Maybe you’ve made a god’s eye with a couple popsicle sticks at camp one summer in the hazy past, but have you considered the beautifully vast possibilities of this art form?
South Carolina-based Etsy artist Jay Mohler has found a calling making Ojos de Dios (a.k.a. god’s eyes) with up to six sticks, twelve sides, and undulating intricate woven patterns. His creations are constructed from the very same humble materials that many of us associate with a camp craft — colorful yarn and sticks — plus, a healthy dose of ingenuity and a deep interest in Tibetan and Huichol artifacts and mandalas. For this week’s How-Tuesday, Jay has teamed up with local Etsy photographer Emily Munn to create a how-to designed to coach you through the process of crafting your own singular Ojo de Dios, transforming raw materials into a harmonious artwork.
Ojos de Dios, which is Spanish for “Eyes of God,” are made from yarn and sticks by native peoples of Mexico and South America. Native Americans of the Southwestern United States adopted the craft more recently, and the eight sided mandala of the Navajo is the basic pattern that I’ve most often used in my own work.
These instructions are not intended to teach you how to construct one particular ojo, but rather to demonstrate techniques that you can use to improvise and create your own unique design. Let’s get started!
Supplies You’ll Need:
- Sticks — I use doweling, available at building supply places and hardware stores. You can use 1/4″ for up to 16″, 5/16″ for up 22″ Ojo de Dios, and 3/8″ for up to 32″, and 7/16″ for up to 40″ Ojo de Dios.
- Yarn
- Scissors suitable for cutting yarn
- A yarn needle — A large needle with an eye large enough for yarn to fit through it, and a blunt end where other needles are sharp.
Directions:
1. Planning Your Ojos de Dios: For an eight-sided ojo, consider the overall pattern to be two four-sided ojos joined together. Each set of sticks for these two parts are notched in the middle, about 1/4 the thickness of the sticks, so the two sticks fit and stack closely together. Keeping yarn tight is a problem, so I’ll make small notches, with a file or pocket knife, every inch (closer on a smaller than 12 inch ojo) all along the doweling. Besides holding the yarn from slipping in towards the center, the notches act as guides for keeping the pattern even.
Equally important as the pattern that you weave in an ojo, are the color combinations that you choose. Myself, I tend to stick with colors from the American Southwest. I recommend choosing color combinations that you find especially beautiful in nature. There are also color wheel sites online that might be useful in matching up harmonious colors (such as COLOURlovers), although I’ve always gone by intuition and schemes from nature myself, and drawn inspiration from other artists.
2. Start Weaving: Start with the two sticks that will be the top two of the eventual 8-sided pattern. The way of making the central diamond is exactly the same from the very start, and the pattern that makes that central diamond also holds the first two sticks together.
Holding your first two sticks as illustrated here, cross over the central joining of the sticks, wrap around one stick two times, bringing your yarn to a new starting place, then cross over again, wrap around the next stick, and so on, to build up your central diamond pattern.
From the very beginning, watch to keep the pattern even. Look at both the space between strands of yarn, and the amount the diamond pattern has expanded along each stick. If you’re not satisfied, start over. Errors are easy enough to correct when caught early.
3. Add New Colors: To add to this, cut the old color to where a one inch tail is left, and simply twist the new color to the old, leaving the tails running along the stick. After a couple wraps have securely held the new color in place, you can snip the tails shorter, so they won’t get in the way later.
4. Prepare the Second Set of Sticks: When you are finished with your central diamond, cut the color yarn you are working with, leaving enough tail to tuck under itself to hold it temporarily in place. Prepare your second set of sticks in the same manner. After finishing the central diamond, prepare a second set of sticks with a solid color diamond, to be used behind the central diamond. I always make this second diamond slightly larger than the first, so it shows up well in the finished ojo.
5. Attach the Two Sets of Sticks: Now comes the trickiest part. Most commonly I use a dagger pattern at this point to hold the two sets of sticks together. Choosing my next color yarn, I start the new color by securing it over the tails of the last color one twist under itself, leaving a tail running down beside the earlier color. Now, holding the sets of sticks together with thumb and forefinger, I use my other hand to bring the yarn underneath both from where I started, as illustrated.
This stage, so near the beginning of the project, is the most difficult stage, so take your time with it, and don’t be afraid to unwind and start over again if the dagger pattern you are creating to hold the sets together doesn’t look quite right. Remember, once you have this stage down, everything else will be relatively easy-going.
