Dilly Bag

Make "going green" even more colorful with these nature-friendly Aboriginal dilly bags! Reuse your bag to carry goods wherever you go!

• 1.

  The Aborigines are native inhabitants of Australia. Dilly bags are woven satchels that the Aborigines used to collect food like berries and fish. Can you think of anything in our culture that we use in a similar way?

• 2.

  Dilly bags are made by hand from strings of grass, bark, or other natural fibers, and then dyed with bright patterns of color! Find examples of traditional Aboriginal dilly bags. What colors are commonly used? What patterns can be recognized?

• 3.

  Design a dilly bag of your own with an Aboriginal-inspired pattern! You may wish to plan out your pattern on sketch paper with colored pencils or crayons. When you’re satisfied with your design, recreate it on a large, blank tote bag using Crayola Fabric Markers. For best results, use 100% cotton fabric. Place a piece of paper underneath the drawing area to prevent bleed through. Draw your design, making sure to saturate the cloth. When you are finished, ask an adult to iron your design. Set iron on cotton setting and iron on the reverse side using a back and forth motion for 4 minutes. Or place garment in the dryer for 30 minutes on the hottest setting. This will fix the color to the fabric.

• 4.

  Fabric markers are permanent on clothing and contain colorants that may stain household surfaces. Wear a smock to protect clothing and cover your work surface. Recap markers as soon as possible and store in a horizontal position. Do not shake markers.

• 5.

  Be creative! How much of the bag can you cover with patterns and vivid colors?

Benefits

• Students explore the art and culture of the Australian Aboriginal people.
• Students connect an ancient practice of food collection with environmentally friendly practices in our culture today.
• Students identify patterns of shapes and colors in Aboriginal designs.
• Students create original pattern designs inspired by Aboriginal art.

Adaptations

• Encourage older and more advanced students to create more detailed and intricate patterns on their dilly bags. Students that finish early may wish to decorate the back of the bag and handles as well!
• What does your dilly bag say about you? Incorporate your favorite foods into your design and share your artwork with the class. Do your foods blend in with the pattern and become hidden or can your classmates tell what you like to eat? Take a poll of the
• Delve deeper into the history and culture of the Aboriginal people. What other lifestyle habits can we adopt from them to make our way of life more earth friendly?