Egyptian-style Salt Dough Jewellery

community: women 18+ | Chez Doris: women's shelter (Montreal) | January to march 2009

Project Plan

Egyptian-style jewellery

Population: the women at Chez Doris. Aged 15 and over, with various physical disabilities such as arthritis, difficulty walking, little hand-eye coordination, hand paralysis, etc. Some also have psychological disabilities such as anger management issues, addictions to drugs or gambling, personality disorders (schizophrenia among others), kleptomania, etc.

Special Needs: The teaching is done on an individual basis to be able to tend to the different needs of every woman. Those with physical difficulties need help- but only the minimum- for them to feel they are doing most of the work (it’s more rewarding). For those with mental disabilities, patience and calm are key to communicating. If an incident occurs, stay patient and clam, and if there is a threat to other women, be assertive- if necessary, go get assistance.

Length: 2 hours (1 session)

Learning Objectives:

• The women will learn about ancient Egyptian symbols, and color symbolism, and their importance in ancient Egyptian jewellery.
• They will develop their insight by determining which symbol is most meaningful to them.
• They will improve their dexterity by handling small, delicate materials
• They will gain confidence after the creation of a challenging artwork.

Materials:

• gold leaf
• glass beads
• thin wire
• toothpick
• paintbrushes
• medium to seal the dough and paint
• acrylic paint
• salt-dough recipe (see at end of lesson plan- after cleanup) and history (used as a craft, it originated from Ancient Egypt!) from: Wood, J. (1995). Ancient Nile. Retrieved February 12, 2009, from http://www.ancientnile.co.uk/saltdough.php
• inspirational material: handout with Egyptian symbols (see following information sheet) and books: Putnam, J. (1994). Pyramides Éternelles. Gallimard/Dorling Kinder Sley: Paris/Londres. And Andrews, C. (2002). Ancient Egyptian Jewellery. Harry N. Abrams. Inc: USA.

Art Form: jewellery making and sculpture

Technique: threading, weaving, beading and carving/modelling

Vocabulary: modelling, color symbolism, (see following information sheet for more)

Motivation: time: At the beginning, I give a basic (approx. 10 min.) motivation, and then I repeat that motivation to the women as they come in. It’s ongoing, and it takes an individualized approach.

Procedure:

• Make the salt dough ahead of time as to not lose precious art-making time.

• Set up before the lesson by placing the books on the table along with several bags with small balls of dough inside them (to make their amulet) at each spot. Place the beads in the center, of the two tables, but place the paint in front as to make it more visible (the painting is what they’ll do first).
• Make the salt dough ahead of time as well as to not lose precious art-making time.

• Say something like “We’re making Egyptian-style jewellery today. Have you ever seen some ancient Egyptian jewellery? If you haven’t here’s some (show the books). In response to the books, ask: “Which ones do you like best? Would you like to make your jewellery in that style?”
• Then continue with your lesson: “The jewellery they wore had a specific purpose. Depending on the symbol on the jewellery, they were protected from certain things, or it would bring them luck or health.”
• (Show the page with the symbols). “This is what the symbols looked like, and what they meant. Pick one that you find important. What describes you most? If you don’t like any of these, why don’t you make your own?”
• “What’s really interesting is that color also had a lot of symbolism. Think of what color you want your symbol to be. The Egyptians used a lot of gold because it was very accessible, so we brought gold leaf. To them, it represented the sun. The green was for fertility and growth, so women would wear it when they wanted a child, and farmers wore it to get lots of crops. The turquoise color meant joy. Think of a color that is special to you and use it when you make your jewellery.”

Art Making: time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Procedure:

• “Model the dough into the symbol/amulet you want. Don’t forget to put a loop so that you can thread it later in your jewellery. We’ll cook them in the microwave, and when they cool down enough, we can paint them.”
• “By the way, did you know it was actually the ancient Egyptians who first made salt dough? They used it to do exactly what we’re doing now- amulets that people wore and decorated their houses with.”
• “While our amulets are in the microwave, think of what beads you’ll want to use to build the rest of your jewellery. Think again of the colors you’ll use and why. What do you wish your symbol to bring to your life?”
• Paint the amulets with acrylic- don’t forget to seal them with medium, otherwise, the salt-dough will not be very resistant.
• Thread your beads and amulet, close it off, and voilà!

Response: time: ongoing as the women progress and once they finish as well. All the women work at different rhythms and have different ideas; so once again, an individualistic approach has to be used.

Procedure: Go around helping the women, asking them several questions as:

o What symbol did you pick for your amulet?

o Why did you pick it?

o What colors did you pick? Why?

o What type of jewellery are you making?

o Will you wear it?

o Do you believe in the power of these symbols?

o What do you know about ancient Egypt?

o Do you think your work is finished?

o Would you like to add more?

o Did you have fun?

o What would you change/ prefer for next time?

Clean up: time: 5 minutes before the end.

Procedure: women clean up their spot, and sometimes help for the rest of the materials if they feel like it. If it’s lunch or bingo, they all rush downstairs, and we clean up, which is not a problem because they are very clean women. The clean up is easy and fast, and it allows for more response time and to get to know my coworkers and the women who come to Chez Doris better. It’s also when we brainstorm for the lesson to teach the next week.

MICROWAVEABLE SALT DOUGH RECIPE

For about 10 to 20 amulets (1/2 inch in dimension) you’ll need

                                   

                                    8 tablespoons of flour

                                    2 tablespoons of salt

                                    3 tablespoons of water

Mix all ingredients together until the dough is formed. Add a little more water if the dough is too dry and a little more flour if it’s too sticky. This dough does not taste good, so do not encourage tasting it, although it is perfectly safe to eat.

*The dough cooks in about 2 or 3 minutes in the microwave. Watch it carefully the entire time and pause the cooking to poke any air bubbles that form as soon as they appear. Flip the amulets halfway through cooking time if possible and stop the microwave until the dough is hard or slightly golden.