Surprisingly, with just one strand of yarn running underneath, and wrapped twice around the opposite end of your starting stick, your ojo is already sturdy enough that you can now twirl the ojo to continue wrapping. In this case I went back and forth four times, then did the same temporary tie as when ending the diamond, by tucking the cut end underneath itself once, leaving a tail long enough to start a new color later. Be careful to keep things centered, and remember, although the ojo at this point may seem horribly wobbly and unwieldy, it will now grow stronger with every wrap of yarn that strings underneath the two sets, holding it all together with more and more strands of yarn as the pattern grows.
6. Continue Weaving: As you work, use your fingernails to push the strands of yarn into a nice even pattern. Throughout any ojo I create, I’m constantly making tiny little adjustments with my fingernails, both on the front and back sides. Be sure to keep adjusting the sticks to be evenly distanced from each other, as well as evenly balanced on top of each other. With practice, making all these little, but necessary, adjustments, will become automatic.
With this ojo in the illustrations, I’ve decided to do what I call a kaleidoscope pattern, where I switch colors frequently, alternating between the two original sets of sticks with interwoven diamonds. First I wove the orange, then the gold added with the yarn, in the way I almost invariably add onto a pattern, running underneath the earlier color. These beginning diamonds have three rows of yarn each, wrapping twice around each stick, unless I adjust how far along the stick the pattern is growing, by either wrapping once, or perhaps even three times. Occasionally I’ll use my thumbnail to gently push a pattern into a more agreeable looking place.
A challenge for me with this type of ojo, is to try and avoid any part of the pattern looking like a boring square, or box, sitting flat. We see all too much of that kind of shape in our lives: walls, buildings, TVs, and so much more! I think that circles and interlocking diamonds are so much more agreeable to the eye in an ojo. The other main challenge is to use colors in a harmonious and pleasing way. Be sure there is enough contrast between adjoining colors, so that they don’t blend too easily into each other and create a kind of uneasy blurring of the line between them. Also, though, try hard not to have two adjoining colors clash sharply.
7. Keeping Color in Mind: It’s important, besides following the well known guides of the color wheel (search for online help if needed) to be aware of how color types fit together: primary colors; pastel colors, jewel tones, and earth tone colors. Some people would say not to mix these different types. I say, mix carefully, and be aware of the effect that the different types have. I often mix in a couple jewel tones with a mainly earth-toned ojo, using the jewel tones for highlights. I like that kind of effect a lot. Pastel tones can also be used for highlights against a background of earth tones.
I’ll start creating an ojo with as many as fifteen or twenty balls of yarn beside me to choose from, but usually narrow the colors down to seven, or maybe nine, for an ojo of this size. For one of my much larger ojos, I might actually use fifteen colors. I’ve found that it’s generally a good idea, once you have used a certain color, to repeat it again later in your design, rather than have any one color stand alone. Also, it’s often best to pick out one or two colors to be your dominant color theme, and let all other colors play lesser roles. However, any and all generalities about color I’ve made here, I’ve broken many times in my own creations, so never feel bound by rules, but rather try to let intuition lead you to the highest of artistic creativity, if at all possible!
8. Weaving Patterns: In this particular ojo, after a bit of contemplation, I decide to add a bold, simple pattern, to balance out the quick changes I’ve woven so far. Here I’ve added four rows of a mossy green, then one row of a bronze color, then two more rows of the green. To prepare for the next stage, which will be orange going to all of the sticks, I’ll snip the yarn seen closest to the bottom of this photo short, and start the pattern from the stick which you see here in my hand.
Next, I weave to every third stick, and wrapping around the sticks twice on average, I make an eight pointed star pattern. With this pattern, the angle to and from each stick is very sharp, and you can easily wrap three times around each stick without your yarn bunching up at all. Also, its a good time to really even up your pattern, as there is more flexibility than at other points in the process to wrap the yarn more times, or fewer times, around each stick and still not show too much of either separation between the strands of yarn or to have the yarn bunch up too closely together.
9. Creating a Border: Finally I add the border, wrapping on average once per stick. On the last time around, I might give some extra wraps to the stick ends; the last chance to make the pattern come out even. When I get back to the starting stick for the last time, I cut a tail two or three inches long, and wrap three or four times around the stick, tucking the end of the yarn underneath itself once on each turn around the stick. The tail left at the very end I cut to about one inch in length, and tucked it in between the wrapped stick and ojo border, on the back side.
10. Adding Embellishments: The ojo could be declared finished right here, but I usually add some embroidery to the border, using a yarn needle. In this ojo I’ve chosen to embroider a fairly complex circular design. When I curve back at the two ends of such a design, I find it’s best to run the yarn underneath the back strands of that section of the design, to hold the last stitch properly in place.
