How To Choose A CM Handicraft For Beginners

Charlotte Mason’s philosophy is rich in the offers of different subjects to children. With nature study, biographies, art, handicrafts, music, and many other subjects turn this education into a “feast”.

So how are those handicrafts lessons coming along? Is this part of the Charlotte Mason “feast” been neglected?

I’m willing to bet you have not started handicrafts in your homeschool, or have done very little. You may not even know what qualifies as “handicrafts” since you are not crafty yourself.

Once you know the options, how do you choose?

That is what this blog post is all about my friends!

1. First we will talk about what skills are considered to be “handicrafts”.
2. Second I pick a list of 5 options that are easier to get started with because of the supply availability, cost effective options (except for one), lots of different things can be made with this skill, and ease of learning. I go over the pros and cons of each.
3. Third I share the one handicraft I recommend starting with based on my years of experience being homeschooled and homeschooling.

Ready to know how to choose your first Charlotte Mason inspired handicraft? Then let’s get going!

List of Handicraft Options

Before we begin I do NOT want you to look at this list and feel defeated! I have been crafting for 35 plus years and I don’t come close to having learned all of them, nor do I want to. These are just options to choose from! This is for creative fun, giving your children useful skills. and is to add to the Charlotte Mason educational “feast” that you are gifting to your children.

I would even say it’s better to NOT try to learn all of them. Stress will shy rocket to the moon. Now it may be fun to go to the moon but let’s go in a rocket instead. Sound good? Hehe. You will also miss out on going deeper in your child’s chosen handicraft and lose out on the possibility for your children to become skillful.

On the website, Ambleside Online, a list of options for handicrafts is given. 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!). Some I know well and some I just dabbled in.

Handicraft List From Ambleside Online

-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

Here is the link to Ambleside Online handicraft list.

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 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 décor etc.*
• machine sewing also for doll and human clothing, décor, etc.*
• finger knitting*
• Sculpting*

There seems to be an endless list of handicrafts for your kids! Please, please don’t feel like you need to teach your children everything on this list! Think of it like going to a restaurant. You don’t pick the whole menu, but pick one thing to eat for dinner. So just pick one handicraft!

Pros and Cons To the 5 Easiest Handicrafts To Get Started On

Now let’s figure out how to choose a Charlotte Mason handicraft for your family to start with. I have chosen these 5 handicrafts based one 4 criteria to make the choosing process quick and easy.

The four criteria I use are:

1. Supplies are easy to find because of popularity.
2. Cost is minimal, (except for the machine sewing).
3. Ease of learning meaning you don’t need to hire a teacher like you would for black smithing, since most people don’t know how.
4. A wide variety of things can be made with these skills to ensure all personalities and interests can enjoy the projects.

Handicraft Number 1 – Knitting

Knitting-This is huge! Knitting is everywhere and is so much fun.

PROS-Practical, you can knit items such as hats and scarves that will keep your children warm in winter. Clothing can also be knitted. You can also knit toys and purses. It’s great for read aloud times to sit and listen to you read while those cute fingers are busy. Inexpensive to get started. Easy storage.

CONS-Patterns can be hard to figure out, even ones that are meant for beginners and or children. The whole family can not enjoy this together for 2-5. I have gotten away with teaching 4 and 5 year old’s how to finger knit but since you are new to this handicraft world, adding another craft can be to much.

If you don’t know someone who knows how to knit or you do know someone but 6 months have gone by and you still have not gotten together, then you are forced to turn to YouTube and it’s very hard to learn how to knit that way for some people.

Tricky to make your own patterns beyond very basic things like purses.

Handicraft Number 2 – Crocheting

Crochet- Much like knitting this is found everywhere and is very popular.

PROS-same as with knitting. Much easier to make up your own patterns than with knitting. Inexpensive to get started. Easy storage.

CONS-the same as with knitting, except it’s much easier to create your own patterns.

Handicraft Number 3 – Embroidery

Embroidery- Also popular but not as much as the crochet and knitting is embroidery.

PROS-Lots of beautiful colors, easy to follow patterns. Easy to learn the stitches online. You only need a few stitches to make a wide variety of creations. Great for ages 3 and up so the whole family can enjoy. Easy to draw your own patterns or trace them from your favorite books! Easy to be creative and can even be used to make toys or add embellishments to them and many other things such as clothes and curtains. Inexpensive and mostly easy storage.

