What is hojalata? A hojalata is Mexican tin art used to create ornate and often practical objects like boxes or hangings or candelabras and more.

HOJALOTA

Materials:

Disposable round aluminum pan

Paper

Permanent markers (Optional: use paints specifically for metal, brushes and a water container)

Scissors

Newspaper

Puncher to make holes

Jump rings

String

Project:

1. Cover the work table. Place the disposable aluminum pan on a piece of colored paper and trace the bottom of the pan so you have a circle.
2. Sketch a design on a piece of paper: the sun, flowers, cactus, birds, the moon, an animal, etc. (Traditionally, humorous or religious or cultural objects are drawn by hojalata artists.) Then draw the design in the circle using a black marker. Cut out the circle and the bottom of the aluminum pan.
3. Lay the drawing on the aluminum pie pan circle. Pushing hard enough to mark the metal, trace the design with a sharp pencil or similar tool.
4. Turn the aluminum pie pan circle over and color in the design with permanent markers.
5. Punch a hole at the top of the pie pan circle, pull a piece of string through and hang the hojalata.
6. If you make more than one, you can string them by punching a hole at the top and bottom of each and connecting them with jump rings.
7. Loop a piece of string through the hole of the top hojalata and hang. If you hang the hojalatas outdoors, watch them shine in the sum or blow in the wind!