Experiment a bit as you make this type of design, and try and find a balance between the design made by the yarn, and the spaces created in between the design elements. I encourage everyone to try adding needlework to your ojos. The design possibilities are endless, and you can truly make an ojo your own with a new and unique bit of needlework. Designs can also be added to parts of the ojo before the
border, and can even be used to pull the yarn of an ojo into a new position. After getting the working end of the needlework yarn back to the starting position, I tie the two ends together with a square knot.
11. Finishing: The final step is to add a loop to the backside for hanging the ojo.
You can find many examples of Ojo de Dios possibilities in my Etsy shop, and also in a Facebook group I started, Ojos de Dios, Yarn Mandalas of the World, where weavers from many countries around the globe have showcased their work. Happy weaving to you!
If you make your own Ojo de Dios, share a photo with us in the Etsy Labs Flickr group.
100 comments
Sign in to add your ownmyvintagecrush says:
Beautiful! I can imagine a small wall collage of these together, happy bursts of color :)
251 days ago
JewelryByJLy says:
Wow! These are way better than the ones I made from grade school! Definitely taking this tutorial for an afternoon with my nieces & nephews! Thank you so much for sharing!
251 days ago
NangijalaJewelry says:
I love your shop!!! I have come across it a while back and I am so happy to see you featured :-) Amazing, eye popping art and beautiful craftsmanship!
251 days ago
MootiDesigns says:
Beautiful, I remember doing this as a kid. How fun, and lots of patience. Nice artwork.
251 days ago
blueskyclouds says:
This is amazing! My son just learned how to do the simple ones at camp...and he was thrilled with it. Maybe we can graduate to something this detailed...????!!!!
251 days ago
SweetandDandyVintage says:
Been a favorite shop of mine for quite some time now...beautiful work! Thanks Jay, for sharing your awesome technique, and Julie for showcasing it!
251 days ago
RareDesign says:
Very cool, you make it look easy, but I know it isn't!
251 days ago
Parachute425 says:
Just fabulous. Thanks so much for sharing.
251 days ago
PonderandStitch says:
Really lovely work! I've been eyeing these for a long time...so pretty!
251 days ago
jammerjewelry says:
Interesting article, I have some good memories of making some of them myself long ago. Thanks for sharing.
251 days ago
DirtyLush says:
uber cool x
251 days ago
sparrowgrey says:
Really cool; my grandmother used to do something similar and I loved to watch her create those patterns. Thanks!
251 days ago
TwinkleStarCrafts says:
Great project for kids to do at holiday family gatherings this year.
251 days ago
AlpineGypsy says:
Oh, they are so gorgeous ~ I've always been fascinated by the simplicity & power of the 'God's Eye'.....fantastic! I'm so glad you got featured, you deserve it. :) Heidi
251 days ago
gemagenta says:
Beautiful work!!!!
251 days ago
KnittyTurks says:
love it! And they look so fun to make!
251 days ago
BRHDesigns says:
Absolutely stunning! Love the colors. Thanks so much.
251 days ago
jayfroggy says:
I've had free instructions for years now on my website, ojos-de-dios.com, and some people have used them and RUN with it ...... creating Ojos de Dios more incredible then any I ever made. With the seeds planted by my sharing, now poeple are weaving such creations in several different countries around the world. Recently, for anyone feeling the need for extra help, I've started offering more complete instructions for sale on my etsy.com shop ..... complete with not only more details, but links to videos I've made :)) I love sharing my craft, and etsy.com has been a wonder boost for my life as weaver of Ojos de Dios :))
251 days ago
hoopdaloop says:
these are awesome! thanks for the how-to! definitely one of the best :)
251 days ago
HelloMountains says:
I love this!!! It's beautiful!!! ;)
251 days ago
quabbinhill says:
So cool….brings back memories of my craft filled childhood...
251 days ago
tigersanddragons says:
I still have a simple one I made in Girl Guides hanging in my room. Wow, I had no idea that they could be elaborated into such stunning pieces.
251 days ago
goldenhaze says:
LOVE this!!! Such a treat to see the creations from this amazing shop featured in this How-Tuesday: each one of Jay's ojos is a dream!! Thank you so much for sharing this colorful beauty. :)
251 days ago
adoreneko says:
Amazing how yarn and sticks could yield such beautiful artwork. Love how this is appropriate for all ages - not just for camp.
251 days ago
aRepurposefulLife says:
these are absolutely stunning, and how sweet of you to share! I can hardly wait to try this at home!!! TY, TY, TY!
