How are handicrafts going? Whether you are crafting up a storm or struggling with consistency, we hope that this episode will be helpful and encouraging. We chat about why handicrafts are part of a Charlotte Mason curriculum, what we need to think about when we choose handicrafts, as well as sharing what and how we've taught our children.
![Handicrafts (2)](https://thinkinglove.education/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Handicrafts-2.png)
"The points to be borne in mind with children's handicrafts are: (a) that they should not be employed in making futilities such as pea and stick work, paper mats, and the like; (b) that they should be taught slowly and carefully what they are to do; (c) that slipshod work should not be allowed; (d) and that, therefore, the children's work should be kept well within their compass." Charlotte Mason, Home Education
1:10- How are handicrafts going in your home, Leah?
3:20- Hope for this episode: new ideas or encouragement
4:00- Overwhelm with handicraft materials
4:50- Why do we teach handicrafts in our homeschool?
6:20- School Education: Certain Relations Proper to a Child. Gross motor relationships like swimming, sailing, and dancing, but also power over material.
8:00- Have you seen this desire for mastery over material in your children?
9:30- Even though we want our kids to develop taste for the beautiful, it starts with mud.
12:00- Natural progression from mud: air-dry clay.
12:50- Have you seen this natural progression in your children, Amy? (Making real things, willow whistle.)
13:13- Children shouldn't be employed in making futilities.
14:00- We do plenty of paper crafts in our home, which are child-led.
15:50- What kind of handicrafts do you do?
16:25- Charlotte Mason's examples: chair caning. Handicrafts are not limited to what Charlotte Mason said. Principles: working with materials, creating something that has function and beauty, needs to be something our children can execute well.
17:45- Handicrafts Leah's family has done have followed a progression: weaving on a loom, finger knitting, and knitting with needles; rolled beeswax candles, candle pouring, and soap pouring; needle felting and hand-sewing.
20:40- Amy's handicrafts: simple projects that don't take a huge range of supplies. Paper airplanes lead easily to origami; knot tying, friendship bracelets; finger-knitting and crocheting.
22:54- It's one thing to plan and another to make them happen. How have you been able to be consistent with handicrafts?
25:42- Amy's handicraft co-op. Parachord bracelets, tye-die tee-shirts, latch-hook wall hangings, hand-sewn mice.
27:00- Supporting children in a large group with pictorial tutorials.
28:20- Encourage children to think about what they're going to do with what they make. They only need so many parachord key fobs!
29:00- Have a purpose for what you're making. Making scarves and donating them to homeless shelters.
29:57- Final tips and thoughts about handicrafts.
Mentioned in this Episode
![Handicrafts (1)](https://thinkinglove.education/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Handicrafts-1.png)