lulalu Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 This upcoming year I want to teach ds, 6.5, a handcraft. Which would you suggest is the easiest to start with? I know how to do all of these, but I am a lefty ds is a righty. Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, loom weaving? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porridge Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 (edited) I personally think a garter stitch knit is the easiest to learn. DD 10 and DS8 both learned to knit this year. I tried teaching DD a few years ago and she was able to pick up knitting, but it was challenging for her. Now knitting is pretty easy for her and she picked up crochet readily. A 6.5 year old might struggle a little but with patience they could definitely learn! Edited November 24, 2018 by JHLWTM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 (edited) Well, if it's this loom then loom weaving would be first choice -- my sister and I made tons of potholders at that age on a very similar loom. 😀 Finger knitting would be the next easiest option. After that, I am biased -- I vote crocheting, but that's only because I have never been able to manage knitting, and embroidery and hand sewing frustrates me -- too slow, the thread always knots and tangles, and I can't figure out how to make nice stitches. However, one of those How to Sew For Kids books or websites would have some great beginner projects for sewing success. What has DS expressed the most interest in doing? I'd go with interest-led. 🙂 Two other ideas: - soap carving - knot tying -- 5 knots in a 3:26 min. video; 7 knots in a 9:47 min. video Edited November 24, 2018 by Lori D. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet2ndchance Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 For a 6.5yo, I would definitely do knot tying, finger or arm knitting or the loom that Lori D. suggested. Another idea would be paper model crafting, dh likes Cubees for working with young kids. Our 5yo has done a Cubee models with him. If either you or your dh have woodworking tools, you could have him build some simple projects like a birdhouse or simple toys. I like to crochet and even taught dh to crochet (and he is really good at it too lol) but I'm not sure how many young elementary aged kids could hold their tension well enough to be successful at making something. When I was little, I liked to make long chains just finger crocheting without a hook but I never successfully made anything until I was much older. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 3 hours ago, sweet2ndchance said: ...If either you or your dh have woodworking tools, you could have him build some simple projects like a birdhouse or simple toys... Oo yea! Our DSs loved the wood projects at the Home Depot DIY Kid Workshops on Saturday mornings years back when they were in the 6-10yo age range. It looks like you can purchase some of them now to do at home. Here's another DIY Woodworking Kit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulalu Posted November 25, 2018 Author Share Posted November 25, 2018 Thanks! I haven't asked ds what he would like as I was planning it to be a Christmas present. As well as he is a kid that will whine and say he wants nothing until I start doing whatever and slowly have him help me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulalu Posted November 25, 2018 Author Share Posted November 25, 2018 4 hours ago, Lori D. said: Well, if it's this loom then loom weaving would be first choice -- my sister and I made tons of potholders at that age on a very similar loom. 😀 Looks great! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrichor Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 When I first introduced my DS to embroidery (he was around 6) I used plastic mesh (the proper name for it is escaping me right now) and a plastic yarn needle (and yarn). When he was around 7, I showed him how to use a metal needle, thread, and a thicker fabric - like thin fleece or felt for hand embroidery. I drew a simple picture on the back of the thin fleece and he used straight stitches to trace it. (Mix of regular stitches and back stitches). I got a yarn loom a couple of years ago, when I had given up on figuring out how to knit. I ended up learning to crochet faster than I was able to figure out how to use that loom, lol. So the type of loom is important! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 Waldorf schools do knitting in first grade. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulalu Posted November 25, 2018 Author Share Posted November 25, 2018 I forgot about Waldorf! I will have to look back into some of that stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wathe Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 (edited) It depends. Which would interest him most? How good is his fine motor control? IMO, knitting requires quite a bit of fine motor control and dexterity. My older son could knit and purl by age 7. My younger son: no way. Not possible for him. I liked the book "kids Knitting" by Melanie Falick. It has pictures of boys knitting and projects that appeal to both sexes. Both sons liked making their own knitting needles (wood dowel, pencil sharpener to make pointy, lots of sanding and a little finishing oil, hot glued buttons or beads for knobs at the ends. We also made a decent set out of disposable take-out chopsticks) Both sons could do simple embroidery at much younger ages. There is way more room for error creatitvity. I drew a simple picture outline on a piece of burlap, put it in an embroidery hoop, and let them have at it with yarn and a big, blunt needle. Both felt successful, even if their results were less than perfect. Projects got refined as they got older. My younger son (the one who really was hopeless at knitting) was able to weave with yarn on a simple home-made cardboard frame by age 5 or so. He made lots and lots and lots of coasters. Edited November 25, 2018 by wathe 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wathe Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 (edited) I forgot spool knitting (or for us, toilet paper tube knitting). Loom made form a toilet paper tube and some popsicle sticks and tape. Chunky yarn. They turned out metres and metres and metres of knitted tubes. It really kept their attention for longer than you would think. Some got stitched into coiled mats for gifts. Edited November 25, 2018 by wathe 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porridge Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 https://www.amazon.com/Forest-Fairy-Crafts-Enchanting-Supplies/dp/1607056909/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543127210&sr=8-1&keywords=forest+fairy+crafts Here is another idea for you. It's not knitting / crochet or embroidery, but it will be much less frustrating for a 6.5 year old. The book is incredible. Both my kids (boy and girl) and their cousins were crazy about this book. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow. The materials needed are inexpensive and easy to source from Michael's or a similar store. Our house was literally overrun with fairies. Seriously, this book gave us some of our most precious memories as a family! That sounds a bit hyperbolic, but I think my kids would say the same! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wren's Nest Posted November 26, 2018 Share Posted November 26, 2018 (edited) There are lots of fun little kits at Walmart or Michaels that would be a fun starting point. Applique and simple cross stitch would be a fun place to start. Knitting and crochet are wonderful...but you don't see satisfying results right away. That might be best started a little later?? I don't know, just my 2 cents. My Wren started knitting at age 11 and won't stop. She started out knitting hats on round looms which ended up leading to knitting with needles. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Boye-Loom-Tool-Set-Circular/17331480 https://www.michaels.com/search?q=applique kit https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dimensions-Felt-Decor-Applique-Kit-Unicorn/249481001 https://www.michaels.com/default/10108687.html#q=dimensions+counted+cross+stitch&pmpt=qualifying&sz=24&start=32 On 11/25/2018 at 12:30 AM, JHLWTM said: https://www.amazon.com/Forest-Fairy-Crafts-Enchanting-Supplies/dp/1607056909/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543127210&sr=8-1&keywords=forest+fairy+crafts Here is another idea for you. It's not knitting / crochet or embroidery, but it will be much less frustrating for a 6.5 year old. The book is incredible. Both my kids (boy and girl) and their cousins were crazy about this book. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow. The materials needed are inexpensive and easy to source from Michael's or a similar store. Our house was literally overrun with fairies. Seriously, this book gave us some of our most precious memories as a family! That sounds a bit hyperbolic, but I think my kids would say the same! Thank you so much for posting about this book. I think my Wren would love it!! Did you know there's a second book now? I think I'll have to get both. 😀 http://www.forestfairycrafts.com/ Edited November 26, 2018 by Wren's Nest 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted November 26, 2018 Share Posted November 26, 2018 On 11/24/2018 at 11:30 PM, JHLWTM said: https://www.amazon.com/Forest-Fairy-Crafts-Enchanting-Supplies/dp/1607056909/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543127210&sr=8-1&keywords=forest+fairy+crafts Here is another idea for you. It's not knitting / crochet or embroidery, but it will be much less frustrating for a 6.5 year old. The book is incredible. Both my kids (boy and girl) and their cousins were crazy about this book. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow. The materials needed are inexpensive and easy to source from Michael's or a similar store. Our house was literally overrun with fairies. Seriously, this book gave us some of our most precious memories as a family! That sounds a bit hyperbolic, but I think my kids would say the same! That's reminding me of the year when DSs were around 7-9yo and we reduced our schooling to just the basics and spent the 3 weeks of school between Thanksgiving and when we stopped for Christmas break to do hand crafts -- we made an ornament and did the matching devotional for a Jesse Tree ornament, and then did crafts as gifts for DSs to give to their grandparents and aunts/uncles. We did a wide variety of things, everyone really enjoyed it, and we made some great family memories! For gifts we used things like: - Sculpty clay -- made "pot pals" -- sculpted creatures to sit/hang over pot edge of potted plants (sculpt, bake, paint final product) - Sculpty eraser kit -- sculpted creatures to fit on the end of a no. 2 pencil as the eraser - bees wax candle kit -- made candles - sun catcher kit -- fill in the metal frame with colored beads and bake to turn into stained glass - pony bead kit -- made key ring creatures For Jesse tree ornaments, for different ornaments we used things like pipe cleaners ("Chenille"), Sculpty clay, painted a ping pong ball (planet Earth), hand-sewed a few fabric items, hot glued a few things together, used "Shrinky-dinks" for a few things, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted November 26, 2018 Share Posted November 26, 2018 Of the three things you listed, I found embroidery to be the best to start with. I started with that for myself, as in, that is what my mom taught me. Then, now, my daughter wants to know how to knit and when I went back to review how to knit and crochet, I just found embroidery to be easier. The needle goes straight through the fabric. The yarn can be complicated to manipulate. I started with cross stitch I think. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted November 27, 2018 Share Posted November 27, 2018 Embroidery is the easiest and would probably be the most fun for a first grader. Or a simple knitting loom. I've taught knitting to kids through the local library, and most first-graders are going to have a difficult time with knitting unless you spend a ridiculous amount of time on it. Crocheting is easier, but still requires a ton of fine motor skills. I was working with mostly third through fifth graders, and while they could understand what to do, they had a really hard time doing that many things with their hands at once. My advice would be to introduce whichever one he's interested in, but to back off right away if it's too difficult. My dd was around that age when I showed her how to knit for the first time, and it was way too hard for her to hold the needles, keep the yarn from slipping off, maintain the tension, follow a pattern... I didn't push it, and she tried again now that she's ten and loves it. Getting them interested in that kind of stuff is more important than making sure they can knit a Fair Isle sweater by second grade or whatever. 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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