I love teaching my kids life skills and handicrafts at home! Sometimes, like all of us, wish there were more hours in the day! I don’t want to be that mom that enables my kids to not have these skills, so I need to take the time to teach them life skills every day. I can teach them valuable lessons with only having 15 to 20 minutes per day. Here are 4 handicrafts and life skills you can try at home with your kids! If you’re asking, what is a handicraft? It is a craft that is functional.
#1.) Handicraft – Crochet or Knitting
This is a skill that has truly gotten lost in our generation, and I feel it is a valuable skill to attain so one can make their own clothing, hats, mittens, stockings and more. Perhaps one day we won’t be able to buy clothing in stores. This is a skill that we can always turn to for survival purposes. In our curriculum that we use, a Charlotte Mason approach, John and Sonya Shafer Doug and Karen Smith (founders of Simply Charlotte Mason website) have developed wonderful video sessions for various handicrafts. Here is the link to the crochet tutorial if this skill interests you. Handicrafts Made Simple: Crochet – Simply Charlotte Mason Here is the knitting tutorial Handicrafts Made Simple: Knitting – Simply Charlotte Mason. Also, if you want to purchase a loom set that provides an easy way to make hats, stockings etc, here is a link for you to check out! Amazon.com: VGOODALL 5PCS Round Knitting Loom Set Circular Loom Set with 4 Skeins Acrylic Yarn for Hat Scarf Shawl Sweater Sock Knitter : Arts, Crafts & Sewing
#2.) Handicraft – Woodworking
How many of us can say we know how to use a drill with the bits and all the fancy attachments? Or to use a miter saw or a table saw? How about a hammer? How do we safely use these power tools? There are a lot of teachable moments when using any kind of tool as a child watches us. I usually explain the tool, that is, what it can do, and show the kids how to hold the tool. Obviously, teaching them safety when using power tools is very important. For instance, wearing safety glasses or wearing protective gloves if needed for the project. This site gives an excellent tutorial on step by step instructions on how to build various projects out of wood. You’ll also receive a paper outline that you may print out for your reference. Here is the woodworking tutorial Handicrafts Made Simple: Woodworking – Simply Charlotte Mason.
#3.) Handicraft – Hand Sewing
Hand sewing is a great skill to have for all of those quick fix rips in pants or shirts. It’s a useful skill for everyday life that children should know how to do. My girls are 8 and 10 and while my 10 year old knows some skills, she doesn’t have the proper knowledge yet of how to tie a knot and what is the proper stitch to be using based on what you’re fixing. I would say they will develop these skills better in the next couple of years. The tutorials I am listing here are not free, but I believe they are great step by step instructions to teach your children with. Here is the hand sewing tutorial Handicrafts Made Simple: Hand Sewing – Simply Charlotte Mason.
#4.) Handicraft – Cardboard and Paper Making
My girls and I used this tutorial last year and we loved it. If you have a child that can use scissors, measure with a ruler, and loves to make things, this tutorial is for you! My girls really enjoyed making the envelopes and tiny boxes from cardboard and paper. I would say that kids 8 years old and older would benefit well from this tutorial, however, if your younger child is skilled in the areas I mentioned above, I’m sure they would love it! Here is the cardboard and paper tutorial Handicrafts Made Simple: Cardboard & Paper – Simply Charlotte Mason.
I home school my children so when I use the handicraft booklet from the Simply Charlotte Mason website, each skill (example: woodworking or knitting,etc.) is about 12 weeks long, and the tutorial is $12.95. Basically, I am spending $1 a week to teach each of these individual valuable skills to my children. The video streams are available forever so you’ll always have them to use on younger children when they become of age to use them.
LIFE SKILLS
Here are some life skills that I feel are important to have as my children learn and grow so they are able to live life outside of my home successfully and efficiently.
- Mow the lawn
- Change oil in a car
- Navigate using a map only
- Change a tire on a car
- Call for assistance when car breaks down
- Wash and detail a car
- Take care to be serviced
- Jumpstart a car
- Fill car with gas
- Know where hospital is
- Set up a tent
- Create a resume
- Create a Will
- Get a passport
- Vote
- Use a drill
- Use a hammer
- Remove a stain
- Apply for a job
- Follow a budget
- Plan for emergency situations
- Start and put out a fire
- Use a fire extinguisher
- Change filters in AC/Furnace
- Wash laundry
- Change a light bulb
- Assemble furniture
- Vaccuum
- Make Bed
- Dishwasher/dishes
- Iron
- Basic cleaning
- Sew a button
- Plant care
- Planning executing a garden
- Meal plan
- Food safety
- How to preserve food via canning, dehydrating, freeze drying etc.
- How to care for animals
- How to make meals from scratch
- Hang a picture
- Climb a ladder
- Plunge a toilet
- Unclog sink/bathtub
- Set a clock
- Help a neighbor out
- Write thank you’s
- Know how to apologize
- Grocery shop
- Set the table
- How to use first aide kit
- Understand Insurances
- Knife safety
- Gun safety
- Follow a recipe
- Forage and identify plants
- Proper tipping
- Pay a bill
- Open a checking account
- Make coffee/tea
- Plan a party
- Babysit
There you have it! Four Handicraft ideas to start the school year out right! If each takes about 12 weeks long, then you will only need 3 tutorials per year to teach your children lifelong skills. And hey, if you only finish one tutorial per year, that’s great! They are learning and that’s all that matters. I hope you enjoy my list of life skills. I am sure I could add a ton more, but this is a good start to keeping your child on track for their independence when they leave the homestead.
Many blessings,
Gina
