Pacific Islands Day / Paper Tivaevae Group Quilt
Paper Tivaevae Group Quilt
Inspired by tivaevae, the colourful appliqué quilts made by women in the Cook Islands, children cut bold flower shapes and arrange them into one big group quilt.
How to run it
- Show photos of tivaevae and explain that they are made by groups of women together and given at special family events like weddings and birthdays.
- Give each child a square of bright paper and a contrasting colour for cutting a flower or leaf shape, folding the paper to make it symmetrical.
- Children glue their shape onto their square and add stitch lines with marker.
- Join all squares on a large backing sheet to create one group quilt, and talk about how working together makes something bigger.
You will need
- coloured paper squares
- child-safe scissors
- glue sticks
- markers
- large backing sheet
- photos of tivaevae
Make it easier or harderYounger children use pre-drawn shapes to cut; older children design a four-way symmetrical flower.
SafetySupervise scissor use with younger children.
My Time Our Place · Outcome 2, Outcome 4Children contribute to a shared artwork while learning about Cook Islands art and community traditions.
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