Painting by Johannah (Bluedorn) Stanford
Quilling project by Johannah (Bluedorn) Stanford
What art or craft project are you and your kids working on this winter? Tell us about it in the comments here, and we’ll pick a winner next week.
The winner will receive Expository Thoughts on the Gospels by J.C. Ryle — 4 Volume set.
Currently working on a stocking for Christian, which means I’m two stockings behind. Apparently I craft babies quicker than Christmas stockings 🙂
~Kendra
We did basketry earlier in the year, next up, carving soft stone.
I LOVE J.C. Ryle…..
Darin (my husband) is working on a birdhouse with Jack(8), and some sort of woodworking surprise with Ben(13). Can’t wait to see that! 🙂
Lydia(10)is becoming a master pillow-maker. Her latest pillow is for her little sister, Sophia, who just turned 1.
Henry(2)is working on drilling holes in every wall with his toy drill he got for Christmas. LoL
I am working on an Ellen Stouffer sampler and always have a dishrag going on my knitting needles.
Happy New Year! Our family appreciates yours!
Love,
Becca
My daughter (who is 10) and I have been making bracelets and earings for Christmas gifts. We are having so much fun together.
Have a blessed New Year!
I made Christmas skirts for my three girls and have been crocheting a few scarves. Just snips of time here and there. When my oldest three were all under 5 I rarely had time to crochet so I put my project in the car and worked on it on the way to and from church. We had a 45-60 min drive. I crocheted a few scarves and two ponchos just doing it faithfully once a week.
As for my kids, nothing as “important” or finished as some have mentioned. I want to start teaching 8 year old to use the sewing machine. She sewed a few free form designs on plastic canvas for Christmas present. Today she was making a bonnet for 2 year old (one piece of felt for the body) and a “coat” for four year old. It looked hilarious as the bottom was an old sheet with elastic and it wrapped around his neck perfectly. She just told me minutes ago that she wanted to learn to use the machine to make a blanket out of her scraps (grandma gives them scraps – some quite large).
5 year old wrote a sweet thank you note to me and decorated it with beads and buttons. She was also trimming strings off her bonnet (long thin piece of material)
4 year old and I started a worm composter this fall and got about 1,000 red wrigglers in their. We were so excited to make quicker compost than in the back yard, but we gave it away as we are military and moving this summer.
2 year old just likes to color and cut.
My question – how much free form artsy crafty stuff is good and how much should be guided? I do teach them how to cook as I do that every day, but I don’t have a systematic idea of teaching other things. We are remodeling our house which is 130 years old so my kids know how to spackle and sand and paint – with help of course and they like to play with or make things with old wood and nails. Will they work into doing better quality stuff. I don’t want to push and don’t have tons of time, but don’t have any idea where to start. Any ideas?
Our almost 8 year old is finishing up her puppy latch hook, and will be getting a carousel latch hook for her birthday…which she accidentally discovered, but is still very excited about. 🙂
And she and 5 y.o. sister are learning to embroider with me. We have a pillow to finish for Nana.
If you like to embroider Needlecrafter.com has some wonderful free designs in their design library. I have finished the Cottage with garden and plan to do Cottage in the woods next.
Our 12 year son is creating a board game, using cardboard from Christmas packages.
I am also branching out from crocheting cotton washcloths and making a swirly scarf.
Hi there,
We have just learned the art of quilting and are have a fantastic time here making quilts for the homeless. My 16 year old is an aspiting fashion designer, but I think she may like quilting better…LOL.
Genevieve
Several years ago my father-in-law gave us a toy–a wooden man that walks down a ramp. My three youngest children, Bill (18), Josh (13), and Sally (11) are going to make our own version of this folk toy with Bill cutting them out and Josh and Sally and I sanding, assembling and painting them. Bill works, Josh has a paper route, so maybe the boys will let Sally use these toys as her way of earning some money. We don’t have all the details worked out, but this is our rough plan.
The original toy is from Poland, where my husband’s niece teaches English.
We are working on scherenschnitte greeting cards and making watercolor paintings inspired by photos of galaxies and nebulae from a magazine found at the library by my oldest son.
Inspired by your lovely daughter, Ava~
Jessica crocheted name doilies for several
of her friends this past month. She
is still working on some.
Also, Jessica and Julia are still working
on a three year project of a very tightly knit
burgandy blanket. It is getting quite large
now, they tag team knit.
Julia is currently making a doll for her younger sister.
And, Jess was just given some new yarn, and she is working on knitting a dress.
Joy made me a New Year’s gift of a wash cloth snow man.
I’m sure I’m not thinking of some other projects they are working on… constant hand crafts go on here during all “free time”.
Well, I don’t know if we did anything major.
We made a Jesse tree for Advent that I posted on my facebook pics. My son Ethan helps me cut the ribbon I need for all the Bible bookmarks I make.
We have been partying since Reformation Day! We painted the basement to look like a Medieval Castle and set up a dozen different booths with various activities. The kids helped me by painting pictures, making mosaics, decorating shields and swords, and preparing games and art projects.
We then had a huge Christmas party which involved practicing our music and instruments. They made graham cracker houses, ceramic ornaments, and painted individual watercolor pictures of the baby Jesus for their art project.
The boys 9 and 5 have both made Lego Star Wars battle cruisers. Come on! That’s crafty, right?
Ok, can’t think of anything more. It’s only 1am. And I saw that Ryle’s books are up for grabs. I just HAD to enter the contest. 🙂
BTW, Johannah, you are one very talented young lady!!!
Today our family is taking the Christmas tree down and moving it to the backyard. We will make pine cone feeders, orange half feeders and popcorn strings to place on it. We think we’ve worked out the trick to keep the squirrels *out* of it. After today, our plans include more photography projects, building traditional bird feeders and a genealogy project. I am hoping that tracing our family roots will lead to deeper studies into the countries from which we sprang. Of course, that will give way to more handcraft ideas.
Our 14 year old daughter is building bird feeders from birch logs. She is our resident amateur ornithologist. Her other projects include categorizing all of her bird information gathered in the last year, sorting her lists by location, breed, etc.
Our 9 year old daughter is learning to sew. Her first project is to design draft stoppers for our window sills. She spends a good deal of time designing dresses on paper. She also makes dolls out of bandannas to put on plays for the little children.
Our 7 year old daughter is learning to crochet. We are the happy recipients of long chains. Many, many long and colorful chains.
Our 5 year old is trying his hand at his new *real* tools. He wants to take apart everything we’ll allow. He’s keeping a mental list of what tool he needs next. I believe the chainsaw will likely be one of the last we will get for him. ;o)
The youngest two children spend most of their time “helping” the olders with their projects. Whether that help is appreciated or not? Well …
Sorry for the delay in picking a winner — our internet connection has been irregular.
So, playing the role of “gift god” as Harvey puts it, I’m picking Meg Volmer to win the set of books.