Hojalata – Kid’s Arts and Crafts

Materials:

Disposable round aluminum pan

Paper like construction paper or bond paper

Permanent markers

Scissors

Newspaper

Puncher to make holes

Jump rings (optional)

String

Pencil or pen

Project:

1. Cover the work table. Place the disposable aluminum pan on a piece of 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. (Hojalata artists traditionally draw humorous, religious or cultural objects.) 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, pen  or similar tool.
4. Turn the aluminum pie pan circle over and color in the design with permanent markers.
5. VARIATION: Cut a fringe around the outside of the pie pan circle when finished coloring.
6. VARIATION: Use mini-aluminum pie pans.
7. 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.
8. Punch a hole at the top of the pie pan circle, pull a piece of string through and hang the hojalata.  If you hang the hojalatas outdoors, watch them shine in the sun or blow in the wind!  Hang small hojalatas on a holiday tree!