251 days ago
AvianInspirations says:
Your Ojos are gorgeous! And far superior to the ones we used to make in school. Thank you for the wonderful instructions, now I know what to do with my yarn scraps!
251 days ago
GreenEyeGirlDesigns says:
Wow, that is really amazing! I never thought to do something that intricate. I'm an art teacher, and this looks like something my advanced students would like to do. Thanks for sharing your talent!
251 days ago
Saxiib says:
I love love love love this! I can't wait to make some! Thank you for sharing!
251 days ago
stockannette says:
Thanks for pointing out another use for yarn!
251 days ago
theresahutnick says:
Oh my, How wonderful is this! Super cool. I'm going to make some time to try to make one. Thank you for sharing! :)
251 days ago
VivaGailBeads says:
So beautiful!
251 days ago
aymujer says:
Your shop has been a favorite of mine for a while now. I love the colors you use. Thank you for sharing so generously with your technique!
251 days ago
AliceCloset says:
OMG!! Love love your work!! Cool! I added your shop to my favorites ^___^
251 days ago
MandyBesek says:
Jay, I love your work! It really does bring about an inner calmness.
251 days ago
VeraVague says:
very cool, Jay. Thanks for sharing!
251 days ago
AliKan says:
So nice, its beautiful when you get the opportunity to experience another culture.
251 days ago
yesh says:
I had no idea you could make complex ones like these.I have made ones with no variations so I am anxious to try this.
251 days ago
ChipsOfFantasy says:
Oh gosh, so beautiful! I feel like doing lots of them!
251 days ago
paramountvintage says:
i used to make these as a kid!!! i love the bright, bold colors!
251 days ago
needleyou says:
Oh my goodness! Thank You for sharing this. Those are gorgeous & so colorful. : )
251 days ago
antiquelace23 says:
Absolutely gorgeous work! Well done! Thank you for sharing!
251 days ago
handmaderomance says:
absolutely gorgeous! thanks for sharing x
251 days ago
LittleWrenPottery says:
Wow love how colourful these are, except I can't decide which side I like more the front or back!
251 days ago
dekoprojects says:
I didn't know that form of art. I find it very difficult. So more I admire people who can do this.
251 days ago
yarnabeescreations says:
beautiful! I will have to try this. Thanks so much for sharing
251 days ago
BingoBox says:
Lovely work.
251 days ago
PageantCouture says:
GREAT JOB!!!
251 days ago
foxegurl266 says:
These are beautiful!
251 days ago
Iammie says:
Beautiful works!
251 days ago
joypompeo says:
These are beautiful mandalas! So mesmerizing.
251 days ago
jungledread says:
Bam! What a colour bomb!
251 days ago
IndiiRocks says:
These are awesome!!! will have to do the tutorial soon!!!
251 days ago
BahCreations says:
WOW..your ojos are beautiful..I use to do these in the 70's..I recently tried to do large ones but got stuck and tangled up..I like the tutorial and plan to follow the directions..I'm just starting my shop up so I've been doing alot of research here on Esty. Again beautiful work.
250 days ago
TheScarfTree says:
Wow, this is truly a work of art! I will leave it to the professional/s to make! Very beautiful! I can stare at it forever!
250 days ago
BanglewoodSupplies says:
Awesome times 1000!
250 days ago
spontaneousreality says:
you just blew my mind...so beautiful! thanks for sharing these wonders!
250 days ago
Leatherworks4U says:
Absolutely stunning!
249 days ago
Alliaks says:
What colors, beautiful!!!
249 days ago
knittingcate says:
stunning!!!!! I wanna try!!!!
249 days ago
LyntonLeaKnitwear says:
Really beautiful and a great way to use up left over yarn.
249 days ago
linziloop says:
This is the most awesome tutorial for something to make I have seen on Etsy yet
249 days ago
GratitudeLady says:
Hi, I'm from Albuquerque, and these are far more lovely than the ones I've seen around here my whole life!!! I've tried making these (years ago) and believe me...they were not a pretty sight! LOL You have a wonderful artistic eye for these and for color! I love your shop!!!
249 days ago
niceorange says:
This is absolutely stunning! The colors and the patterns work so well together! wonderful work! thank you for sharing!
249 days ago
SimplicityCraftsPlus says:
This is wonderful. It takes me back to when I was 12 and I belonged to a club in which (of course) we did a very simplistic version. I have always loved these.
249 days ago
CoCoSam64 says:
Gorgeous items- I'm glad something we all learned in grade school is not going out of style- but being expanded so beautifully and amazingly by you and others. I never had the skill- but your art is extraudinary.
