Ojo de Dios

The Huichol Indians of Mexico and the Aymara Indians of Bolivia weave brightly colored yarn on a simple frame of crossed sticks to make a design called “Ojo de Dios”(O-ho-deh DEE-os) or “Eye of God”. Children of the Huichol(WEE-chol) tribe in Mexico carry Ojo de Dios wands on a special holiday. Originally, “God’s Eyes” were made to be placed on an altar so that the gods could watch over the praying people and protect them by reminding us that God looks with love on people everywhere. The Huichoi call their God’s eyes Sikuli, which means ” the power to see and understand things unknown.” When a child is born, the central eye is woven by the father, then one eye is added for every year of the child’s life until the child reaches the age of 5.

Simple method for children:

Glue small popsickle sticks together in a cross.
Wrap yarn around the center and then each stick.
Glue yarn to stick to wrap another color as you like.
When finished, glue the end.

It can be a simple or complex weaving made across 2 or more sticks.
You may use 2 small sticks such as smooth tree branches or popsicle sticks or dowels
You will need scissors, pencil, yarn or thread.
Small Bells for decoration are optional.

Cross the sticks at the center.
Tie them together with the end of a piece of yarn, making an X, but don’t cut the yarn off its skein.
Tie the yarn IN BACK of the 2 crossed sticks.
With the pencil, number the sticks at the ends.
Bring the yarn to the front between sticks 3 and 4.
Pull the yarn over stick 3 and the next one too (stick 2), and bring it to the back between sticks 2 and 1.
Wrap it behind stick 2 and bring it to the front again between sticks 2 and 3.
Pull it over stick 2 and the next one too (stick 1), and wrap it behind stick 1.
Pull the yarn over stick 1 and the next one too (stick 4) and wrap it behind stick 4. Pull it over stick 4 and the next one too (stick 3) and wrap it behind stick 3.
This is one complete round.

Always lay the yarn next to, NOT on top of the yarn already in place.
Keep on wrapping the yarn behind each stick, over that stick and the next, and around behind that one, then over that stick and the next and behind that one.
After the first few rounds, you will see the woven pattern of the “eye” beginning to form. When you have an “eye” in one color of yarn, you can cut the yarn and tie on another color, and continue weaving.
Make sure that the knot that you joined the 2 colors with, stays in the back.
Keep weaving the “God’s Eye” until you are near the ends of the sticks.
Cut the yarn, leaving a tail. Tie the tail in a knot in back.
If you have bells for decoration, attach one to each of the 4 ends.
At Christmas you can hang them on your tree.
They can also be made in miniature with the thread wound on toothpicks, but these are delicate and much harder to handle.