Festivals Of India School Project - ONAM

Onam Craft

For my International friends...India is a blend of myriad religions and cultures.This time of year we have so many festivals in India and we made this ONAM chart for my 6 year old's "Festivals of India" school project.

Festivals of India school project

The kids were each assigned different festivals & given a chart paper from school to show the reason for celebrating the festival,list the special foods eaten and the festivities. The chart paper was so small & I had to rack my brain  to incorporate all the points and finally made an interactive chart with sliding & flipping  panels. Made the swinging ONAM banner using a Sizzix flower die ,brads and twine and positioned it over our "Pookallam" made of punchcraft flowers.

Punchcraft flowers

Our festival Onam is celebrated by one and all in Kerala [called God's own country because of its lush greenery and beauty] .If ever you plan to visit Kerala ...Onam is the best time to be awed as in front of each house would be flower carpets [Pookkallams]made with different flowers [to signify the harmonious blend of cultures and religions] .To hide my blunders using the MS punch around the page[I nearly always mess up], I added a punchcraft rose.

Punchcraft flower

My 6 year old proudly made the purple flowers.And I used a medium 5 petal flower punch [red rose] and the balloon punch[pink rose] to make the punchcraft flowers.

Punchcraft flowers

If you visit a Keralite's home on Onam you would be treated to a traditional feast of 15-30 dishes served on a Banana leaf...believe me food tastes so much better on it than on a plate!

Onam Craft

I cut out the banana leaf printout from the net and made it into a flip card so that we could write the names of the feast dishes underneath.

This photo shows dancers painted as Tigers..an awesome spectacle on the streets during Onam.

Onam festival

I added an accordion fold between the photos of  the Tiger dance and Masked dance so that it springs up.

Onam school project

Ladies dressed in traditional attire performing the Kaikotti kalli [such a rhythmic and mesmerizing sight] and fast paced traditional boat races are a part of Onam .

Onam school project

I added accordion folds below the photos so that they spring up easily to reveal the descriptive die cut panels underneath.

Festivals of India School project

We incorporated the story behind Onam in an interactive sliding card

Festivals of India School project

On pulling the ribbon threaded through the brad ,the image slides up to reveal the story of Onam.Here is the link to the Sliding card Tutorial.

Festivals of India School project

While making this project I kept thanking the blogging world and this crafty journey as otherwise I wouldnt have been able to churn up flipcharts ,sliders or  paper flowers!

Onam school project

Supplies: Punches: Martha Stewart double loop[the white lacey border],Jef medium leaf, 5 petal jumbo[large pink roses on border,5 petal medium [used to make the red roses],Balloon medium[Pookallam pink rose],medium daisy[white flowers],small daisy [yellow flowers].Jef starry corner punch[on Onam legend photo corner]Dies : Sizzix flower [to make ONAM tag banner and Name tag],Sizzix Bigz flourish & floral[left lower corner glittery flower and flourish],Cheery Lynn leaf [Right corner pink rose leaf],Sizzix Oval scallop [all photos and the descriptive panels] Misc: Pink center of white flower-thermocol ball! Photos courtesy: Raxa Collective ,Online Prasad,Others dont know the source to give credit as present in many sites!