by Maddie Kertay
With the exception of those who have been living in a yurt, it would be hard not to notice the growing craft trend of the last few years. Yesterday’s simple hobby stores have flourished into mega craft-emporiums the size of well-stocked grocery stores. Knitting, crafting, and sewing are back in vogue. For some, this proliferation of crafting is a dream come true. Take me: It is rumored that in the newborn nursery I could be found chatting up the other babies, hoping to find out who strung the cute lettered beads on the bracelet I was wearing.
I delight in each new craft product and technique, and I spend a lot of time figuring out how I can incorporate them into our learning. For others, however, a trip into one of these mega craft giants is enough to require breathing into a paper bag from the experience. I dedicate my Crafty Homeschooler column for both the crafty parent and the not-so-crafty. My hope is to bring new ideas and new products to the attention of the crafty among us, while gently holding the hand of those who want to bring crafts into their lives and lives of their children, but are not sure how.
The reasons to craft with children are as numerous as the numbers of crafting products on the market today. Here are my top 5 reasons (in no particular order):
1) Quality and Quantity Time:
The hours spent working on a project can be a great time to just “hear” your children without the drumbeat of other obligations in your ear; it’s amazing the things that you will learn.
2) Fine Motor Coordination:
The manipulation of beads and string, felt and glue, all increase important fine motor skills.
3) Expanded and Dimensional Thinking:
Crafts naturally bring about thinking through the act of making. The 3-dimensial aspect of many crafts opens the link between mind and hand, enabling the crafter to see many things in new and exciting ways.
4) The Rainy-day Crazies:
Nothing beats the rainy day blues more than pulling out a new craft kit that has been stashed away for just that occasion.
5) Genuine Pride:
There is little to compare to the puff-chested, smiling face of a 6-year-old who has lovingly and successfully created an object that is both useful and beautiful.
Gone are the days when macramé and latch hook rugs were the only choice for the yearning crafter. Today’s options are endless, and the results can be anything from simple and charming to entailed and stunning. There are products, kits and books that make crafting possible for even the most timid. The availability of quality products means that children can produce and enjoy the process of crafts just a much as adults.
Children are no longer relegated to the “cheap seats” of the crafting world and I encourage parents to buy high-quality products for all crafting and bypass most products mass-marketed just for children. Of course, as with most things, there are exceptions, but as a general rule, the results will be better and the satisfaction will be fuller when crafting with high-quality products. For example, use wool felt as opposed to acrylic, and glass beads as opposed to plastic. These simple quality shifts will go a long way toward making projects that will be treasured for many generations to come.
An excellent way to ease into the world of crafting is with one of the many wonderful craft kits that are on the market today. The use of a kit not only centers your project but it also avoids the problem of locating hard-to-find craft supplies. There is nothing more frustrating for the beginning crafter than being asked to find some obscure item in your local craft store, no matter how much the project author insists that yak hair is a “make or break” item for the project. Even those of us with craft rooms stocked to the gills find craft kits to be a lifesaver. I keep a few on hand for rainy days, outbreaks of sniffly noses or any day that needs a bit of instant cheer to turn things around.
The next step in the evolution of the crafting household is to seriously integrate crafting into a well-rounded educational plan. There are few subjects that cannot be enhanced with a well-timed and appropriately themed project to further bring home the concept you are teaching. Paper crafts, such as Origami, can bring a colorful flourish to the study of Japan. Then the same Origami paper can then be used to create paper blooms to enhance the study of flowering plants. This example of “double-dipping” uses craft supplies to the fullest and is something I look for when planning projects and enhancing my craft product supply.
Luckily, most craft supplies do have multiple uses and stocking the beginning crafter’s cabinet need not be overwhelming or wallet-breaking. Besides many of the wonderful crafting kits that are now on the market, there are a few things that no crafting homeschooler should be without. Some of these products make crafting faster, cleaner and more pleasurable. Others have so many uses that they are just staples of my supply closet.
▪ Glue Dots: These small, double-sided adhesive discs bond crafting items together instantly and easily, with no drying time needed. Think of them as a very safe replacement for glue guns of all kinds.
▪ Good scissors, (both shaped and straight) and a table top paper trimmer – Fanciful or razor straight edges make anybody look like a perfect cutter.
▪ Paper Punches: Fanciful shapes along with varied geometric sizes make punches a “must” when you need 45 perfectly matching paper cuts for any project.
▪ Crafting paper: I am not talking about construction paper that fades in the sun and bleeds when it gets wet. I am talking about beautiful color-saturated paper that you can find in every color of the rainbow and in prints. You can buy it by the sheet or in beautiful pads of color-coordinated designs.
▪ Paint brushes: Look for paint brushes in the decorative paint or fine arts section of your craft store. Do not be tempted by the 20-for-a dollar brushes you will find in the children’s section. Purchase a basic pack of medium size with multiple types.
▪ Wool felt: Grit your teeth and pass by the “10 acrylic squares for $1”, and go to a nice fabric store and find some felt that is at least 50% wool. There is a reason that Waldorf crafters insist on wool, and the reason is the quality of the experience. Sewing on wool felt is a treat for all ages. (Ed. Note: Harrisville Designs carries high-quality wool felt. Please see their ad on p. ____).
▪ Needles: There is a confusing array of needles available and I am stubbornly opinionated on this matter. For craft sewing on anything but canvas I highly suggest Crewel-style needles, for their sharp tip, large eye, and smooth sewing.
▪ Pearl Cotton Thread: A non-divisible, lustrous, 100% cotton thread that can be found in the needle work sections of most craft stores. With so many colors available, one could go quite wild, but start with an assortment pack and build up from there.
▪ Doll Head Clothes Pins: These are the old-fashioned pins that our mothers and grandmothers used to put clothes out on the line. These little wooden pins make wonderful bodies to dress up as characters from history and literature among other things.
▪ Aleen’s glue: For times when glue dots just won’t do, I always turn to this line of glues. There are multiple formulations but the one I always keep on hand is the Fast Grab Tacky Glue. This product leaves typical school glues in the dust and is perfect for many types of craft projects.
In coming issues, I will explore different products and projects and the educational potential in all of them. Until then, I invite you to come check out further product reviews and fun project tutorials on my Crafty Homeschooler blog at www.craftyhomescooler.blogspot.com. M.K.
Maddie Kertay is a homeschooling mom of 5 who has extensive knowledge of crafts and disseminates her knowledge. Google her name for more information.
