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Create Stamps to Tell Stories
LIZZIE NOLAN / LIBRARIAN
San Jose Public Library
Type of Library Best Suited for: Any
Cost Estimate: $10 per participant
Makerspace Necessary? Yes
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Make a mark! Learn about Ghanaian culture by creating Adinkra stamps that then serve as inspiration for creative short stories. This two-part project for tweens combines textile arts, creative writing skills, and cultural awareness. A makerspace with a vinyl cutter is useful to create the stamps, but a scissors or box cutter can also be used instead.
OVERVIEW
Adinkra are traditional printed or stamped symbols on clothing and artwork made by the Ashanti people in Ghana, West Africa. Adinkra (pronounced ah-DEENK-rah) symbols date back to the nineteenth century when King Adinkra was a king from what is now the Ivory Coast. Each one of these symbols has a specific meaning such as jealousy, wisdom, hope, and so on. Strung together on a piece of fabric or artwork, the different symbols can tell a story, or offer a word of advice or warning. Depending on the tools available, tweens can draw or trace the established symbols, or they can design their own onto a sponge cloth or foam pieces directly and cut those out with a scissors or a box cutter. Or middle schoolers can use a computer design program and a vinyl cutter, such as Silhouette Cameo or Cricut cutter, for more intricate designs. Inspired by these symbols, tweens can explore Western story structure to create their own short stories.
MATERIALS LIST
- ◦ Craft foam pieces/sponge cloth
- ◦ Sticky notes for tracing
- ◦ Tempera paint, fabric paint (depends on your choice of medium)
- ◦ White butcher’s paper, or fabric, or bags, or muslin bags, pillowcase, or notebooks
- ◦ Craft glue
- ◦ Chopsticks or cardboard
NECESSARY EQUIPMENT
- ◦ Vinyl cutter
- ◦ Computer(s)
- ◦ Scissors/box cutters (if no vinyl cutter)
- ◦ Sharpie markers
- ◦ Pencils
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Welcome
Explain to students the origins of Adinkra stamps.1 Explore examples2 and watch online3 videos to understand the traditional creation process.
Creating Symbols
Just as in traditional processes, each artist has his or her own take on a symbol. (Note: The creation process will differ if a vinyl cutter is available.) Have students draw a design on a sticky note. You can use a traditional Adinkra design or design your own. If making an original, be sure to assign it a meaning. If going the high-tech route, teens can design their symbol in simple programs like Microsoft Paint or even Microsoft PowerPoint by inserting shapes and playing with their placement, size, and thickness. Students can upload their designs into the vinyl cutter web applications and follow the instructions for cutting into craft foam, cardboard, and so on.
For the low-tech route, tweens can stick their sticky note directly onto the sponge cloth and cut out the negative space with scissors or a box cutter (with adult help.) Once the stamps are created, make a stamp backer or handles with large foam pieces (use craft glue) or chopsticks. Stamp your stamp on your fabric, bag, and so on.
Storytelling
When people in Ghana make Adinkra cloth, they often create several different designs. By alternating stamps or using different stamps on different parts of the cloth, these designs can tell a story. Often stories in the Western part of the world follow this “story spine” or outline for the basic plot of the story:
So for example, the movie Frozen’s Outline or “Story Spine” would look a little like this:
Have students use the symbols they choose to brainstorm story ideas. Here is an example of word association brainstorming:
Word association brainstorm
After the word association example, ask students to brainstorm characters and settings by asking them the questions listed below. Since students are writing “short stories,” have them only develop two or three characters with one or two settings.
| Characters | Settings |
|---|---|
|
What is their name? |
Does this place have a name? |
|
What do they look like? |
What does it look like? |
|
How old are they? |
What does it sound like? |
|
Where were they born? |
What does it smell like? |
|
How do they dress? |
Are there any furniture or objects? |
|
How do they walk? |
Is this place real or imaginary? |
|
How do they talk? |
What kind of people live here? |
|
How do they act with . . . their family? Their friends? Strangers? |
|
|
What do they dislike? |
|
|
What do they believe? |
|
|
Who do they care most about in the world? |
Once students have enough to work off of, have them sketch out the story by filling in the story spine. From there have them start writing! If time allows, share the stories with the class.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- ◦ Participants will have designed their own stamps using the vinyl cutter and have completed a unique short story using these designs.
This program aligns with the following Common Core Standard
- ◦ CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
RECOMMENDED NEXT PROJECTS
- ◦ Enjoy more creative writing games and props. Try a modified version of the Exquisite Corpse game but with the Story Spine as the inspiration instead of drawings.
- ◦ There are also many different options for the stamp material and different kinds of fabrics, paper, and so on.
- ◦ Learn more about other aspects of Ghanaian culture such as hiplife music, games, and food recipes on the “Australia to Zimbabwe” website.4
Notes
2. Adinkra symbol examples, www.adinkra.org/htmls/adinkra_index.htm.
3. Adrinkra online background, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CdCrjUiEVk&feature=youtu.be&t=1m27s.
4. “Australia to Zimbabwe” website: www.australiatozimbabwe.com/ghana/.