NAIDOC Week & Reconciliation

Celebrate indigenous culture with our NAIDOC Week craft ideas.

NAIDOC Week: Wood & Clay Snake

Explore beautiful Indigenous inspired patterns and textures using CleverClay™ modelled onto a wooden snake!
This artwork has been created by Michelle Napanangka Earl, Artist & Basket Weaver. As a proud Darkinjung woman with Wonnarua ties, Michelle has a personal connection to the Hunter Valley and respectfully teaches and celebrates the Traditional Aboriginal Culture of the Communities that reside across the valley.

CleverPatch™ recommends educators, teachers and event organisers work in consultation with their local Aboriginal Communities (start locally and extend out geographically) when planning activities & learning experiences. Any creative or art making activity that mirrors or replicates Aboriginal cultural experiences should always be undertaken in consultation with the appropriate owners of that cultural property.

Some materials and products may contain terms that reflect authors' views, both current or past. These views may not be considered appropriate today and are provided in a historical context. These views are not necessarily the views of CleverPatch.

  • Step 1Research Indigenous patterns and symbols and then use a pencil to sketch a design onto your snake.
  • Step 2Take your first colour of clay and begin to mould it onto the snake to fill in parts of your design.
  • Step 3Continue to fill in parts of your pattern using a second colour.
  • Step 4Don’t forget the clay can be mixed to create different colours. We chose to mix red and yellow to create orange!
  • Step 5Continue to fill in the design with colours until the wooden snake is completely covered.
  • Step 6Make some snake eyes and press them on firmly in place.
  • Step 7Finish your snake by using a scratch board tool to press patterns into the CleverClay™!
  • This activity uses approximately 1 and a half squares of CleverClay™ per snake so you should be able to make approximately 4 snakes from a set of 6 colours. This will obviously depend on which colours you wish to use and how thick you apply the clay to the snake.

Materials used in this activity

Product Code: 15733
EACH $3.29 (inc GST) $2.99 (ex GST)
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CleverClay - Set of 6 Colours
Optional
Product Code: 16700
EACH $35.53 (inc GST) $32.30 (ex GST)
3 or more $27.49 (inc GST) $24.99 (ex GST)          
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Wooden Snakes - Pack of 10
Optional
Product Code: 18782
EACH $19.79 (inc GST) $17.99 (ex GST)
10 or more $13.85 (inc GST) $12.59 (ex GST)          
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