Handwork for Homeschoolers
updated December 17, 2016
Handwork simply means creating beautiful things for the purpose of developing fine or gross motor skills, coordination, motor planning, patience, etc. or which are truly needed and used in your home.
It is more of an intentional practice than "crafts" which can often be made only because they are "cute."
By request, in 2016 I began to teach some Summer handwork classes to fellow homeschoolers. Lesson plans are in PDF form below.
I like this project best for a rainy day, so your beautiful silks can just rinse themselves and drip dry outside. We use the stovetop method. Make
sure you have a dedicated pot, a dedicated stirring utensil, and some dishwashing gloves. NOTE: I got my silks and dyes at Dharma Trading Company.
Dyeing Silks blog post - Switzerite
Details of how to do the dyeing
Wet Felting
Wet felting is great in the kindergarten and early grades; save needle felting until your child is in middle school. You can learn it now, of course...
Tutorial: Felted Pebbles blog post - The Magic Onions
A great project to start with. Then these become a play item or can go on the Nature table.
Felted soaps a.k.a soap in a sweater
Wet Felting Eggs blog post - Switzerite
These would be so so sweet on the Nature table with little chicks coming out of them in the Spring! Or
make bunnies and ducks to go along with Margaret Wise Brown's The Golden Egg Book.
Wet Felted Geodes blog post - Switzerite
It would be pretty if you made these yourself and left them for young children to discover on a gnome path outside in the yard!
This is most definitely for middle school and higher. Don't let the fact that your child really wants to learn cause you to give in. I've tried this with
elementary school children more than once. When it's too hard for them, they're not successful and it is just not fun. I've always regretted opening that door.
WoolPets kits (see some of the options above) are probably the simplest place to start, but I think the very best book is
It includes instructions for many animals as well as people. Complete fairy tale setups are included, and adorable mobiles for the nursery.
HANDWORK ESSENTIALS
Handwork is one of those areas where the right supplies matter, and it can be an expensive start-up cost. But if you buy
pure wool roving and pure wool felt you will NEVER regret it!
If you don't know how to knit, I recommend the traditional (and wonderful) Waldorf first/second grade knitting book:
Magic Cabin and A Child's Dream Come True are where I do most of my shopping for school supplies.
I think your handwork essentials are
Pure wool and 100% cotton yarn in lots of colors. You'll use it constantly. I especially like Lion Brand Alpine Wool Yarn in Vanilla for the
first knitted stuffed animal, the lamb.
Pure wool felt -- I like the beautiful assortment Magic Cabin offers and I've only had to buy it twice in ten years. I've never regretted the cost, and I still
have a ton of wool felt on hand. We use it all the time (birthday crowns, beanbags, finger puppets, little gnomes...).
You'll need fabric for doll skin and mohair for doll hair -- if you want to sew your own Waldorf dolls. There are plenty of places to find directions for this. I made the baby
Moses doll for our Sunday School play one year, and it was so sweet... but it is very very time consuming.
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