Memories and healthy recipes for your dinner table.
Art by: Word Art World A few months ago, I attended a math workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to provide an arsenal of fun game oriented ideas to teach math. One of the speakers brought up an interesting point. He told us that …
Artwork: “A Picnic Party” by: Blacklock William Kay Courtesy of RussianPaintings.net My favorite area in San Francisco is the timeless scene of Golden Gate park. Upon entering the large grassy area we are greeted by dozens of blankets spread across the lawn. There are bicyclist, …
A tradition of family handiwork has a long history. In centuries past mothers passed on the art of sewing to their daughters. Fathers taught their sons to hunt and fish. In today’s society there is a plethora of resources available for instruction in every facet of handiwork.
The term crafts should not be limited to the stellar works on Etsy or the cute projects our preschoolers bring home from school. Crafts can be anything from constructing, knowing the details of a car and how to repair it, fixing electronics, to baking, art projects, woodworking, knitting, stamp collections, drawing or polishing gem stones. By definition a handiwork is “something that one has made or done.”
Our hobbies are essential to our wellbeing as well as our kids for they give us a sense of accomplishment. They also provide a means to bring families together. Crafts passed down from generation to generation provide the roots that join us to our ancestors. In our family my Aunt taught my brothers to work with leather. My dad taught us the basics of carpentry and mechanics. My mom taught us crochet and candy making. My brother shared a few tips on drawing. Learning new styles of handicrafts as a family help to expand our interests in addition to building memories and lasting bonds of friendship. Sitting down together as a family to make valentine’s generates conversation. We can laugh at jokes. We can tell stories. We may even start singing.
A scheduled family handicrafts time can be a once a week thing, once a month or just around major holidays. Decide as a family what you would like to work on. Sharing completed crafts with area hospitals or nursing homes is a great way to teach our family about serving others.
Examples of Handicrafts:
Flower arranging
Electronics and motor repair
Metal/iron works
Leather work
Gardening
Instruments
Jewelry
Bead work
Sewing- blankets, clothing
Knitting/crochet
Spinning
Weaving
Embroidery
Cross Stitch
Quilting
Paper crafting
Origami
Scrap booking
Wood work- doll house furniture, cars, blocks, chess set
Stain Glass
Clay work
Painting
Drawing
Making cards
Making ornaments
Photography
Writing songs/stories/poems
Sand art
Puppets, dolls
Other craft style projects
ChessJam began as a “What If?” idea in February of 2009 in response to an archaic cache of online chess websites. According to the ChessJam site the founders Greg and Sean, two avid chess players, wanted to determine which of the two was the uno supreme …
The first winter Olympics took place on this day in 1924 in Chamonix, France. The olympics used to be a major highlight when I was a child. I loved watching the daring athletes perform amazing feats to compete for the gold. What an exhilarating feeling to know you are among the most gifted athletes in the whole world.
To help cultivate a love of the Olympic games and bring the excitement close to home hold a family or neighborhood olympic event. Ask each family member to suggest their favorite winter olympic event. If you are like us and not do not live within easy access of the snow work as a team to come up with creative ways to meet the needs for each event. When I lived up north my friends and I would gather garbage can lids, shovels and trash bags to slide down icy hills. Plastic tied over shoes coupled with wet grass becomes an ice skating rink. Brooms and a birdie or puck are all you need for street hockey.
You will need:
A musical anthem and flag for each team and an official olympic banner.
A stop watch
Medals
Any materials needed for each event
Make medals using wood circles from the craft store. Drill a hole at the top. Spray paint gold, silver or bronze. Then slip a ribbon through the hole and tie a knot.
Begin with a celebratory march. Have each team or family member carry their flag during the opening ceremony. Afterward celebrate each others victories with a warm mug of hot chocolate.
Photo and Art of decoupage box by: Haru It is a brand new year with many amazing possibilities. The kids and I spent New Year’s weekend going through a box of my belongings from long ago that my mom sent to me for Christmas. The box …
Artwork: Tres Reyes Magos, (Author’s name unavailable) Our daughter was not in the mood to take down the tree and put away the Christmas decorations. I can sympathize with her; I felt the same way. December seemed to rush by like the wind. Next thing …
This month’s website review is on one of my three favorite craft sites: Root and Wings. I came across the site last year when I was looking for a book my sister-n-law recommended on the importance of family traditions. I am not sure if this website is related to the book Roots and Wings. I did find that the sister’s who own the site Roots and Wings have a passion for the Holiday’s and the traditions surrounding them.
“Parents must give their children two things: roots and wings. Give them roots to keep them grounded through tough times. Give them wings to soar above everything, explore new worlds and fly farther than we ever did.” (Helen Bateman) Traditions are the roots that hold the family together. When our children feel safe they feel secure and confident. Their wings of imagination and creativity will let them soar to discover new things and share those ideas with their children someday.
Erika, Rebecca, Anjeanette and Katrina hope to help families establish the roots to grow from, and wings to soar with by sharing their ideas for fun traditions, stories and crafts.
Saint Francis of Assisi, Italy (1182-1226) was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. Francis was not a studious boy. During his youth he was most riotous and witty delighting in the pleasures of drinking, women and showy attire. In the year 1202 when Francis …