Across Africa, fabrics tell stories! In Uganda, people make soft cloth from tree bark. In Tanzania, artists hand-dye bright fabrics called batik. And in Ghana, weavers create bold, colorful patterns called Kente cloth. Just like every pattern in Kente cloth is unique, God created every country and culture to be one of a kind.
In Ghana, families like Kwabena’s have been weaving Kente for generations. That means Kwabena learned from his father, who learned from his father before him! Now he’s teaching his own sons so the tradition can live on.
Each strip of Kente is woven by hand on a wooden loom. The bright threads are pressed tightly together to make colorful patterns, and every color has a special meaning!
Kente cloth is worn during big celebrations like weddings, graduations and festivals. It’s a symbol of pride, creativity and community — a reminder that each person’s story is woven together with others.
Now it’s your turn! Grab your supplies and create your own patterned “cloth” using paper. Let’s get weaving!
Supplies
- 1 sheet of colored paper (for your base).
- 3 sheets of colored paper, all different colors (for strips).
- Scissors.
- Ruler.
- Glue stick.
- Pencil.
- Black marker.
Step 1
Adult help needed. To make your strips for weaving, use your ruler and pencil to draw straight lines across the short side of the colored paper. Your strips can be as wide as your ruler! Do this for all three colored papers.
Carefully cut across the lines to make strips.
Step 2
Take your base paper. Place the ruler at the top and trace a line under it — this is your “stop” line!
Move your ruler about one finger width below that line. Be sure your ruler is straight and make pencil marks at every inch across your page.
Do the same along the bottom of your page. Use your ruler to draw straight lines that connect the marks from top to bottom.
Step 3
Take one strip and weave it through the slits, following this pattern: over, under, over, under. Push the strip up to the stop line and glue both ends down.
Step 4
Pick another colored strip. This time, start weaving the opposite way: under, over, under, over. Glue the ends.
Step 5
Keep going until your page looks like a colorful woven mat, following the color pattern and weaving pattern of your first three strips.
Stop weaving about 2 inches above the bottom of your paper to leave a fringe. Flip your paper over to hide any pencil marks.
Step 6
Use markers to decorate each colored strip with zigzags and geometric shapes like squares, rectangles or diamonds. Pick one pattern for each color and repeat that same design all the way across the strip!
Step 7
Carefully snip small vertical cuts into your fringe (don’t cut into your weaving!) and crinkle it with your fingers to make it stand out.
Supplies
- 1 sheet of colored paper (for your base).
- 3 sheets of colored paper, all different colors (for strips).
- Scissors.
- Ruler.
- Glue stick.
- Pencil.
- Black marker.
Step 1
Adult help needed. To make your strips for weaving, use your ruler and pencil to draw straight lines across the short side of the colored paper. Your strips can be as wide as your ruler! Do this for all three colored papers.
Carefully cut across the lines to make strips.
Step 2
Take your base paper. Place the ruler at the top and trace a line under it — this is your “stop” line!
Move your ruler about one finger width below that line. Be sure your ruler is straight and make pencil marks at every inch across your page.
Do the same along the bottom of your page. Use your ruler to draw straight lines that connect the marks from top to bottom.
Step 3
Take one strip and weave it through the slits, following this pattern: over, under, over, under. Push the strip up to the stop line and glue both ends down.
Step 4
Pick another colored strip. This time, start weaving the opposite way: under, over, under, over. Glue the ends.
Step 5
Keep going until your page looks like a colorful woven mat, following the color pattern and weaving pattern of your first three strips.
Stop weaving about 2 inches above the bottom of your paper to leave a fringe. Flip your paper over to hide any pencil marks.
Step 6
Use markers to decorate each colored strip with zigzags and geometric shapes like squares, rectangles or diamonds. Pick one pattern for each color and repeat that same design all the way across the strip!
Step 7
Carefully snip small vertical cuts into your fringe (don’t cut into your weaving!) and crinkle it with your fingers to make it stand out.
Supplies
- 1 sheet of colored paper (for your base).
- 3 sheets of colored paper, all different colors (for strips).
- Scissors.
- Ruler.
- Glue stick.
- Pencil.
- Black marker.
Step 1
Adult help needed. To make your strips for weaving, use your ruler and pencil to draw straight lines across the short side of the colored paper. Your strips can be as wide as your ruler! Do this for all three colored papers.
Carefully cut across the lines to make strips.
Step 2
Take your base paper. Place the ruler at the top and trace a line under it — this is your “stop” line!
Move your ruler about one finger width below that line. Be sure your ruler is straight and make pencil marks at every inch across your page.
Do the same along the bottom of your page. Use your ruler to draw straight lines that connect the marks from top to bottom.
Step 3
Take one strip and weave it through the slits, following this pattern: over, under, over, under. Push the strip up to the stop line and glue both ends down.
Step 4
Pick another colored strip. This time, start weaving the opposite way: under, over, under, over. Glue the ends.
Step 5
Keep going until your page looks like a colorful woven mat, following the color pattern and weaving pattern of your first three strips.
Stop weaving about 2 inches above the bottom of your paper to leave a fringe. Flip your paper over to hide any pencil marks.
Step 6
Use markers to decorate each colored strip with zigzags and geometric shapes like squares, rectangles or diamonds. Pick one pattern for each color and repeat that same design all the way across the strip!
Step 7
Carefully snip small vertical cuts into your fringe (don’t cut into your weaving!) and crinkle it with your fingers to make it stand out.