Peruvian Arpillera Art

Arpilleras  are  intricately  detailed  hand  sewn  textile pictures.   Each  piece  illustrates  some  aspect  of  daily  life for the women  of  the  Andes.   The  arpillera,   in  an  array of  colors ,  tells  the  story  of  the  country  markets  where locals  come  to  buy  vegetables,  clothing  and  wool  for weaving.

After watching a PowerPoint presentation showing pictures of the arpillera, we used construction paper to imitate the textile pictures.  We talked about how important it is to cut and paste the pieces that are the furthest  away first and then work our way forward.  Also, to keep the picture in perspective, that we make a note of how much space the different objects take on the picture.  For instance, the mountains are “how close to the top of the picture” and “extend “how far down on the picture.”  Notice that the closer the objects are on the picture, the larger they appear.  Make sure you have enough space for the closer objects.

To do this project, each student was given a copy of an arpillera textile picture to use as a guide.  This project takes two class periods to complete.

Supplies:

• Peruvian Arpilleras (PowerPoint)
• Arpillera textile art (Pictures)
• Colored construction paper for background
• Colored scrap pieces
• Scissors
• Glue stick

Directions:

1. View the Arpillera PowerPoint presentation.
2. Each student is given a copy of an arpillera textile picture.
3. Choose a background according to the color in the picture.
4. Working from the objects furthest from away, cut and paste the pieces on the background.

4th Grade Projects Gallery: