Carnival of Homeschooling: The Hand-Crafted Education

Welcome to the Carnival of Homeschooling: The Hand-Crafted Education edition!

Our family happens to love arts and crafts. Each person expresses their creativity in their own unique way. I find this is true of home educators as well. Whether we are homeschooling from a box curriculum, creating our own curriculum, making it up as we go along, or unschooling all the way, we all add our own individual flair to our educational choices. So break out the craft supplies, grab the scissors, glue and tape, and get ready to enjoy the activities, ideas and thoughts of this week's submissions.
~And if you really want to start from scratch, you can make your own Homemade Glue. Once Upon a Family shows you how!

Chalks and Charcoal

Inner Self: Charcoal Sketch by Marina

We have had many summers of chalk drawings across the front walk. I suppose it shouldn't surprising how easily Marina took to charcoal in her first sketching class. She really gets into her work too. She comes away from it looking like she should be dancing to Chim-Chim-Cheree.
~Adventures in Mama-Land uses chalk pastels in a Meet the Masters Project: Mary Cassatt Hats.
~Chalk is a wonderful medium for a child. And I've found that it doesn't lose its charm now that I'm an adult. I remember how much I enjoyed the feel of chalk when I was a kid. Sometimes it's nice to get down on a child's level to see the world. Just ask Parent at the Helm. Want to be a Better Parent? Think Like a Kid.
~Sometimes the lines blur when you use chalk or charcoal. Lines can also blur when a book is banned because it is not age appropriate. Why Homeschool enters the debate with Book Banning or something else?

Pencil

Artist Trading Card: Eye by Marina

One of our favorite tools is the pencil. The non-committal pencil is easy to erase when mistakes are made.
~One nice thing about sketching things out is that it sets a guideline for more permanent media, like ink or paint. Sometimes homeschoolers need guidelines, especially when they are starting out or switching styles. The Common Room offers a Charlotte Mason Education, a Basic Tutorial for those interested in trying Mason's techniques.
~Another good use for a pencil is to write memories down to Save Moments in a Memory Jar. Laura Grace Weldon shows you how!

Of course, sometimes a pencil isn't just a pencil. We love our colored pencils and the versatile watercolor pencils as well (just brush on water!)
~Eclectic Education shows versatility in scheduling for the school year. Check out Back to Homeschool--More Planning!

Markers, Pen and Ink

Artist Trading Card: Guitarist by Chase

For those who are braver (or draw cartoons), pens offer a bolder line. When I use a pen, I don't always follow my sketched pencil lines. I also add finer details that the pencil won't necessarily catch.
~Sometimes homeschoolers start with guidelines, but adjust and tweak to personalize their children's learning. It's a Boy's Life shows several ways to accomplish this in Balance: Teaching Without Textbooks.

Yarn

Top by Marina

It always amazes me how Marina can take a long, straight line of fiber and create the most awesome toys and wearable art.
~One of the things I love about Marina's knitting is that it is so useful. In the words of Practical Pages, "Handicrafts and life skills are much more than hobbies and creativity ." Read how her daughter used her skills to start a business in How Handicrafts and Life Skills Become Great Assets.

Pushing Daisies-inspired Pie Hat by Marina

~Homeschoolers can do marvelous things with a shoestring budget. Introducing the World shares how she stretched her budget by knitting together a wonderful homeschooling plan for her four children for under $100! Read about it in Shoestring School Year.

Paints

Flowers by Sierra

I admit it. I would rather have the kids take out pencils and markers than paint. Paint can be messy. Not only for the paint itself, but also because the water jar is almost always forgotten in clean up...until it spills. But paint is also beautiful. It flows according to how wet it is, either slowly and carefully following the paintbrush, or quickly spreading across the page. Paint is special.
~Sometimes homeschoolers have special needs. Their flow changes based on those needs. Special Needs Homeschooling knew it was Time to Think Outside of the Box! when a hospital bed became the newest piece of furniture in the living room.

LEGOs

Sierra at LEGO Day

For model building, LEGOs can't be beat. My son has been using them for three dimensional art since he picked up his first Duplo block and built a dinosaur.
~LEGOs happen to be a wonderful way to form friendships. Find out how and other tips for Providing New Friendship Opportunities for your Children at Homeschool Reviews Just 4 You.
~For a child, phonics can be the building blocks toward a future full of books and a lifelong love of reading. God Made Home Grown discusses the pros and cons of phonics in Why I Use Phonics to Teach my Children to Read.

Beads

Beaded Tree on Clay base by Sierra

Who doesn't love beads? You can create patterns that turn into beautiful jewelry, or use it in wire sculptures.

~Noticing patterns always puts me in mind for math. Our Curious Home also saw some patterns, in watermelons and ovals. Read about it in Phew! We did do some math.

Tree of Life Pendant by Marina

~For a more rigorous math workout, CTK Insights has this summer activity, Proizvolov's Identity as an Exercise. (I'm still figuring this one out, myself)
~Just as there are many ways to work with beads, there are many approaches to math. Sometimes it helps to look at math in historical perspective. Ever wonder what it would be like to work in Roman numerals and then switch to a new way of calculating? Let's Play Math has a Review/Giveaway and Fibonacci puzzle for those interested in the history of math!

Duct Tape

Dragon Gauntlet by Chase

My son is the king of duct tape in our house. Like Marina with yarn, he can take this flat, sticky material and form it into the most interesting things.

Duct Tape Anchor, Chain and Belt by Chase

~Nothing says "guy" quite like duct tape! With this magical roll of stickiness, they are ready to hold it all together. Whether we are talking about a hole in the family room couch or bringing home Apollo 13, duct tape is the "go to" tool for men. For those of you with teenage sons, you might want to read Barbara Frank's article How Parents Can Help Their Young Men Learn to Work for Themselves.

Modeling Clay

Girl by Sierra

It squishes between your fingers. It presses into the exact shape you want. We have used everything from homemade clays to oven-baked Sculpey, Play-Doh, to Model Magic to bring ideas into 3 dimensions.
~Isn't it wonderful how a lump of clay can be molded into anything? Topics can be like that too. A study of animals can end up giving a full day's supply of activities in various subjects. Crack the Egg gives wonderful ideas about How to Homeschool at the Zoo: A Mini-Unit Study.

Glitter!

Angel by Sierra

Speaking as the mom, not my favorite crafting supply, but I have to admit, it adds pizazz. It can give an ordinary project a wonderful sparkle!
~Achievement is another kind of sparkle. Corn and Oil highlights some of the accomplishments of homeschoolers in an article that makes a point about exploring alternatives to public school-- Making Educational Choices: Regarding Homeschooling.
~I always prefer that glitter be used for special occasions, that way I feel more willing to do the extra work involved in cleaning up. As homeschoolers, we even find lessons in the work we cause for ourselves. Blah, Blah Blog shares a number of Pool Side Lessons.

Glittered Mask by Marina

~As a mom of two daughters, I know how essential glitter is to the creative process. Essential is a fancy word for important. Read Aloud Dad reviews Fancy Nancy: Phenomenal Picture Books and learns there is more to (Fancy) Nancy Clancy than meets the eye.

Thank you for visiting the Carnival of Homeschooling! I hope we have inspired you in your own creative homeschooling life! Next week, the carnival will be hosted by Janice Campbell: Taking Time for Things that Matter. You can submit an article to the next carnival here!