List of Charlotte Mason Handicrafts
Here is a list of Charlotte Mason handicrafts, what Charlotte said about them, and how I can help you to get started on adding handicrafts to your homeschooling today (for free!).
Charlotte Mason was born January 1, 1842 in the United Kingdom. She saw many flaws in the way children were being educated and it was her life’s work to fix it. She created a wonderful philosophy of education that my mother homeschooled me with many years ago, along with some classical and Rudolf Steiner philosophy sprinkled in for good measure.
I loved all these liberal arts education philosophies and as a child, have fond memories of all of them. Of course, I didn’t know what the philosophies were back then, but I experienced the wisdom from them.
What Are Charlotte Mason Handicrafts?
As a child I never heard the words “living books” or the “9-year change.” When I became a mother, I researched types of education and this was when I first heard the word “handicraft”.
Charlotte Mason wrote a 6-volume work entitled “Home Education.” Here is some of what she says about handicrafts:
“We want the children to be neat in mind as in body, to have clean-cut ideas and be capable of producing good work of all sorts; so we set them to fold paper, while their fingers are still tiny, and they will soon find how much better one clean fold is than a crumple (and simplicity than duplicity).
Any work which employs the creative instinct to good purpose and produces a reputable and artistic result (not mere exercises which waste the children’s time and material for nothing) finds favour with us.
Basket work, wood carving, etc., all so adapted to the children’s age and capabilities that they may be able to attain a habit of perfect execution, and that sense of the mastery of our spirits over matter which is surely part of our divine heritage…”
“The points to be borne in mind in 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.“
I take this to mean that handicrafts are an excellent way to be creative, to learn a life’s skill that will be useful and/or create beauty. It is also an education of the “hands” or “will” as Rudolf Steiner calls it. It is another way for our children to learn to persevere, to work hard, and often to give others joy (hand-made Christmas gifts, for an example).
List Charlotte Mason Handicrafts for Homeschoolers
On the website, Ambleside, a list of options for handicrafts is given (see below for the full list). Those with the asterisk are ones that I learn when I was homeschooled or learned as an adult (the love of handicrafts has stayed with me).
-macrame
-knitting*
crochet*
rug hooking*
embroidery*
plastic canvas needlework
cross stitch*
felt projects*
clay sculpting*
beadwork*
carving-soap or wood*
quilting/patchwork* (I know how to sew small and simple handmade ones. My Joshua is 9 years old is making one now)
weaving-paper, yarn etc.*
braiding/knotting floss e.g. friendship bracelets
lanyards
wax modeling*
woodworking
basket weaving
paper cutting
doll making*
spool knitting*
applique
smocking
tatting
needlepoint
wire sculpting
My Addition to the List of Handicrafts
I add the following:
- clay pot spinning*
- hand spinning*
- wheel spinning (I have been dreaming about learning this one for years!)
- copper jewelry (my Andrew made me a bracelet in 5th grade)
- forging my (my daughter will be learning how to forge a sword this year. Thank you, grandpa!)
- wood burning*
- toy making*
- hand sewing things like clothes, doll clothes, home decor etc.*
- machine sewing also for doll and human clothing, decor, etc.*
- finger knitting*
I feel as though I am missing something! Oh well, I guess this is big enough list to overwhelm any mama! Please don’t feel like you need to teach your children everything on this list of Charlotte Mason handicrafts! You definitely don’t!
As you can see, I have enjoyed many handicrafts over the past 32 years of being old enough to craft. My children love it too. They have loved learning new handicrafts and some of my greatest joys as a mother are when we have gathered together to work on our own projects!
Do you want your children to learn some of these handicrafts? Maybe you want to learn right along with them? I hope you do. It is important for busy mamas to have a creative outlet! I promise you will be much happier if you do.
But How Do I Get Started With Charlotte Mason Handicrafts?
“But how to get started” is the problem isn’t it? For years I homeschooled and though I know many handicrafts myself, I felt overwhelmed just thinking about adding handicrafts. I had to clear my head enough to realize how to get started. We still learned things of course, but there were months of not doing anything which brings me regret when I look back.
Reflecting on my schooling experience as a child, I can see how important handicrafts are. Perhaps this can be a topic for another post.
My husband and I started a Waldorf charter school and some of my children are old enough go. I have two younger ones at home still, and I love to be just with them during school hours even though I miss the older kids.
So while I am not currently homeschooling my children, I still read, garden, cook, clean, celebrate festivals, and craft with them. I love it!
What this means for you is that I have time to create handicraft curriculum! In the future, it is my plan to teach you and your children many kinds of handicrafts such as knitting, needle felting, cross-stitch, and spinning.
But for now, I am teaching how to embroider with some extra projects here and there. And since stories are of such huge importance in Charlotte Mason education, and since I love to write them, I teach my lessons with stories.
After all, what better way is there to learn, remember, and fall in love with learning, than stories?
Click here to read the first lesson.
My stories are about a tiny wood nymph who teaches Charlotte and her brother William to embroider. The stories are short and sweet with step-by-step photos to help you along. The best part is that you don’t need to know anything about embroidery to begin. I’ve got you covered!
Willow making her needle book. 
Willow and Charlotte’s needle books. 
Drawing out the sampler. 
Doing Laundry 
Working On The Sampler 
Part of the sampler
Why Would I Want My Children
to Learn Embroidery?
The first set of stories teach from the very beginning to the end of an embroidery sampler where, by the end you will know 5 basic embroidery stitches. Your children will be able to sew any beginner embroidery pattern they choose!
Why embroider?
- It’s easy enough that all of the basic stitches can be learn through step-by-step photos.
- It doesn’t take long to sew your first pattern.
- It is easy or come up with your own patterns.
- Embroidery is so versatile, you can make a book, artwork, pouch, decorate clothing, make beautiful seasonal décor and more!
- Price! The cost to get started is $30 or less and the cost remains minimal. This is perfect for tight budgets but can be enjoyed by all.
- This is a great aid in teaching other lessons! Sew a fairy tale, ballet story, maps for geography lessons, embroidery famous people or their homes, inventions… the possibilities are exciting!
- So many gifts can be handmade with embroidery, ornaments, artwork, birthday/Christmas cards and so much more! I will be sharing many tutorials and ideas for your children to make gifts. Handmade Christmas’ and birthdays are so special, aren’t they?
I hope you will join me in my free embroidery curriculum!
To read the first story lesson, click here.
To make your own simple needle book, click here.
Skip the first lessons and get right to starting the embroidery sampler here.
Next Week
I hope this list of Charlotte Mason handicrafts was helpful to you.
Come back next week to learn how to sew the back stitch on your sampler!
Great content! Keep up the good work!
So kind of you to say! Thank you for making my day.
Hey that rhymed, maybe I should write poetry? LOL just kidding!