Weaving: Bracelets and Covered Things
Primary 1 · Creative Arts
Weaving: Bracelets and Covered Things
Lesson 6 of 6
11 min
Let's begin
Gatete sits on a woven mat at his grandmother's house.
He puts his finger on it and follows one strand.
It goes over, under, over, under, just like his own paper mat.
Somebody made this with their hands.
Today you will find a woven thing in your own home.
Look for a mat, a basket, a broom or a sieve.
Hold it close and follow one strand with your finger.
You will see the same over and under you did on paper.
In Rwanda people weave baskets by hand from grass and fibre.
The strands go round and round, and each turn sits on the last.
That is the covering you practised on your ring.
Nobody bought the grass. It grew.
Weaving turns free things into useful things.
Grass becomes a mat you can sit on.
Old paper becomes a bracelet you can wear.
Nothing is wasted, and nothing has to be bought.
A thing is not better because it cost money.
Look at the work instead. Are the strands close and even?
A neat handmade bracelet beats an untidy bought one.
Put your leftover strands together in one tin for next time.
Give back anything you borrowed. Wash your hands.
Then find one person and say two things about their work.
Say one thing you like, and one thing to try next time.
A Rwandan basket being woven by hand, turn after turn.
Tip
Free things, useful things
Grass, fibre and old paper cost nothing.
The care in your hands is what makes the work good.
Do each one, then tap Show answer to check.
Find one woven thing in your home and follow a strand.
Answer: a mat, a basket, a broom or a sieve. The strand goes over and under.
Name two materials people weave with here.
Answer: grass and banana fibre. String and paper strips work too.
Why is weaving good for our place?
Answer: it makes useful things from free things, so nothing is wasted.
One bracelet was bought. One was made carefully by hand. Which is better?
Answer: the careful one. Neat, even work is what makes it good.
Tidy your strands away, then tell somebody one good thing about their work.
Answer: say what you like first, then one small thing to try next time.
What you learned today
Here are two short books to look at with a grown-up.
Ibipesu is written in Kinyarwanda. It is about buttons and their many colours, and buttons are good for threading. It comes from African Storybook.
Amabara y'umukororombya is in Kinyarwanda too. It gives you colour words for choosing the two colours in your pattern. It also comes from African Storybook.
Quick check
Which one is woven?
