Fabrics of the World: Adire Cloth

Adire (ahh-dee-ray) cloth is an indigo-dyed fabric made by the Yoruba people in Nigeria. The term "Adire" means "tie and die" which refers to the colouring method used in producing this beautiful cloth. Adire cloth is traditionally made by the women of the Yoruba and a thick starchy paste made from cassava is used to create the unique patterns of the fabric.

This creative design challenge is a fun printable activity to explore the rich traditional fabric design culture of the Yobura people of Nigeria.

Let's start!

Printable & Activity Objectives

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Age: 6 to 9 year olds, Activity Time: 1-2 hours, Items Needed: Colouring pencils

In this activity, your child have an opportunity to colour and design their own version of the Nigerian "Adire" cloth and also learn more about the traditional textile producing culture of the Yobura people.

It will help your child or student:

Learn about new cultures and interests outside of those they are familiar with.
Improve his/her artistic and creative skills by designing, colouring and adding different interpretation of the Adire cloth.

Let's start!

Classroom Resources

Simple steps to start:

Research and find out about more about Adire cloth. Watch this video about how the traditional Adire cloth is made:

Explore the ancient Nigerian tie and dye art of Adire virtually via Google Arts and Culture:

Get started on the printable worksheets.

What's in the Printable Worksheet Pack

This printable pack consists of 2 printable Adire cloth design challenges. The first worksheet is a colouring sheet inspired by traditional Adire cloth patterns. The second sheet is a design worksheet for students and kids to apply their own Adire cloth inspired patterns.

Let's get creative!

Click on the download link below to get started. Please note that this printable pack is only for paid members.