Crafty Arab Tutorial

Recycled Cardboard Oud {Tutorial}

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My husband made play ouds as part of our Ramadan crafts, out of recycled cardboard because I was only able to bring one oud for our 3 girls from Morocco.

The oud (Arabic: عود‎) is a short-neck pear-shaped stringed instrument with 11 or 13 strings grouped in 5 or 6 courses. It is used predominantly in Western Asia/North Africa and very similar to modern lutes.

I walked by an oud stand at the Rabat souk, every day on my way to teach art and English at a local school. Honestly, I wanted to buy a large oud, but had no way to bring it on the airplane.

I settled on a smaller decorative oud, but when I got home, I could only give it to one of my daughters to hang in her room.

My husband went online and found instructions one how to make a cardboard play guitar and adjusted them for the oud. He made two of them, with different colored “strings” or rubber bands. He then presented them to our other daughters as Eid gifts today. My youngest daughter, who had received the decorative oud, helped him with the hot glue gun since he had never used one before.

Below are the steps he took to make these cardboard play ouds, in case you’d like to try your own.

Supplies

  • Large rubber bands
  • Pencil
  • Drill & bit that is the same size as the rubber bands
  • Two small dowels
  • Two paper clips
  • Hot glue gun
  • Recycled cardboard
  • Glass (or other small round object for center hole)
  • Decorative oud to trace

To make his cardboard oud, my husband started by tracing out the miniature oud on the cardboard and cutting out three shapes. Also make sure to cut out the circles in the center. My husband used a drinking glass from the kitchen to trace out small circle hole.

To make the back of the oud round, he also cut out four more shapes, without the neck, in descending sizes.

My daughter used the hot glue gun to attach two of the larger pieces together and then she set them aside to cool.

So that the bridge is not too high on the cardboard, my husband used the Xacto to cut out a notch the length of the red dowel. Directly below that cut, he made markings for the “stings” to go through.

He made sure to do the same thing to hold the bridge at the neck of the cardboard oud.

Next my daughter used the hot glue gun to attach the two red dowels. She pushed them each gently into the cut out notches, but not too far. Her father then used the drill to make four small holes that are big enough to fit the rubber bands.

Since the rubber bands will be pulling on the oud neck, my husband used the xacto to create four notches for them to fit into. This will help the “strings” stay in place.

Next we used the tip of the pencil to push the end of the rubber bands into the holes.

Once the rubber bands were through, we used a paper clip to secure them to the back side.

We used the hot glue on to hold down the paper clip, trying to be careful not to get any on the rubber bands since they could melt. We also added the other larger cardobard layers of the oud to hide the paper clips.

Make sure to hold down the cardboard while gluing to help give the oud more durablity while being handled by children.

Once the glue had dried, my husband turned the oud over to hot glue the smaller pieces to give the back a domed look.

Our play oud was done and ready to be enjoyed. Maybe we’ll make a few more and paint them this time.

Be sure to check out these other fun toys we have made in the past.

Recycled Cardboard Mosque {Tutorial}

Eid Rattle Drum {Tutorial}

Stop by A Crafty Arab on Pinterest to see more tutorials

Recycled Minaret Money Favor {Tutorial}

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Eid Al Fitr has been announced for tomorrow and to celebrate we made these minaret money favors out of recycled cardboard rolls to give out to kids at our community picnic.

We painted a cardboard roll to look like a minaret, a tower that is part of mosque architecture from where the Islamic call to prayer is sent out.

After we painted it, we added rolled up money inside. Once a person gets the money favor, they tug on the Eid Mubrarak (Blessed Eid in Arabic) greeting that has been placed on the money to pull it out.

Follow these simple steps to make your own.

Supplies

  • Paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Tape
  • Eid Mubarak printed and cut out
  • Scissors
  • Cardboard roll
  • Xacto

My daughter started making the money favors by cutting off one end of the cardboard roll to give the top of the minaret a dome.

The next step is to paint, first the lower part of the minaret.

Next my daughter painted the dome a different bright color.

The final painting step is to add the door and windows.

While my daughter waited for the windows and door to dry, she added a little piece of tape to the Eid Mubarak greeting to attach it to the money.

The final step is to add a slit with the Xacto on the side of the minaret for the money to come out.

We made quite a few, changing out the colors of the minaret to make them fun and bright.

If you enjoyed making this favor, please check out these others

Kaab’a Gum Party Favor {Tutorial}

Eid Moon and Star Washi Favors {Tutorial}

Be sure to stop by A Crafty Arab on Pinerest to see more tutorials.

Arab Women Cartoon Book {Tutorial}

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We spent the day Eid baking and needed the young ones out of the way. My oldest taught them how to make cartoon books with Arab women wearing traditional outfits.

Eid Al Fitr is the holiday at the end of Ramadan and is spent at social gatherings with friends and family.

Traditionally we have spent the weekend before Eid baking cookies at a friend’s home and this year was no exception.

While all the women were in the kitchen, my teen helped watch the young ones. She took a book of Arab women in traditional clothes and they spent the afternoon making cartoon books. She first drew them sample templates that they could trace or draw their own characters all together.

The only supplies this activity needs is pen, paper and coloring markers. The first step is to stack two sheets of paper on top of each other and fold them into three equal parts across the wide part of the papers.

Then my teen drew a Moroccan woman in traditional clothes holding a tagine in the middle section.

The next step is to cut across the narrow part of the paper on either side of the drawn character in two equal sections. Make sure to do this for both pieces of paper, both times not cutting the middle section.

Using the first woman as a guide, my daughter drew out the middle section of a different Arab woman from one of her sample templates.

Once my daughter had drawn four women on either side of the middle drawing, she colored them all in.

Now there are five different traditional outfits to choose from to create new funny characters.

If you enjoyed making this cartoon book, be sure to stop by these other book tutorials

Arabic English Handy Review Book {Tutorial}

Mini Eid Book {Tutorial}

Or visit A Crafty Arab on Pinterest to see other activities that teach about the Arab world.