So far, in the new school year, we have completed 2 handicrafts in our Truth, Beauty, Goodness Community. I try to choose our projects thoughtfully in accordance with these principles, and often in correspondence with the season we are in.
In our first lesson we canned tomatoes. We used a very simple recipe from the Ball Blue Book of Canning. Listening to the lids "pop" as they seal, and feeling the skin peel away from the flesh of the tomato after blanching it, were two favorite parts of the process.
"Having a sampling of summer sunshine in mid-winter satisfies more than just tastebuds."
-B. Olson
Each wreath took approximately 13-20 stalks of beans. We soaked the stalks in tubs/sleds of water overnight to get them pliable for working with. It was nice to do this project on the cement, and in the sunshine. Otherwise our hands would have been
C-O-L-D!
I hope to add a plaid fall-colored ribbon to mine, and maybe tuck in a few bright leaves before I hang it on the front door.
It's a pleasure to watch people think and create with their hands busy at work. You can see the satisfaction in their faces when they finish.