These 50 interesting and entertaining projects are designed to teach beginners the basic skills of the Maori craft of plaiting. Fun with Flax shows how to make items ranging from a simple windmill, a dart and a whistle to more complex puzzles, balls, birds, fish and even a caterpillar. Each project is described one step at a time with easy-to-follow line drawings and instructions. All are fun and will delight children and adults with their ingenuity, their beauty and the amusement they provide. This book is ideal for kohanga reo, playcentres, kindergartens, Maori crafts groups and New Zealand homes. It aims not only to teach the skills of plaiting to young New Zealanders but also to nurture a new generation of flaxworkers.

Fun with Flax: 50 Projects for Beginners

Arts & Photography

Mick Pendergrast

History & Criticism

Penguin Group (New Zealand)

Te Mahi Kete

Raupo Publishing (NZ) Ltd

A look at the techniques, styles and history of the art of Maori women's weaving.

Te aho tapu = the sacred thread

Reed Books

Learn how to make a plaited kete, one of the oldest and most popular of Maori art forms, from the leaves of New Zealand flax (phormium tenax). Te Mahi Kete gives detailed, step-by-step instructions for preparing the flax and plaiting two simple types of kete. It also shows variations in technique for starting and finishing, making the handles and incorporating a decorative pattern.

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Crafts & Hobbies

Maori Cloaks / Kakahu

Decorative Arts & Design

David Bateman / Auckland War Memorial Museum

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Books by Mick Pendergrast