A craft I thoroughly enjoyed when I was young was making a God’s Eye, a Native American Indian craft. I was first exposed to this craft item in Bible school during the 1970’s. This fun retro craft is one that you are sure to enjoy. The God’s Eye is made using two straight, or fairly straight, pieces of dowel, twig, skewers or craft sticks. Color is added to the items using yarn, strips of material or strips of plastic bags.
The Oklahoma Historical Society states “The Huichol believed that crafting an object was a way to get in touch with the spiritual world. For protection from the uncertainties of the future, the Huichol sometimes made decorative, ceremonial shields with colored yarn and sticks. These shields were called god’s eyes because through them a god might keep a watchful eye over the people who made them.” Original God’s Eye items were made by weaving a center eye or pupil of black yarn or a mirrored disk. This represented the eye of God. Some God’s Eyes had an opening in the center for the gods to travel through easily. Make your own God’s Eye using any color of yarn.
Things You’ll Need:
2 – straight twigs, 1/4-inch dowels craft sticks or skewers that are the same length (I suggest beginning with two items that are approximately 8-inches long) – Note: The two lengths of sticks may be different. The shape of the God’s Eye will go from a square to a diamond shape when using different length sticks.
Yarn
Scissors
White glue
Instructions:
Step 1 – Cut a length of yarn the length of the longest stick. Make a plus sign out of the two sticks by placing the center of each stick on top of one another. Bind the sticks together by crisscrossing the yarn over the center point several times. Secure the end of the yarn with a knot making sure it is snug against the sticks. Cut any loose ends of yarn so they are flush with the surface.
Step 2 – Connect the yarn to weave around the God’s Eye. Tie a knot around one of the sticks and slide it as close to the center as possible. Pull the yarn over the top of the next leg on the plus sign. Wrap the yarn to the back of the stick then over the top. Turn the God’s eye 1/4 turn and place the yarn over the top of the stick. Wrap the yarn to the back of the stick then over the top. Repeat the turning and wrapping process until the diamond shape is the desired width.
Step 3 – Change the color of the yarn by cutting the yarn making the last wrap approximately 1-inch from the stick. Carefully tuck the end of the yarn from the front of the God’s Eye through the last two weaves. Pull the tail from the back of the God’s Eye until it is tight. Secure the next color of yarn around the same dowel and tie with a knot.
Step 4 – Continue to weave the God’s Eye according to the instructions in Step 2 until it is the desired width. Secure the last tail of yarn to the back of the God’s Eye with white glue. Place the God’s Eye on a flat work surface. Squeeze a small line of white glue along the bottom edge of the dowel just above the yarn’s tail. Press the tail of the yarn into the white glue and allow to dry. The glue will hold the yarn along the edge of the dowel and prevent it from unraveling.
Optional:
Glue a small mirrored disk to the center of the God’s Eye. Make tassels to hang on the end of each stick. Hang feathers from the tassels or from the ends of each stick.
