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Kids can fill a woven book cover with your family's history--it's the perfect craft to make as a gift for Kwanzaa, Christmas, Hanukkah, Mother's Day, Father's Day or any occasion.

What you'll need:

How to make it:

1. Start with the oldest members of your family and interview them. You do not have to interview everyone at once, you can add to the book each year adding new family members.
2. Make a list of questions on your notepad.
3. Use a tape recorder (or have another member run a camcorder) to record the conversation. You can take notes from it later.
4. Have family photographs nearby to show the relative. They may spark some interesting memories that they may share with you.
5. Ask the relative to sign their name on a clean piece of paper. If they would like, they could put a favorite poem, saying, or message on the piece of paper.
6. After interviewing, be sure to thank your relative for their time.
7. Listen to the tape and take notes.
8. Rewrite your notes very neatly on the 3 hole punch lined paper. Be sure to write your name as the interviewer and write the full name of the person you interviewed and the date.
9. Develop your film and put the picture of your relative on the paper that they wrote on. This will become the cover sheet for that relative's section.
10. Put the rewritten notes and the cover page in sheet protectors. This will make the sheets last longer.
11. Make a cover of your own design or follow the directions to our Mkeka Mat to make a colorful ribbon cover for your book.
12. See directions below on how to make a cover.
13. Every Kwanzaa pull out the book and listen to the tape or read the pages in the book.
14. Be sure to add a few more relatives every year to the book.

Sample Questions:

• Your full name.
• When and where you born?
• What are your parents and grandparents names?
• Do you know where your parents and grandparents were born?
• Do you have any siblings? What are their names?
• Tell me about growing up as a child.
• What were your favorite games to play?
• What special activities were you involved in?
• What was your best friend's name?
• What was your favorite food as a child?
• Where did you live? Did you ever move?
• Who was your hero or special person in your life?
• When and who did you marry?
• What are your children's names?
• What do you wish you could do or visit someday?

To make a cover:

• Leaving a 1/2" margin on left long side of cardboard, glue on one side of cardboard and place the hand-woven Mkeka Mat (wrong side down) over it.
• Turn over onto back. Glue down excess ribbon onto the back.
• Cut fabric to cover the raw edges of ribbon and glue into place.
• Repeat for other cover.
• Hole punch 2 holes in cover to match the outer holes in the sheet protectors.
• Place a sheet of wax paper on both sides of each cover. Then place a heavy book on top.
• Let dry.
• Place pages in order in the book. Be sure the title page is in front of each person's section.
• Tie the book together using ribbons of red, green, black, or all 3 colors.

 

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