Little House in the Big Woods Craft Projects
Make frugal, utilitarian and toy craft projects inspired by the "Little House in the Big Woods" series of books, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Encourage children to make the projects that women and children in the pioneer days made. They will learn the value of patience when working on projects that are ongoing, and they will learn thriftiness in reusing items around the home.
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Braided Rugs
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Make colorful and unique braided rugs from scraps of fabrics, just as pioneer women did. Cut a stack of fabric scraps into 3-inch-wide strips and hand-sew or machine stitch the strips together at the narrow end. Alternatively, tie the strips together using knots. Make several of these strips and braid them together. Continue sewing or tying fabric strips to the ends and braiding them. Once you have a very long continuous braid, place it on a table and create a coil to make the round rug. Then hand-stitch the coils together to secure the rug.
Corncob Doll
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Make the corncob doll that Laura had as a child with a dried corncob. Rip the husks off and put them aside. The dried cob with the corn on it will become the doll's body and the dried husk will become a bonnet. Wrap a piece of scrap country-print fabric around the corncob, leaving a small head uncovered on top. Tuck the excess fabric at the bottom of the doll when wrapping. Tie the fabric with a string to secure it to the corncob. Fold a piece of the dried corn husk in half and attach it over the head of the doll for a bonnet, and tie it with a string at the neck.
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Stitchery
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Prairie women and girls did many stitchery projects to make clothing, household items and decorative items. Locate a prairie costume pattern then sew a bonnet, apron, and dress using calico fabrics. Use the costume for dress-up, or stitch a simple doll to dress up made from unbleached muslin fabric to decorate your home. Alternatively, do stitching projects such as quilting and cross-stitch. Gather friends for a quilting bee and have everyone stitch pieces of cloth together to form a quilt. Create a cross-stitch to frame, with a country, pioneer or primitive design or image to hang on your wall.
Yarn Mop Dolls
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Make the body by cutting a handful of yarn; double the desired body length. Fold the yarn bundle in half and tie a string about one-quarter of the way down from the fold to make a rounded head. Cut a piece of cardboard to the width you want the doll's arms to be and wrap the yarn around a piece of cardboard. Remove the yarn from the cardboard and tie two pieces of yarn at either end to make wrists. Separate the body portion by unfolding the yarn again up to the neck. Lay the arms down and fold the yarn back over the arms, securing them to a tie below the arms, which becomes the waist. Add satin ribbons in the hair and the waist to decorate the doll.
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References
Resources
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