CONS-If you buy large hoops it is hard to find a good place for storage. Not as useful as knitting and crocket. Eg. you can sew pictures from favorite stories, but you can’t embroider a hat, but you can make it lovely or cool! Poked fingers. Not really a big deal though.

Handicraft Number 4 – Machine Sewing

Machine Sewing- Also popular. Sewing machines are found at any craft store and their are companies that will fix them when they need it.

PROS-Super useful and versatile. You can make clothing, accessories, curtains, slip covers, pillow cases and more! It’s not super difficult to learn the basics all of which you can learn by watching a video. If your children take turns you don’t need to buy more than one machine.

CONS-Not super cheap! The other options on this list cost about $20 or less to get started. Walmart sewing machines run around $80 each. Not something that can be done as a family unless you don’t have little ones or you buy a machine for each sewer! Littles ones can’t join this handicraft, making them wonderfully cute little distractions!

Handicraft Number 5 – Hand Sewing

Hand Sewing- Not done as much these days because the sewing machine is faster, but still popular enough that lots of people enjoy hand sewing and materials are eaily found at craft stores

PROS-If you use sewing cards, ages 3 and up can join in this fun and timeless handicraft! Just as useful as the sewing machine but of course it’s much slower. Clothing, pillow chases, costumes, curtains, toys etc. are all things that can be hand sewn. Great for doll clothes and other small sewing that can be difficult for machine sewing. This one is a great family styled handicraft.

Learning hand sewing techniques will aid in your machine sewing. Much cheaper than sewing machines.

With it’s slowness teaches patience and diligence with a great reward at the end. The journey is just as important was the end, if not more so! Inexpensive to get started. Easy storage.

CONS-Poked fingers. Not really a big deal though. Slow going. It will take time to sew by hand.

How To Choose A CM Handicraft For Beginners

You now know what constitutes “handicrafts” with a big long handicraft list. You also know pros and cons for 5 of the easiest handicrafts to get started with. Now I am going to test my magical powers of persuasion on you to lead into starting one particular handicraft.

Let’s see if my magical powers work shall we?

A Case For Starting With Hand Sewing

I highly recommend hand sewing to start your multiple aged family or even those who have one child. Practically the whole family can join together so you don’t have the stress of one child learning one thing and needing something completely different then this child who is learning something else…it can get really complicated really fast. Making it complicated is a sure way to be dure you quite! Don’t quit!

Besides being able to have the whole family learn together it is so versatile that your older children can go further to do more complicated things while the youngers enjoy doing simpler things.

Much like started with hand writing before we teach our children how to type, I believe hand sewing should be taught before machine sewing. Hand sewing takes more effort which helps with developing fine motor skills that are essential in healthy child brain development.

My first hand sewing project I remember learning was a skirt for an Adam and Eve play I was in when I was 9 years old. Sadly I don’t have a photo of it. This was before cell phones, you know the dark ages? 😉 But I do remember it. I loved it. In fact I loved it so much that my very wiggly self held still enough to get it done. A miracle for sure!

Last Ditch Effort At Persuasion

I will close this section with a Charlotte Mason quote.

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.

Charlotte Mason

You are the mother, which means you are the best one to decide what handicraft to teach your children. Even though I highly recommend starting with hand sewing, doesn’t mean your family won’t be happy with knitting, spinning, or any other option you choose. The important thing is to start, and to do your best, whatever that looks like.

Have You Chosen Your Handicrafts For Your Kids?

Did my magic work? Are you going to start your handicraft journey with hand sewing? Do you now know how to choose a CM handicraft? Yes?

Then my powers are epic and worthy of great praise!

So, now what do you do?

What To Do Now

Before you read this amazing and wonderful post from this amazingly humble author, you were worried about what handicraft to start your Charlotte Mason loving family on. This problem is now solved! You now have a list of handicrafts, a list of 5 easy to start handicrafts along with the pros and cons to each. You have read my speal of why I suggest hand sewing and are free to love it, or hate it.

If you wish to have your children learn hand sewing I can solve that problem too!

Click here to find how to get started!

See you later!

P.S.

If embroidery sounds better to you, you can use my free embroidery lessons starting here!