012/11/07/tradicion-de-arpilleras-en-chile/

Global Learning for Kids | Multicultural Kid Blogs

This post is part of our new series Global Learning for Kids. Each month we will feature a country and host a link party to collect all the various posts people about teaching kids about that country–crafts, books, lessons, recipes, etc. It will create a one-stop place full of information about the country.

This month we are learning all about Perú, so link up below any old or new posts designed to teach kids about Perú–crafts, books, lessons, recipes, music, and more!

We are so excited for our FOURTH annual Hispanic Heritage Month series and giveaway! Through the month (September 15 – October 15), you’ll find great resources to share Hispanic Heritage with kids, plus you can enter to win in our great giveaway and link up your own posts on Hispanic Heritage!

Hispanic Heritage Month Activities and Giveaway from Multicultural Kid Blogs

 

Hispanic Heritage Month Series 2015 | Multicultural Kid BlogsMulticultural Kid Blogs is excited to be hosting its FOURTH annual Hispanic Heritage Month series and giveaway! Throughout the month (September 15 – October 15), you’ll find great resources to share Hispanic Heritage with kids, plus you can enter to win in our great giveaway!

 

Visit our main page for a full schedule of the articles in this series.   Enter below for a chance to win one of these amazing prize packages! Some prizes have shipping restrictions. In the event that a winner lives outside the designated shipping area, that prize will then become part of the following prize package. For more information, read our full giveaway rules. Giveaway begins Monday, September 14 and goes through October 15, 2015.

 

Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway: Grand Prize

 

Grand Prize

 

Home Learning Series Level A Curriculum from Calico Spanish US Shipping Only

 

Puzzle and app from Mundo Lanugo US Shipping Only

 

Sheet of Mexico themed nail wraps from Jamberry US & Canada Shipping Only

 

Complete set of If You Were Me and Lived In… books (15 countries) from Carole P. Roman US Shipping Only

 

Latin American prize basket (scarves, purse, bracelets, books, map) from Spanish Playground US Shipping Only

 

Growing Up Pedro & Mango, Abuela, and Me (in English or Spanish) from Candlewick Press US & Canada Shipping Only

 

The Giraffe That Ate the Moon and Caroline’s Color Dreams (bilingual books in English and Spanish) from Bab’l Books US, UK, & Europe Shipping Only

 

Bienvenidas las raras (bilingual book in English and Spanish) from Delia Berlin

 

Los Animales CD from Mister G US Shipping Only

 

Hola Hello CD from Mariana Iranzi US Shipping Only

 

Bananagrams game in Spanish from Bananagrams US ShippingOnly

 

Kids’ T-shirt from Ellie Elote US Shipping Only Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway: 1st Prize

 

First Prize

 

Perú, México and Portugal books from the If You Were Me and Lived In… series from Carole P. Roman US Shipping Only

 

Latin American prize basket (scarves, coin purse, bracelets, map) from Spanish Playground US Shipping Only

 

Bienvenidas las raras (bilingual book in English and Spanish) from Delia Berlin

 

Los Animales CD from Mister G US Shipping Only

 

Hola Hello CD from Mariana Iranzi US Shipping Only

 

Bananagrams game in Spanish from Bananagrams US Shipping Only

 

3 picture books: Finding the Music/En pos de la música by Jennifer Torres Water Rolls, Water Rises/El agua rueda, el agua sube by Pat Mora The Upside Down Boy/ El niño de cabeza by Juan Felipe Herrera (in honor of his recently being named the Poet Laureate) from Lee and Low Books US Shipping Only

 

3 Board Books – Loteria, Zapata, Lucha Libre from Lil’ libros US Shipping Only

 

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage – Musical Craft and Coloring E-Book from Daria Marmaluk Hajioannou

 

Kid’s foreign language T-Shirt (available in Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Swahili, Hawaiian, Italian, in infant onesies, toddler and youth sizes tees and tanks; women’s tees and tanks SM-XL) from Mixed Up Clothing US Shipping Only  Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway: 2nd Prize

 

Second Prize

 

Perú, México and Portugal books from the If You Were Me and Lived In… series from Carole P. Roman US Shipping Only

 

Latin American prize basket (scarves, coin purse, bracelets, map) from Spanish Playground US Shipping Only

 

2 picture books: Maya’s Blanket/La manta de Maya by Monica Brown Call Me Tree/Llámame Árbol by Maya Christina Gonzalez from Lee & Low books US Shipping Only

 

Bienvenidas las raras (bilingual book in English and Spanish) from Delia Berlin

 

Los Animales CD from Mister G US Shipping Only

 

Bananagrams game in Spanish from Bananagrams US Shipping Only

 

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage – Musical Craft and Coloring E-Book from Daria Marmaluk Hajioannou

 

Bonus Prize!

Luchador piñata   Mexican luchador piñata from Las Piñatas de Laly EU Shipping Only a Rafflecopter giveaway.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Julie Hoffman

K-4 Spanish Teacher, Owner of Mundo de Pepita at Mundo de Pepita
Julie began the K-4 Spanish Program at Camden Rockport Elementary in mid coast Maine in 1998 where she continues to teach. She is the founder and co-owner of Mundo de Pepita, Resources for Teaching Spanish to Children.
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Latest posts by Julie Hoffman (see all)

  • Tips to Advocate for a Foreign Language Program in Your Child’s Elementary School - August 28, 2017
  • Take a Fun Journey to the Galapagos Islands in Spanish Class - October 14, 2016
  • Spanish Spring Craft: Swallows and Robins - March 4, 2016

Filed Under: Crafts, Learning About Culture, Peru Tagged With: arpilleras chile, arpilleras peru, chile, elementary spanish, handicraft, Peru

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