Making ininti seeds bracelets

Walungurru Pre-School

Northern Territory

Australia

Teachers: Jodie Punguika and Phyllis Rowe

About ininti seeds:

Ininti is a native tree that grows in the Western Desert of central Australia.The ininti tree thrives in sandy areas close to creeks and dry river beds.

It is an interesting tree that has moustache shaped leaves.

The seeds come in a range of colours including deep reds, oranges and creams.

Making a bracelet:

To make an ininti seed bracelet you need ininti seeds,a large flat piece of wood...

...hat elastic or wool...

...a metal file and a large flat piece of wood.

You need quite a bit of fire wood and a safe place to make a fire.

Using a metal file, file the end of a piece of STRONG fencing wire to a sharp point.

At the edge of a flat sheet of wood, prepare a small ditch. You will be sitting on the wood as a work surface so it needs to be fairly large.

Prepare a fire close to the work surface. It needs to be in arm's reach.

Ensure there is a supply of fire wood available as it will be used for a long time.

The fire is used constantly throughout this process. The sharpened wire is placed in the fire until it is red hot.

Once hot, the wire is used to make grooves in the wood. This is done by dragging the wire across the edge of the wood several times in the same position. A hole in the wood to cradle the ininti seeds is made by stabbing the wood with the hot wire and moving it around in a circular motion. This needs to be done several times to get the hole to the right size. The wire is then used to make holes in the seeds themselves. The wire needs to be returned to the fire at short intervals to be reheated.

Sit a seed in the hole and spear it with the hot wire. Push hard. Return the wire to the fire when it cools and repeat the process until a hole is made through the seed.