It’s Hispanic Heritage Month! Let’s celebrate!
We also get to celebrate Mexico's Independence Day so we will kick off our celebration with a Mexican art craft!
Hispanic Heritage Month
Just a fun fact: Many people think that Mexico’s Independence Day is Cinco de Mayo but it’s actually on September 16th. Hispanic Heritage month runs from September 15th- October 15th. This month I will dedicate some of my crafts to celebrating the Hispanic Heritage which includes lots of countries. The term Hispanic or Latino, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, refers to Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.
Have you ever seen the Mexican Metal Tooling Art technique? The process of working a rounded tool on the back side of soft metal to create a beautiful piece of raised Mexican art is called Repujado. It’s absolutely lovely and every time I walk into a little shop with mirrors, crosses or jewelry, using this technique, I want to buy it all.
Here are some examples of this Mexican art, created by artist, Moni Avila.
image via Pat’s Mexican Folk Art
Make Your own Mexican Art
You will need:
- Foil baking pan or thick foil
- Permanent markers
- skewer or thin paint brush
1. Decide what you are going to draw.
2. Using the blunt end of your skewer or paint brush end, trace your drawing onto the foil. Use both sides of the foil to trace your drawing to create an indented look.
3. Once you are done tracing, take the rounded edge of your permanent marker and work the areas back and forth until it has a raised look on the back side. Make sure to place newspaper under your work when tooling so that you are not damaging your table.
4. Decide which side is going to be the front and starting filling it in with color.
*Note that the foil can be sharp so handle with care. A adult may need to cut the foil first and do all the bending to avoid little ones getting cut. Don’t use an sharp object, to work the metal otherwise it will tear the foil.
Mexican art makes for unique kids activities but it is also a great way to teach kids about Hispanic Heritage Month. Check out these other great project ideas to teach about various countries and cultures: