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How to make a Matariki kaleidoscope / He Takawhīwhiwhi Matariki Tamariki D.I.Y

School children assembling Matariki kaleidoscopes with the help of a Bunnings team member

Overview / Tirohanga whānui

Matariki is the Māori name for a cluster of stars, also known as the Pleiades. The Matariki star cluster rises in the midwinter night sky, marking the beginning of the Māori New Year. This is a time of reflection. 


Ko Matariki te ingoa o tētahi kāhui whetū, e mōhiotia nei hoki ko Pleiades. Ko te kāhui whetū o Matariki ka ara i te takurua, he tohu mō te tau hou Māori. He wā tēnei hei huritao.

Tools and materials

    Materials

    Steps / Ngā tohutohu

    1Cut the mylar / Tapahia ngā hīti

    Cut the mylar sheets or mirrored sheets into three equal, lengthways strips. (Each strip should be 9.7cm x 3.5 cm.) You’ll want the size to be accurate so the finished triangular prism fits snugly in your plastic tube and won’t fall out.

     

    Kutikutia ō hīti, ō hīti mira rānei kia tapawhā roa, ko te whāroa (kia 9.7cm x 3.5cm). Me tika te rahi kia ō te tapatoru ki te rango kirihou, ā, kia kaua e taka ai.

    Three rectangles of cardboard cut out with scissors

    2Create the interior / Hangaia te roto

    Cellotape each strip of mylar together side-by-side, and then fold them into a triangular prism and tape along the top to hold it in place. Slide the prism inside the plastic piping. It should fit snugly inside your plastic tube.

     

    Whakapiria ngā mylar ki te tēpa, ka pōkai ai kia tapatoru, kātahi ka tēpa i te wāhanga o runga kia piri ai. Retia ki roto i te rango kirihou. Me ita te ō ki roto i te rango kirihou.

    Cardboard rectangles being taped together with sticky tape

    3Attach the dowel / Whakapirihia te toka

    Take your dowel and place it along the top of your tube with a third of the dowel hanging over the edge. Tape it in place with the duct tape.


    Tīkina tō dowel ka rau ai ki runga i tō rango, ko tētahi hautoru o te dowel kia iri tonu ki tua o te parenga. Whakapiria ki te tēpa hiriwa.

    A length of wooden dowel being applied to a circular coaster decorated with stars

    4Decorate the coaster / Whakapaipaihia te tahataha

    Decorate your coaster with stars. You can use stickers, markers and glitter.


    Whakarākaitia tō pae ki ngā whetū. Ka taea te whakamahi pani, pene whītau, korakora pīataata rānei.

    A circular coaster being decorated with stars

    5Add the coaster to your kaleidoscope / Tāpirihia te takutai ki tō kaleidoscope

    Slide your coaster onto the dowel by poking the dowel through the hole in the centre of the coaster, with the star design facing the plastic tube.


    Retia tō pae inu ki roto i te dowel mā te wero i tō dowel ki te rua kei te pito o te pae inu, ko te tauira whetū ka aro atu ki te rango kirihou.

    A length of wooden dowel being applied to a circular coaster decorated with stars

    6Look to the stars! / Titiro ki ngā whetū

    Look into your kaleidoscope and explore all the Matariki star reflections created by your design!

    We would like to thank the tamariki and kaiako from Te Kohanga reo o Te Arapeta for taking part in this project for Matariki. 


    Titiro ki roto i tō takawhīwhiwhi me te mātai i ngā ata o ngā whetū o Matariki kua waihangahia e tō hoahoatanga.

    E mihi ana mātau ki ngā tamariki me ngā kaiako nō Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Arapeta mō rātau i whai wāhi mai ai ki tēnei kaupapa Matariki.

    A child using a completed Matariki kaleidoscope

    7Looking for more craft inspiration?

    Check out more of our D.I.Y. fun craft activities you can try.
    Health & Safety

    Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

    Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer.