Pioneer Projects (Historic Communities)

Pioneer Projects (Historic Communities)

Presents instructions for handicrafts and activities in the spirit of the pioneers, including decoupage, hooked rugs, corn-husk dolls, block and sponge printing, and making a Jacob's ladder Grade 3-5. An attractive but flawed effort. Kalman presents some period crafts but fails to define who the pioneers were, when they lived, or where. Her brief introduction simply makes the point that people at the time had to recycle many materials and use what was available to them. Thus, most ingredients or components for these activities are easily found in today's homes or yards. The projects range from braided rugs to stitched crafts, from cornhusk dolls to paper giftwrap, from pumpkin marmalade to a Jacob's ladder, each covered on a two-page spread with lots of colorful photos. Directions are brief to the point of confusion and will need clarification for younger children; terms such as "knead" are not defined and directions such as "roll out the dough" make no mention of using a rolling pin. Because proportions for mixing ingredients (such as paint and water), and measurements for seams or size of an item are not given, adult help will be needed for most projects. A good idea, poorly executed.?Rosie Peasley, Empire Union School District, Modesto, CA Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. One of my favorite books in the Historic Communities series is Pioneer Projects. It provides clear and simple directions for kitchen, fabric and nature crafts -- BCA Books Informed Resource Taken from Chapter 1: Pioneer projects The pioneers could not afford to throw away anything, no matter how worn out it became. Clothing and bedding that could no longer be passed down to other people were ripped into strips and used to make quilts or rag rugs. Buttons were cut off and saved to be used later. Old sweaters were unraveled, and the yarn was used for mending clothes or knitting bed covers. Candle ends were saved and melted down to make new candles. The pioneers also used things that grew in their area, such as fruits, vegetables, leaves and berries, to create toys, treats and gifts. Used Book in Good Condition