How to Make an Indian Headdress Out of Paper

Teach kids to make an Indian headdress from paper.

American Indian headdresses are not just decorative accessories; they are colorful headdresses that vary from tribe to tribe and are worn as a symbol of one's tribe. Each feather on a headdress symbolizes an act of bravery and devotion performed by the person wearing the headdress and it was often worn to intimidate enemies. Many American Indians also wore headdresses during battles and at ceremonies. Teach children about Native American culture and fashion by constructing simple headdresses out of construction paper and a few craft supplies.

Things You'll Need

• Construction paper
• Glue
• Scissors
• Tape
• Glitter
• Paintbrush
• Crayons

Instructions

1. Cut a strip of construction paper. The strip should be approximately 2-inches in width. If the strip is not long enough to fit around the circumference of the child's head at the forehead, cut another strip of paper the same size and tape the two-pieces together.

2. Use crayons to decorate the strip of paper with a colorful design.

3. Adjust the strip on the child's head so it fits, and tape the ends of the construction paper strip together so that the band forms a circle.

4. Draw feathers on construction paper and cut them out. Decorate the feathers by brushing glue on the feathers with a paintbrush and sprinkling glitter on the feathers if desired.

5. Glue the bottom of the decorative side of the feathers to the inside circumference of the paper band so that the feathers sit upward.

References

• Kidscraftzone: Kids Indian Headdress
• Native Net: American Indian Headdress