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In our house, any day that oil pastels are used is a good day. They are such a fun medium to play with on a cloudy Seattle afternoon. We have made oil pastel resist crescent moon and star banner on our blog. Today for a Hajj craft we used our fingers with the oil pastels to make a Kaab’a look like it has light rays coming out of it.
The Kaab’a is the most sacred Islamic site in the world. This time of year, millions of Muslims will be traveling to see the Kaab’a in person at the Al-Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. They will be making this pilgrimage as part of ritual to perform Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam. Eid Al Adha begins after these pilgrims descend from Mount Arafat, a hill east of Mecca as part of their 10 day observance of Hajj.
This lovely oil resist Kaab’a makes a wonderful Hajj craft!
Hajj Craft: Light Ray Kaab’a Oil Resist Tutorial
Supplies
Watercolor paper
Oil Pastels
Ruler
Watercolors / water<
Paintbrush
Use the ruler to measure out a cube shape. Add two lines parallel with the top and a door on one side.
Cut out the whole shape.
Use this template to draw and cut another exact replica. Cut out the door and gold band at the top. On the real Kaab’a this is gold-embroidered Quranic text. It is part of the Kiswah, the black silk covering, replaced annually during the Hajj pilgrimage. The actual Kaab’a is a stone cube structure which is made of granite quarried from nearby Kyara Land.
Color the edges of the cut out band and the door with gold. The thicker the better.
Place the band in the middle of your new piece of large watercolor paper. Use one finger to rub the oil pastel off the band onto the white paper, creating rays. 
Remove the band, place your cut out template down to figure out where the door goes and rub the oil pastel off the door also.
Add black or grey oil pastel to the large cube and place it on top of the gold band and door. Rub the oil pastel outwards the outside of the entire pieces.
Cut out another piece of watercolor paper into an arch shape. Add dark green to the curved edge.
Use the same method to create the hillside with green.
Your final masterpiece should look close to this. You can stop here, but we wanted to add some watercolor.
Paint the sky in blue with watercolor and the grass green. The watercolor will resist everywhere that there is oil pastel and will not penetrate the paper. Just be sure to keep the inside clean and white. We had a debate in our home if we wanted to make the area under the Kaab’a green or full of pilgrims and we decided to keep it simple. Here was our final, ready to dry overnight and get then framed.
What crafts are you doing with your kids for Hajj?
Hajj is one of the most important events on the Muslim calendar. Help children appreciate this special time with these wonderful posts below, and don’t miss what was shared last year! Find even more ideas on our Hajj for Kids Pinterest board!
A Crafty Arab on Multicultural Kid Blogs: Light Ray Kaab’a Oil Resist Tutorial
Middle Way Mom: Prepare for Hajj and Eid al-Adha at Home
Super Urdu Mom: Bringing Excitement into Eid for Kids
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