DIY God’s Eye

DIY God’s Eye

Appropriate for grades:
Subject areas: Visual and Performing Arts

DIY God’s Eye

Ojos de Dios (oh-ho-day-DEE-ohs), “god’s eyes,” are ritual objects made by the Huichol (wet-chol) indigenous people of Mexico.The Huichol symbolism of the god’s eyes is primarily associated with the prayers for their children – prayers for a good long life, protection and to insure abundant crops. God’s eyes are woven on sticks that are crisscrossed. The ends of the sticks represent the basic elements – earth, water, wind, and fire, and the four cardinal directions – north, south, east and west. The center of the eye symbolizes the power of seeing and understanding things we normally cannot see. Huichol people weave a pupil of black yarn or place a mirrored disk in the center of the God’s eye where the sticks cross to enhance the vision of the god’s eyes.

 

You'll need:

  • 2 straight branches, sticks, dowels, popsicle sticks or skewers
  • balls of colorful yarn (contrast colors; put light colors next to dark colors)
  • white glue
  • scissors
  • Optional: Glue a small mirror, tin foil, or sequin disk over the center of the cross.

 

Procedures A grouping of images that showing the steps of how to make a God’s Eye using wooden dowels and yarn.

  1. Tie two sticks together, in the shape of a cross, using one of your selected colors of yarn until it feels secure.
  2. Wind the yarn around the sticks, either clockwise or counterclockwise as desired, in the following rhythm: behind the stick, looped completely around the stick and on to the next stick, repeat.
  3. Change the color of the yarn by tying on a new color to the first color of yarn and pulling tightly. Continue the wrapping rhythm, then repeat with a new color until you reach the size you want.
  4. When you are finished, tie the end of the yarn. Snip off any stray tails when finished.
  5. You can also make tassels to tie to the ends of the sticks.Make tassels by wrap yarn loosely around your fingers 5 or 6 times. Slip a small piece of yarn through the top of the loops you have created and tie a knot around all strings. Snip the bottom of the loops. Tie the tassel to the god's eye.
  6. Make a small loop of yarn on the top of the Ojo de Dios to hang it.
  7. Optional: Glue a small mirror, tin foil or sequin disk over the center of the cross.

 

Download Lesson Plan