Matariki Star Mobiles

Star Mobile Craft Instructions

Supplies:

• 1 small wooden dowel per child (approx. 25–30 cm long)

• Pre-cut star shapes (cardstock or coloured paper)

• Hole punch

• Twine, string or wool

• Scissors

• Glue sticks

• Colouring supplies (felts, crayons, pastels, pencils)

• Decorative extras (stickers, glitter glue, foil pieces, washi tape, etc.)

Steps:

1. Decorate the Stars

   • Each child receives 4–6 pre-cut stars.

   • They decorate each star using colouring materials, stickers, glitter glue, or any art supplies you have on hand.

   • Encourage kids to make each star unique — they could use patterns, colours that represent the stars in the sky, or even write a word on each star that represents a value (e.g., whānau, kindness, joy).

2. Punch Holes

   • Use a hole punch to create one hole at the top of each star.

   • Optional: Punch a hole at the bottom too if you want to connect stars vertically.

3. Cut and Tie Twine

   • Cut 3–5 pieces of twine (around 30–50 cm long depending on how many stars they want to hang per strand).

   • Tie one end of each piece to the dowel and the other ends to the stars.

4. Attach Twine to Dowel

   • Evenly space the twine strands across the dowel.

   • Tie a longer piece of twine to each end of the dowel to create a hanger/loop.

5. Finishing Touches

   • Check knots are tight and adjust star positions if needed.

   • The mobile can now be hung on a wall, from a hook, or displayed as part of a class Matariki constellation wall.