Traditional hula dancers tell stories through movement.
Hula and the traditional dancer garb, which invariably includes a grass skirt, is a cultural icon of Hawaii. Native Hawaiians of centuries past practiced hula as a way to honor the gods and goddesses revered in culture. Skirts worn by dancers are traditionally made out of green or brown grass and come in miniskirt and full skirt lengths. This look can be emulated using carefully combined paper bags and is a craft project ideal for a Hawaiian-themed party or learning about Hawaiian culture.
Instructions
1. Measure the waist of the hula skirt wearer and write the measurement down.
2. Cut a strip of felt that matches the measurement from Step 1. Add one to two inches for flexibility as this will go around the waist of the skirt wearer.
3. Carefully unpeel the flaps at the bottom of the paper bag and place it on a flat surface. Smooth creases in the bag by sliding your hands across the bag. Hold the bag at your waist (or the skirt wearer's waist) so that the long edge stretches vertically. Determine how long you want the hula skirt to be using the length of the bag you are holding as a unit of measurement. For example, a skirt that is 3 bags long, end to end, reaches below the wearer's knees. Alternatively, one bag length may be the right size. Note your preference for later use.
4. Place the felt strip on a flat surface and then align the left edge of the unfolded paper bag with the left edge of the strip. Arrange the long side of the bag perpendicular to the felt strip. Unfold another paper bag and align the right edge of the first bag with the left edge of the second bag. Continue unfolding bags and placing them along the strip in the same fashion until you cover the felt strip. Trim the edge of the last paper bag on the right edge of the felt, if necessary.
5. Place a piece of tape over the top edge of the felt strip. Bend half of the tape on the side of the felt facing the table and the other half of the tape on the paper bags. This keeps the paper paper bags secured to the strip. If you determined that one paper bag is the right length in Step 3, move on to Step 7. Otherwise move on to Step 6.
6. Add addition unfolded paper bags to the bottom of the row attached to the felt strip. Tape the bottom of one paper bag to the top of the lower paper bag until you reach the bag length determined in Step 3.
7. Cut the paper bags from the bottom edge toward the felt strip in straight fertile lines. Make the strips any width you desire between 1/4 inch to 3 inches. Exact measurements are not necessary, however. Make the "grass" widths any size that feels right.
8. Wrap the felt strip around your waist and secure it with a safety pin. You are now ready to hula dance.
Tags: felt strip, paper bags, left edge, skirt wearer, bottom paper, edge felt