249 days ago
Justlena says:
Amazing!Love the colors in your works!
248 days ago
claymax says:
LOVELY. GORGEOUS. AMAZING. ONE OF THESE DAYS I WILL TRY ONE.
248 days ago
SundayOwl says:
I LOVE your colors and art!!! Thank you for teaching us!!!
248 days ago
FantasticDIY says:
WONDERFULLL!!!!!!!!! The coolest things I've seen these days!!!!
248 days ago
FantasticDIY says:
I love EVERY item in your shop!!!
248 days ago
pinksnakejewelry says:
Amazing String Art!!!
248 days ago
rosenu2 says:
Thanks to Julie for seeking out this weaving craft ... A special thanks to Jay for sharing ... An explosion of color well exicuted .... Wonderful ...
248 days ago
MoranArtandQuilts says:
I have always admired these! Just gorgeous colors.
247 days ago
BrandyLayton says:
Truly an inspiration, My son loves to make these for me, maybe we can incorporate this is as a wall piece for his room! Thanks a bunch!
247 days ago
McKenzieBlueEyes says:
WOW! These are amazing! I'm going to attempt to make one!
247 days ago
TheInspiredTrader says:
How very kind to give us a free tutorial! You have a beautiful shop! Thanks!
247 days ago
artropology says:
Those are so cool!!
247 days ago
NetWorth says:
I appreciate your generously sharing "advanced ojo making". Your work is a revelation and the color palate you use is gorgeous.
247 days ago
hazelstark says:
WOWSER! Going to have a play today, what a great way to use up the last bits of yarn, I'm got plenty, fun!
246 days ago
irinaglazunova says:
Beautiful works! Thanks!
244 days ago
ILoveLune says:
Jay, I didn't know you were featured on the blog - this is a great tutorial! I love ojo's and consider you my hero in this respect! Weave on brother!
244 days ago
LisamariesPiece says:
Complex simplicity....I am in love! Beautiful work!
244 days ago
milkire says:
These look amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial. :D I'm definitely going to try this out.
231 days ago
cottoncandybubblegum says:
Ohmygosh! thank you so much for showing this! I have had you in my favorites for a long time trying to decipher how you make the eyes as complicated as they are. I am trying this as soon as possible
224 days ago
Induvit says:
Thank you very much !!!
222 days ago
picklehead says:
Wow! these are really beautiful! thanks so much for sharing this :)
216 days ago
BohoAmericana says:
Wonderful I used to make very simple versions. Now I am inspired to experiment. Lots of left over yarn laying around here in my home..
192 days ago
Bobbejo says:
How very interesting. I made these years ago and won ribbons at the State Fair with thiem. Didn't know they were back again. Maybe I will try it again.
186 days ago
lefthandedcraftclub says:
Amazing ! This is my new passion. My mother is teaching me. All my family members have own Mandalas :)
154 days ago
Ayca Hoser from Ayca says:
Oh my! Trully amazing & interesting! Great shop. Thank you for sharing these great work!
103 days ago
Karen Fiorino from ClayLickCreekPottery says:
WOW! I can see a simplified version for my art students....6,7,8th graders.
103 days ago
ideology from ideology says:
So gorgeous! Love this shop - so creative and beautiful!
103 days ago
Sue from PineDweller says:
Amazing - really would look wonderful in my southwest house. This is a great shop.
103 days ago
Jennifer Tammy from JenniferTammy says:
So excited! I actually just bought yarn to experiment with Ojos de Dios last week, but have been a bit intimidated. Thank you, Jay, for sharing your skills set with us.
103 days ago
WES from AJoyfulArt says:
Exciting to see and so beautiful!
103 days ago
Gabriela Alejandra Bengolea says:
Me encantó! Muchas gracias por regalarnos esta enseñanza! Besos desde Argentina.-
103 days ago
Imani Simmons says:
This is amazing! I use to make things like this in my younger days when I did Arts and Crafts in an after school program. I've been so busy with school, I really want to get back to working with my hands and learning a life-long trade.
102 days ago
Marie from VintageAndSupply says:
WoW! Thanks so much for sharing your work w/ others. I am going to love attempting this unique art form.
102 days ago
L2Country from L2Country says:
Wow...these OJOS are beautiful.... Great Article.... TXS!
102 days ago
H Wang from sandboxcastle says:
Wow - i love all these yarn wrapping fold art / hand crafts (like this and japanese temari balls) - but you all make it look soooo easy XD (i can never seem to get them right). Beautiful!
82 days ago