Ndebele House Painting Project

Although decorative African house painting is not limited to the Ndebele women of South Africa, over the past 200 years, it certainly is associated with their people. Bright, beautiful designs, most geometric and symmetrical, are painted on the outside, and sometimes the inside, of their stuccoed homes. Once these independent people, known as fierce warriors, owned much property. In 1883, their lands were seized and many became indentured servants on Boer farms. Women used this colorful art form of Ndebele House Painting to not only brighten their troubled existence, but it was also used as a form of communication among their people, which the Boers did not understand. This helped keep the ancestral traditions of the Ndebele alive. You can still find these beautiful homes being painted today. By gathering a few recycled supplies, your children can create a whole miniature village and experience the joy of Ndebele House Painting.

Materials for Ndebele House Painting Project

recycled boxes (ours were in small, Amazon boxes in 2 sizes)
masking tape
acrylic paints
recycled brown bags or brown paper
craft glue

Supplies

scissors
straight edge (optional)
ruler
pencil
paint brushes

Directions

Look in books or online at Ndebele House Painting for inspiration.

Preparing the boxes:

Select small, delivery boxes. The top flaps of the box, when stood upright, will be used for the roof. Using a straight edge (parents only) or scissors, cut the flaps on the top of the box on angles where they join to fit them together. Tape the top flaps together in a roof shape. If necessary, add additional pieces of cardboard to fill in gaps. Make sure to use masking tape so the tape can be painted over. (Most paints will not stick to cellophane or plastic tapes.) Your taping does not need to be neat. The entire box will be painted or covered with brown paper.

(Optional) If you would like, cut off the flaps on the bottom of the house. This will help your house sit flatter.

Painting:

Begin by painting the sides of the house, and a bit of the roof where it connects to the sides of the house, white. Allow to dry.

Before painting designs on the house, talk about geometric symmetry. Look at some of the designs of the Ndebele. Point out that if you draw a line down the middle of the design, both halves look the same. You might want to practice making designs on paper before before drawing on your boxes. Using black paint and pictures for inspiration, paint designs on your boxes. This can be done free hand or designs can be lightly drawn on with pencil first, then painted over. Remember to use geometric designs that are symmetrical. Do not forget a door and window!

When the black paint has dried, chose colors that are used by the Ndebele and paint your houses. Remember to leave some areas white.

Creating the Roof:

Cut multiple strips of brown paper 2 inches wide. Draw a line down the middle of the entire length of the paper.

Wad up individual strips of brown paper, then smooth them out being careful not to rip them. This process is done to create a realistic thatched roof look.

Along one edge of the paper, make cuts to the middle line. Fringe the paper the entire length.

Beginning on one of the long sides of your box, paint some crafting glue along the bottom of the roof line. Put glue about 1 inch up. Note: depending on your crafting glue, you may want to thin it. I mixed 2/3 craft glue to 1/3 water.

Cut a piece of your brown paper fringe slightly longer than the widest part of the roof you will be covering. Place the strip on the glue allowing the fringed section of the strip to overhang the house. Wrap the fringe around the roof, overlapping the side roof by about 1/2 inch. Glue this piece to the side roof. Note: If your pieces of brown paper are not long enough to span the distance of the roof, you can simply overlap one piece over another.

To add a second strip, again paint glue on the roof ABOVE your last strip. Do not put glue on the brown paper. You do not want the fringe portion of the strips to be glued to the roof. Add your second strip so the fringed section overhangs the previous strip. Continue adding strips until the entire side roof is covered. Turn the box around and do the other long side.

You will be doing the two small sides in the same manner with 1 difference.

When you add the side roofing, you do not want the strips to wrap to the 2 long roof sections. When you add the side roof strips, cut your strips on angles so the strips do not extend beyond the side roof. Continue adding roofing strips in the same manner until the small sides are both cover.

To give it a finished look, add one more strip to the very top. This time, fringe both sides of the strip but stop about a 1/4 inch away from the center line. Fold along the center line and glue to the top of the roof, cutting it to fit.