Molas, the Textile Art of the Kuna People of Panama

Molas is a textile art of a group of native people of Panama called the Kuna.   It involves reverse applique.  Two or more layers of cloth are sewn together after the top layer is cut away to show the under layers of fabric.   Molas are also often embroidered.  Each piece is unique and may depict everyday nature, legends, or even political stories.  
I found several sites online to get us started on our study of molas.
This first one from the Museum of Anthropology in Missouri has a brief overview of molas, and the National Museum of the American Indian’s  website shows pictures of traditional molas created at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
This travel site has excellent pictures of molas being created today along with an interesting article suitable for kids all about this art form.
We used paper to create our molas.   First decide how many layers your molas will have and which colors you will use.  

Next plan your design. 

Cut, layer, and glue. 

We found a hole punch made an interesting pattern.

  Molas!

Check out other neat ideas at

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