Make a Mandala

Materials needed:

• Pre-printed, uncolored mandala images (June Moon has some good images: #6, #9, #12) (or design your own)

• Colored sand (buy at craft store or make from plain sand mixed with powdered tempera paint colors): blue, red, yellow, green, white, and black are traditional colors.
  Can also use tiny beads, colored glitter, or any other colored granular substance (do not use sugar or other such organic material - I did this and it remained sticky and encouraged mold growth)

• Small containers to hold sand - condiment containers with lids from fast food restaurants are ideal. So too are clean, empty spice containers with lids that allow for pouring a lot or sprinkling a little

• Plastic spoons for placing sand on images - straws work well too:
  "Slurpy" spoon-straws from 7-11 would work well or straight straws cut on an angle at the end

• White glue or liquid roll on liquid glue

• Craft sticks, toothpicks, and/or small paint brushes for spreading glue

• Paper towels for clean up (damp and dry)

• Newspapers (to cover work area and catch loose sand)

Process:

• Spread a thin layer of glue in area to be covered by one color of sand at a time

• Sprinkle colored sand in area, lift paper and shake to completely cover area, then pour excess sand back into container

• Repeat for remaining areas of design

• For detail work, spread glue with toothpick or small paintbrush

Other options: 

• Simply color mandala image with markers or colored pencils

• Use a round paper doily (in part or whole) as a foundation/framework for your mandala 

• Use Sandpaper: 

• Draw or transfer image onto sandpaper and color with pastels, chalk, or colored pencils

• To transfer image: cover back of image with white chalk, then place it chalk side down on sandpaper surface, and trace design with pencil or ball point pen so white chalk lines transfer to sandpaper

• No need to transfer details, just get the basic layout down and follow original design by eye to work in details as you go

• Use clear contact paper: 

1. Draw or transfer mandala image to paper backing of contact sheet

2. Determine colors for each shape (may code with pen or even mark with colored crayon or marker)

3. Carefully, using E-xacto knife cut shapes out of backing for one color at a time. Cut only paper backing, do not cut through into clear plastic itself.

4. Sprinkle desired colored sand onto sticky back of contact paper

5. Use fingers to spread sand into all nooks and crannies of shapes and press well into stickum

6. Shake excess sand off, back into dish

7. Continue for other areas with other colors

• If you are a quilter, you might want to incorporate a mandala into a quilt design

• Similarly, you might work with cut colored paper or a mosaic technique.

• One student actually made a cookie mandala using a mix of cake baking decorations such as colored sugar and sprinkles on a large sugar cookie base covered with white frosting (black shoelace licorice outlines the design).

• The possibilities are endless - use your imagination and experiment with different processes!

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