Handicraft Curriculum: Chapter One
Handicraft curriculum is hard to come by isn’t it? Not any more!
There are many well known couples. Romeo and Juliet, Adam and Eve, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bread and butter, butter and pretty much any thing else. (Hehe.) What about “story and craft” as a wonderful combination? I sure think it is!
Do you find this intriguing? Then continue reading!
The words “story” and “craft” are very familiar in my home. My children and I love enjoying stories and crafts together. Creating together and listening to new and old stories as a family are my favorite ways of creating wonder filled memories with my children that they, (and I) will treasure forever!
It’s going to be a fun ride! I hope you come with me!
Handicraft Curriculum
Chapter One
Willow The Wood Nymph
In the big woods lived the Oak family. Daddy laughed when he said, “We Oak”s couldn’t live by the beach! WE are special made for the woods!”
It was nap time for Lucy and Charlie. Since it was early summer the big kids, William and Charlotte, had quiet time at home. Meaning they could do as they liked as long as they were quiet.
During this time the 2 eldest Oak children read, wrote their own comic books, drew, knitted etc.
This afternoon the children were reading. Both were reading outside, one in the hammock and one on top of the trampoline.
Charlotte, who was in the hammock stopped reading. She had a sudden urge to go for a walk in the woods behind their house.
Once Charlotte had an idea in her head she was quick to start on it. So off she went.
She never did go very far into the woods. She was to worried about getting lost. Today she decided to go just a little deeper.
Charlotte loved the woods. The smells, the different shades of the greens and browns.
Handicraft Curriculum
An Unexpected Surprise
She found a large patch of moss. She sat down to run her hands through it. The moss was soft like some carpets or rugs. This gave her an idea! She started gathering near by rocks and tiny branches and pretended the moss was carpet and arranged the rocks and branches to create a kitchen.
Charlotte never spoke aloud when she played alone. For no particular reason she spoke a loud today.
“Here is the table. These small pieces of bark are perfect chairs. Mmm what should be the stove…?”
“Our stove is made from scrap bark put together with sap. My father does something special to the sap to keep it from melting when we cook…”
Handicrafts Curriculum
Oh My Goodness
Startled Charlotte looked up. Then she looked around. But no one was there!
The sweetest giggling fill the air, almost as sweet and darling as her baby sister Lucy’s precious giggles.
Charlotte looked toward the voice and saw a little person. Not little like her baby sister little, much smaller, about the size of her palm.
“Oh my goodness,” said Charlotte, “what are you?”
This was a rather rude question but the little person didn’t seem bothered by it.
” My name is Willow. I’m a wood nymph. Nice to meet you! “What’s your name?”
Feeling a little ashamed over her rude question, Charlotte reply, ” My name is Charlotte. “
That’s all she could say at first. Willow was happy to talk and meet new friends. She had seen humans many times before so she was not shocked as Charlotte was.
“My family has lived here for ages and ages. About 20 years! My uncle moved here and soon the rest of the family followed. It’s the most beautiful place to live, don’t you think? My oldest sister is starting to make a house of her own in a birch tree. I live under a Willow tree. That’s why my parents named me Willow. I have 9 siblings!” She added quite proudly, “I mostly love having so many play fellows but sometimes I don’t. That’s why I’m here. I like to have some time to myself.”
Charlotte couldn’t believe her ears. Her eyes, she felt sure, weren’t any more trusty worthy.
“Do you have any siblings?”
“What? Siblings? Oh yes I have 3.”
Handicraft Curriculum
Embroidery Fun
Charlotte slowly started getting used to seeing someone who couldn’t possibly be real. Willow kept chatting away. Willow had a gift of making folks feel at ease and it began to work on Charlotte.
“My oldest brother is William. He’s 10 years old. I’m 8, my brother Charlie is 3 and the baby is Lucy.”
“I have a baby sister too!” exclaimed Willow! “She’s as cute as can be. Her name is Mossy. I’m 9 years old so I help out a lot.”
“I help with my baby sister too!” replied Charlotte excitedly. It was so nice to have things in common.
The 2 young ladies chatted a way quite happily, talking all about their families.
