How to Make a God's Eye
Photos copyright © December 2011 Kat Avila

collection of God's eyes
(ABOVE) God's eyes at an outdoors craft table at Bowers Museum,
Santa Ana, California, December 2011.		 Materials Needed:

1. For the frame, you can use popsicle sticks, coffee stirrers, and/or chopsticks. You can also buy short, narrow wooden sticks called "Woodsies" at a craft store.

2. At least 20 feet of yarn to make one eye.* Multicolored yarn works best, or you can knot different colors of yarn together to create one string.

*This measurement is helpful to know if you need to prepare yarn bundles ahead of time for a large group. I wrap the yarn around a ruler and then cut. I loosely knot the yarn in the middle to keep it in a neat bundle.

3. 20 feet of yarn for 4 pom-poms, 5 feet per pom-pom. It depends on how thick you want your pom-poms, if you want to make any at all.

4. An all-purpose glue to hold the sticks together for the frame. You can also use it to cover the string knots on your god's eye so they don't unravel.

5. Scissors to cut the yarn.

6. (optional) A knitting needle to draw a pom-pom string through the top loop of your god's eye. The pom-poms won't fall off if you tie it to your god's eye.
Examples
god's eye front
a 4-point eye (front)
(The yarn I used is called "Mexicana.")		 god's eye back
a 4-point eye (back)		 god's eye on a stick
a god's eye on a stick		 winter solstice god's eye
Winter Solstice/Earth Day god's eye
(with Earth at center, then yellow sun,
beige moon, stars of mixed pastels,
blue sky pom-poms)
6-point front
a 6-point eye (front)		 6-point back
a 6-point eye (back)		 8-point eye front
an 8-point eye (front)		 8-point eye back
an 8-point eye (back)
Sample Frames
popsicle sticks
popsicle sticks		 Woodsies craft sticks
Woodsies craft sticks		 chopsticks
chopsticks
(One has been cut in half.)		 4-eye god's eye
a 4-eye frame made from
coffee stirrers and chopsticks
Weaving the Eye
weaving the eye
Tie a knot in the back. (I also make an
"X" with the yarn to cover the back.)
Make a diagonal in the front.		 weaving the eye
Wrap the yarn around the stick
that the diagonal crosses.		 weaving the eye
Make another diagonal.		 weaving the eye
Wrap the yarn around. It's easier
if you turn the cross as you weave.
Making a Hanging Loop
hanging loop
Pull out a loop at the end
of your string and knot it.
(backside of eye is shown)		 gluing loop knot
Put a drop of glue on the knot
so it won't unravel.
Making a Pom-Pom: There are several ways to make a pom-pom. Experiment to find the way that suits you best.
pom-pom
Wrap the yarn at least 10 times
around your three middle fingers.
Then roll the loops off your fingers.		 pom-pom
Pinch the middle and cut the loops.
(Other people tie the loops first and cut.)		 pom-pom
Take out the longest string.		 pom-pom
Use it to tie the others in a bunch.
Tie the bunch to your god's eye.