How to Make a Papoose

Doing a craft with a child presents an opportunity for you to bond with and teach your child. Create a papoose with your youngster to teach her how Native Americans cared for and carried their babies. Follow these steps to make a paper cradle board rendition of a papoose.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Hole puncher
• Crayons
• Markers
• Temper paint
• Water
• Paintbrush
• Yarn
• Masking tape

Making the Papoose

1. Cut a large oval out of your craft paper to make the back of your papoose and cut a slightly smaller one for the front.

2. Line up the bottom of your ovals and staple around the sides and bottom. Leave enough room in between the staples for one hole-punch.

3. Punch holes all they way around the sides and bottom of the cradle in between the staples.

4. Decorate your Native American papoose with crayons and markers. Use pictures similar those the Native Americans would have used, like horses, flowers, trees, the sun, moon and stars.

5. Mix your temper paint with water to thin it out and apply a light coat of paint over the whole papoose, including the pictures. This gives your papoose a leather look. Set it aside to dry.

Weaving Your Papoose

6. Cut a long length of yarn and wrap tape around one end of it. Tape the other end of the yarn to the back of the papoose.

7. Weave the yarn through the punched holes in the papoose like a shoelace.

8. Leave extra length of yarn at the top so your child can wear her papoose the way Native American mothers did. Tape the end of the yarn to the back of the papoose, leaving enough room for your child to wear it.