How to Make an Indian Vest out of a Paper Bag
Creating an authentic-looking American Indian vest can be a fun supplemental activity when studying Native American cultures. Not all American Indians wore vests, but men and women in many plains and woodland tribes did. The Sioux Indians, who lived in the western plains of the United States, made vests of deerskin that often were fringed at the bottom. Making Sioux Indian vests from paper bags can be a fun way to commemorate American Indian heritage.
Instructions
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Place the paper bag on the table in front of you. Lay it flat, with the opening of the bag closest to you.
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Draw half a circle or square at the top of the bag in the center and cut it out to make the head opening for the vest.
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Use a ruler to draw a straight line from the bottom of the vest to the head opening. Cut along the line to create the vest opening.
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Draw half of an elongated oval about 6 inches long on each side of the vest to create arm openings.
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Make mant small cuts along the bottom of the vest to simulate fringe.
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Decorate the vest with traditional Sioux Indian designs and patterns. Create repeating basic geometric shapes in turquoise, red, burnt orange and brown.
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Tips & Warnings
You can string beads onto pieces of fringe, tying a knot at the bottom to hold them in place, or glue bead patterns directly to the front of the vest. Glass beads were used by the Sioux Indians after they began trading with Europeans. Before that time, they used paint, feathers, elk teeth and animal fur to decorate their clothing.
Resources
- Photo Credit scissors cutting a paper image by Oleg Guryanov from Fotolia.com
