How To Make Your Own Ethnic Graphic Paper/Stationery

Creating ethnic graphic paper is a festive way to celebrate a culture that is special to you. Every ethnic group has artists that create bold images that illustrate stories about their people, and ethnic graphic paper uses these images on stationery. Children will enjoy creating ethnic inspired paper with stamps and their own drawings, which is a hands-on activity for teaching about their own culture, or about the cultures of other people. Crafters of all ages will also enjoy the opportunity to design paper with meaningful ethnic images, which is an inventive way to create personalized stationery.

• Blank paper

• Reference photographs

• Stamps

• Ink pads

• Pencils

• Colored pencils

Drawing your own pictures on blank stationery paper is especially fun if you are artistically inclined, but you can always use cute stamps and ink pads if drawing is not your thing.

Step 1:

Look at pictures of Polynesian tapa cloth designs on photo sharing sites, or search for pictures on the usa.gov site US Government Photos and Images. Go to the library and check out books for free if you need more inspiration of creating ethnic designs for your stationery.

Step 2:

Create a border by drawing simple tapa cloth designs around all four sides of the paper, or use stamps to create these images if you do not like drawing. Draw designs or use stamps with images that are about one inch in height and one inch in width, so the border does not take up the entire space of the writing paper.

Step 3:

Use black colored pencil to go over the drawings of tapa cloth to make it look similar to what you find on the actual cloth, or use black ink pads for the stamps.

Step 4:

Draw or use stamps of palm trees and gardenias to create a second row of the border around all four sides of the paper. Create a pattern by alternating palm trees and gardenias. Make sure your drawings or the stamps used are about one inch in height and one inch in width.

Step 5:

Use stickers of Polynesian themes such as outrigger canoes and thatched houses by placing one sticker in each corner below the border, but make sure the stickers are not covering any of the borders.

Step 6:

Decorate the envelope for your stationery with the stamps and stickers you used on the paper.

Step 7:

Write a letter to your friend on the paper you have decorated, and use the matching envelop to mail the letter.

Step 1:

Search for Native American imagery as you did for the Polynesian inspired paper project.

Step 2:

Create the first row of the border by drawing simple dream catchers around all four sides of the paper, or use stamps of dream catchers if you do not like drawing. Draw designs or use stamps with images that are about one inch in height and one inch in width, so the border does not take up the entire space of the writing paper.

Step 3:

Use colored pencils to add color to the dream catchers, or use various colors of ink pads for the stamps to create a rainbow pattern.

Step 4:

Draw or use stamps of tepees and horses to create a second row of the border around all four sides of the paper. Create a pattern by alternating tepees and horses. Make sure your drawings or the stamps used are about one inch in height and one inch in width.

Step 5:

Use stickers of Native American themes such as buffalo by placing one sticker in each corner below the border, but make sure the stickers are not covering any of the borders.

Step 6:

Decorate the envelope for your stationery with the stamps and stickers you used on the paper.

Step 7:

Write a letter to your friend on the paper you have decorated, and use the matching envelop to mail the letter.

• Purchase stamps and stickers at large crafting stores, or from specialized vendors online.

• Use newspaper to protect your table while using stamps to avoid making a mess.