Traditional Mola, which has its origins with the Kuna people of Panama, is done on layers fabric using a reverse applique technique. Erica Pels adapted this technique to paper for use on greeting cards and created several geometric cutting templates. Unfortunately, her templates are no longer available, but I have built on her technique and created a few template of my own.

Most of my templates are available in .svg format, so if you want to skip the manual cutting, you can use a digital cutter. Manually cutting the layers is both challenging and rewarding. It does take some planning before you start and can be a little confusing because you work from the top layer down rather than the bottom layer up.

Click a card to view links to patterns, instructions and downloads.

Mola Shamrock

Mola Tulip

A Trio of Shamrocks

Mola Christmas Ornament

Mola Christmas Star