Paper Collage Molas

We recently studied the Kuna people of Panama, and the making of molas. They are actually constructed using a reverse applique technique, but we made a cut paper collage to mimic the end results. The children each chose 4 different sheets of 9x12 colored construction paper. Then they set one sheet to the side to use for the background panel. Then they cut a large central image for their collage, pasted it down to a new color and trimmed around it, leaving a border to show the next color in the design. After one more round of pasting and trimming, they used their scraps to add background designs to their final sheet of paper. The kids were very creative! I suggested imagery of animals, plants and geometric designs. Here are some of their brilliant interpretations.