Milagros are small charms used for religious purposes by those living in Central America. The tradition began when Spanish explorers introduced the practice of using charms for religious purposes to the natives. In turn, the natives established the use of milagros as part of their own culture. It is not uncommon to find milagros in a wide variety of shapes and forms in the southwestern part of the United States and of course, in Mexico. The most common ones used are made of silver although milagros made of other materials can be used, too. This article will show you how to make a milagro to help improve a student’s academic studies in school. Because this is an easy project, children can also make this milagro with some guidance from a parent. For this project you will need:
- One sheet of white paper (the best kind to use is plain white printer quality paper)
- One sheet of colored construction paper (red, blue, or green)
- A stapler
- A ruler
- A pencil
- A pair of scissors
- A black ink felt tip pen
- A paper punch
Take the sheet of white paper and with a pencil, draw one 1″ wide strip using the ruler as a measure and to make the straight line with. Using the scissors, cut out the two strips. Take the strip and fold in half lengthwise. Fold in half again until the final width of the folded piece is 1 1/2″. Cut along each folded line.
The next step is to fold these 1 1/2″ pieces in half again to form a binding edge. You may have to fold these in small amounts to make sure the creases are nice and sharp. Once they are folded, open them up and place them inside of each other. Set these pages for the book aside.
Take the piece of construction paper and cut out a rectangle 1″ by 1 1/2″ in size. Fold this in half the same way. Open the folded paper and place inside the open white pages. Take the stapler and position it along the length of the binding on the outside. Make sure the pages are even before stapling. Once the tiny book is secured at the binding, refold the book and position it so that the front cover is facing you.
You can create more tiny books this way using other colors of construction paper for the cover. Using the black felt tip pen, write down a subject on the front of you book. For example, if help is needed in a difficult subject like science or math, write “Science” or “Math” on the cover. To turn this charm into a wearable one, make a tiny hole at the upper left corner of the tiny book using the paper puncher. Thread a small chain or cord through the hole, making sure it is long enough for the student’s neck. The student should wear this milagro when it comes time to do homework, study, or take a test.