Archive for handicrafts

The American Girl Handy Book

{ May 8, 2007 @ 12:02 pm } · { handicrafts }
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I am so excited. I bought The American Girl Handy Book at our homeschool conference last Friday and it is packed with tons of good things! The link above takes you to Amazon.com’s site and you can search inside and see the table of contents. I was hoping to find this or something similar. I have been so inspired as I am reading The Charlotte Mason Companion and Karen Andreola’s talking about making corn husk dolls and dipping candles for the fall.

I also picked up Pioneer Crafts to use during our American History studies. I agree with Charlotte Mason about the need for our children to do handicrafts and not cut-n-paste crafts. I see so much more pleasure in my DD when she is sewing or emdroidering or painting than when she is doing a cut-n-paste craft. And I am enjoying learning more about handicrafts myself.

*A word of warning: This is NOT the same book that you will find at Wal-Mart and other like places (same title, different cover). That book does not contain the same crafts and it contains a section about fortune telling.

Handicrafts – Sewing & Embroidering

{ April 28, 2007 @ 11:20 am } · { handicrafts }
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I am trying to get my dear daughter away from cut-n-paste crafts and into real handicrafts. Right now we have 4 of the Winky Cherry books and kits – My First Sewing Book, My First Embroidery Book, My First Doll Book, and My First Sewing Machine Book. Each of these books you can buy as just the book, but I do recommend the kits since everything you need is inside (sans the stuffing — got to go buy some more of that!).

Yesterday morning she wanted to sew. She loves to sew the little felt stuffed animals that you learn how to make in the 1st book – My First Sewing Book. She made a red and yellow unicorn and we used red yarn to give it a mane and tail. She loves it, and she loved making it. Later, when “school” was “over” for the day she wanted to embroider.

Now, she’s only embroidered one other time, so this was her first time embroidering a picture like this. I posted it over to the left (it needs to be ironed, as you can see!). I think that’s pretty good for a 6-year-old’s 2nd time ever embroidering. She made many mistakes, and got frustrated, but through it all we talked about how mistakes are for learning. She was quite proud of her craft and so am I!
Charlotte advocated the child’s learning handicrafts. In her day, those handicrafts could help to support and enable the child as he or she grew to adulthood. So we have expanded the list to include life skills, which are likewise important in teaching children to be industrious and preparing them to manage their own households someday.

Four succinct points should be kept in mind when selecting handicrafts and life skills

  • The end-product should be useful. The children should not “be employed in
    making futilities such as pea and stick work, paper mats, and the like.”
  • Teach the children “slowly and carefully what they are to do.”
  • Emphasize the habit of best effort. “Slipshod work should not be allowed.”
  • Carefully select handicrafts and life skills to challenge but not frustrate. “The children’s work should be kept well within their compass.

(from Simply Charlotte Mason)