Charlotte suddenly noticed that Willow had a basket.
” What’s in your basket?”
” Oh I plum forgot I brought this! It’s my embroidery.”
“Embroidery? You know how to embroider? That’s fun! I don’t know how to embroider, but I do know how to knit.”
” I enjoy knitting too. My mama needs my help with knitting hats and mittens for my younger siblings, Rosemary and Cedar.”
“May I see what you are working on?”
“Of course!”
This tiny wood nymph took out her tiny basket. In it she had one tiny scissors, tiny needles, and tiny embroidery floss. What really caught Charlotte attention was the tiny wooden hoop, with the tiny fabric in it and the tiny stitches.
Handicrafts Curriculum
Loving Fairy Tales
“It’s Aurora from the fairy tale The Sleeping Beauty! You know fairy tales?” exclaimed Charlotte!
“Oh of course I do! My mama really loves to tell us fairy tales and we children love to listen.” answered Charlotte.
“It’s really quite lovely.” said Charlotte.
Feeling quite pleased her new friend liked her embroidery picture, Willow replied., “That’s kind of you to say. It’s one of my favorite fairy tales. Do you have a favorite fairy tale?” asked Willow.
“Little Red Riding Hood. Though my favorite fairy tales change from time to time.” Looking at Willows work for a thoughtful moment Charlotte asked, “Is it fun to embroider?
Willow smiled, believing she understood the real question. “I love it! Would you like to learn how to embroider?”
“I would love too! ” exclaimed Charlotte! ” Can we start right now?”
Willow, who was VERY excited to teach her new friend to embroider replied, ” You need to ask your mom to buy you some things first.”
“Of course.” Charlotte tried to look like she had already realized this. ” What do I need?”
” Well, you need
- fabric scissors
- white cotton fabric of course
- embroidery floss with whatever colors you like
- embroidery needle
- let’s see… embroidery hoop
- it’s also helpful to have a basket to store your things in
- oh and a small piece of felt,
- and a piece of ribbon or yarn so we can make a needle book for you “
“Would you repeat that so I can remember?”
Many repeats later and Charlotte was sure she remembered everything she needed.
Handicrafts Curriculum
Charlotte Is Embarrassed And Willow is A Sweetheart
Looking at the Sleeping Beauty embroidery picture again, Charlotte shyly asked if she could make one of her own.
Twinkling laughter filled the air!
“Oh goodness no! Just like you need to learn your ABC’s before you can read, there are stitches and other things you need to learn before you can sew this Sleeping Beauty embroidery picture.” Seeing Charlotte sad and embarrassed, Willow added, “I wanted to start with a more difficult embroidery pattern too. It’s just so golly goodness hard, to be patient, isn’t it?”
Willow succeeded in making her friend feel happy again, she was very good at that sort of thing.
“Well I had better go home.” said Charlotte reluctantly.
“I probably should go too because it is getting late. Come back when you have what you need! If you can’t find me here, walk straight a head from this tree for 200 feet and you will find my home. It’s the only willow in the forest so you can’t miss it. You could meet my family too!”
“I would love that! I’ll be back as soon as I can!”
“We will start with a needle book and an embroidery sampler.” called Willow to her friend, just now remembering that’s what they should do.
The End
Handicraft Curriculum
Home Again
Off Charlotte ran. Soon she was in her back yard when she bumped into William.
“You will NEVER believe who I bumped into today?”
“A tree?” teased William.
“No silly! A wood nymph! And her name is Willow and we are the best of friends and she is going to teach me to embroider!”
William laughed.
“It’s true,” said Charlotte putting her hands on her hips and scolding him with her eyes. ” Wood nymphs are real!”
“Of course they are!”
William continued laughing. Charlotte lost patience with him and ran in to the house to ask mom for the supplies she needed. She decided she would use her own money she had been saving. A game with waiting to be purchased, but she decided to buy embroidery supplies instead. Charlotte did not mention Willow just in case mom would laughed at her as William did.
Story and Craft, a Match Made in Heaven?
Am I right or am I right? (yes those are your only 2 choices!) What did you think? What did your children think? Leave a comment below! And of course come back next time where the words story and craft will be making more magic together.
