Crafts

Head bands - foufou

I am writing about crafts. At school, every Friday the year 5 go to crafts at 10.00am.

When we go for crafts we learn to make things, like fans, head bands (foufou), crowns, baskets, and necklaces. Girls most of all like to make foufou. I always like to make fans and the foufou. When I do a fan I make it out of coconut leaves and when I do a foufou I make it out of ti leaves. I started learning to do these things when I was in year 4. When I complete making my crafts I always give it to my mum or my teacher. Once I made my foufou out of ti leaves that are
pink, purple, and green in colours. It was really colourful. I really enjoy learning (making a foufou) it makes me happy because I am learning about my culture.
By Shirley. I come from the village of Tamakautoga.

My grandma always makes crafts and I make them too. My sister likes to do art and she draws pictures of turtles and some other things. I like to copy her. I want to be an artist and I want to be like my grandma as well. She is good at making crafts. My grandma likes to make mats, hats, and baskets. She makes them out of laufa (pandanus) and launiu (coconut leaves). She usually works the whole day starting in the morning until night time. My grandma taught me how to make a basket out of launiu and I really try to make my basket, so I can learn and know how to make one.
By Merry Lu. I am a Niuean girl, who lives in Vaiea.

There are lots of handcrafts in Niue. The boys make their crafts mostly out of wood like fishing lines, bats, tika, and walking sticks. Girls' crafts are usually made out of leaves. They weave bags, fans, hats and many more. Some people always buy their walking sticks and fishing lines but you don't have to if you can make them. I can make crafts to get money but it has to be a big job. I can go to my craft teacher for lessons to learn how. If I want to be a craft teacher I need to make sure I have the right tools, wood and sticks.
When I was little my grandpa helped me to find the right wood and the right stick so I can take it for my craft making. When I am big I want to be like my grandpa and I can teach like my craft teacher. Now I want to teach kids during sport time to play Niuean cricket using a Niuean cricket bat, or even fishing using a real Niuean fishing rod.
By Chamberlain. I'm from Mutalau and Hikutavake.

People on Niue make a lot of crafts. They like to make fans, mats and hats. Some people can make flowers and bags with coconut leaves too. You can take the things you make to the market to sell.
I know how to make a fan and a bag out of coconut leaves. My mum taught me how to make these things, but I don’t take them to the market to sell. I enjoy making crafts but especially hats and fans because I am very good at it. (Picture 4 taken by Raewyn Tukuitoga.)
By Valerie. I am 9 and I am Samoan. I have been living in Liku, Niue for 6 years.

My grandmother Taleni does lots of crafts and art. Every Tuesday and Friday I go with my grandmother to Alofi for market day. There are lots of crafts and art at the market. New Zealand people come to Niue and go to the market to buy bags, necklaces and fans. They come and learn the crafts too. I am learning to make Niuean crafts from my grandmother. We use other things like laufa's (pandanus leaves) to make bags and flowers, and seashells and fishing lines to make necklaces. By Shavannah. I am 9. I live in Liku Village.