Kwanzaa Place Mats

Get in the festive spirit with this easy-to-make woven construction paper mkeka.

What You’ll Need

  • Red, black, green and yellow construction paper (one of the sheets should be extra large)
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Glue or tape

Start by folding a large piece of construction paper in half. While the paper is still folded, draw a series of lines across the fold using a ruler, leaving one inch at the edge. If your children are younger, an adult should draw the lines and then cut along the lines. When you’re finished cutting, unfold the piece of paper.

Using different colors of paper, cut several strips of paper approximately one-inch wide and the same length as the height of the large piece of paper used in the previous step.

Weave the strips of paper into the large piece of paper. Make sure each new piece of paper is pushed up next to the previously woven piece. When you’re done weaving, secure each strip of woven paper with either glue or tape. You might have to trip the woven edges in order to make the edges of the place mat even.

Source: enchantedlearning.com