Make your own Hamsa hand / Hand of Fatima:
Across the Middle East and much of Northern Africa the Hamsa hand is a symbol you’ll often spot in people’s homes, shops and on jewellery.
We spotted it all over on our travels across Morocco with kids.Â
This ancient symbol is seen as a protective amulet which will bring its owner happiness and good fortune. The Hamsa hand, or Hand of Fatima is a symbol we love to see.
Thank you to the wonderful Laura from A Peck of Pickles for this tutorial to make your own Hamsa hand.
Table of Contents
What you need to make your own Hamsa hand/Hand of Fatima
You will need:
Main items
- Air drying clay
- Paper and pencil
- Sharp knife
- Large needle (or similar)
Optional items
- Cling film lined bowl or dish
- Emery board (or super fine sandpaper)
- Acrylic paint & paint brushes
- Varnish
Step one – Make your own Hamsa hand/Hand of Fatima
Create your design.
You can either plan your design on paper first, ready to transfer onto the clay or you can just roll out your clay and freestyle.
If you want some inspiration you can see some designs and detail ideas here.
Step two
Knead your clay until it is smooth and soft, then roll your clay out with a rolling pin until it is roughly 5mm thick.
Step three
Transfer your design to the surface of your clay.
I lay mine straight on top of the clay and then drew over the lines. I pressed gently into the clay so that I would have a guide to follow.
Make your own Hamsa hand/Hand of Fatima – Step four
Using a sharp blade I cut out my hand.
I then used a large sewing needle to add in the eye and other details from my pattern.
Top tip – Air drying clay is great stuff, but the thing that makes it great is also what sometimes makes it tricky to work with – it dries out…in the air.
I was finding it hard to get a clean line in the clay. But by keeping the surface moist and occasionally dipping my needle in water I could get a much cleaner line.
Step Five
Once you have finished decorating your hand lay it into the bottom of a shallow dish.
Ensure that the heel and fingers of the hand are slightly lifted to create a dish shape.
You will need to line your bowl with cling film to make sure that your clay doesn’t get stuck in your bowl.
For the hand to be able to fully dry, once the top is dry, and the clay has hardened enough to hold the dish shape by itself, lift it out of the bowl and turn it upside down to allow the underneath to properly dry out.
Step Six – Make your own Hamsa hand
Once the clay is totally dry you can use the pin again to tidy up the edges of the decorated lines.
Use an emery board to gently file the outer edges of the hand to give a nice soft edge.
Depending on the clay you are using and the finish you want, you can paint and varnish your hand.
Standard acrylic paint should be fine but have a look on the packaging the clay came in if you aren’t sure what to use.
There a lots of other ways that you can use your hamsa
If you didn’t want to make a dish you could add a small hole to the centre of the hand to make an incense holder.
Or you could add a hole to the heel of the hand for a ribbon so that you can hang your hand up.
You could glue a magnet to the back and stick your hand to your fridge.
Or you could use it as a paperweight.
Whatever you chose to do with yours and however you choose to decorate them don’t forget to share them and tag @globalmouse1 so we can see.
For more craft fun follow Laura on Instagram here – https://www.instagram.com/apeckofpickles. Or on her blog here – https://apeckofpickles.wordpress.com and why not have a go at making our ski bunting now.
