During the 1800's, crafts were often done out of necessity, but this also provided a bonding experience for those involved. It also provided an interesting form of recycling, as many items were made form old clothes, (as in rugs, dolls, quilts, etc.) or even old fat drippings( soap, candles). Early settlers of this country tried to use everything they had as efficiently as possible. The two crafts I will discuss are yarn dolls and braided rugs.
Braided rugs
This my favorite. When I was younger, my dad's girlfriend gave me a multi-colored heartshaped braided rug. I thought it was the neatest thing and was really special, because I knew she spent so much time on it. The braided rug was really the first kind of rug to cover floors in early America. They are very practical and durable, and can be very colorful. Traditionally, the art of making braided rugs is passed down through the generations, but lately that has fallen away. Braided rugs were once make from old dresses, blankets, coats or any other spare cloth. Little girls, mothers and grandmothers would all sit around braiding rugs together. This was a time for bonding. The most common braid was the flat braid. It is a very old type of braid, utilizing a three strip braid system. Theses rugs could be made in any size, depending on the amount of space you wanted to cover.
Directions:
Tie three strips of fabric together, then attach (with tape or something) to a
fixed surface, like a table or chair. Braid the strips together. When approaching the ends of the fabric, sew another piece of fabric to the ends of each original piece of fabric. Continue braiding and attaching more fabric until the desired length is reached. Tie a knot at the end of the braid. Start coiling the braid around one of the end knots. Use a backstitch to attach the braid to the knot. Keep coiling the braid around, stitching it to the braid next to it every so often. When you have coiled all the braid, stitch the last knot to the underside of the mat or rug.
Yarn dolls
Hand made dolls have been around for thousands of years. Early settlers in America make dolls from yarn, rags, corn husks, corn cobs, and even clay. Yarn was often hand made. Young girls were taught to spin the yarn from the raw wool of sheep and then dye it. The yarn was used for many things including stockings, hats, scarves and even rugs. Using the yarn to make dolls was also something fun for the children to do. Native Americans commonly used the husks of corn at harvest to make dolls, and even used the corn cobs also. Every part of the corn harvest was useful. A traditional Native American corn husk doll does not have a face.
Directions: (yarn doll)
Get several yards of yarn. The larger doll you want, the more yarn you need. Also, cut a piece of cardboard, the length desired for the doll. Wrap the yarn around the cardboard lengthwise a few times. 10-20 would probably be good. Take a small piece of yarn ad slip it in between the yarn and the cardboard. Move to top of cardboard and tie in a knot. Cut the yarn at the bottom and slip off of the cardboard. Place a small ball under the yarn. Tie a knot under it. This will be the head. Divide the remaining yarn into four parts and tie off, to make the arms and legs. Cut the yarn a little shorter for the arms. Or, if you want to make a girl doll, you don't have to separate and tie off the legs of the doll. You can leave it together for a skirt. Using buttons for eyes and nose, and more yarn for hair and mouth, decorate your doll as you wish. You might even want to make clothes for it.
This is only a description of one set of directions I found for yarn dolls. There were quite a few.
The directions for making the Native American corn husk dolls were similar. Soak the corn husks in warm water for 10-15 minutes to soften them. Tie six leaves together with a thin strip of corn husk, pointed ends up. Peel the pointed ends back to make the head. Tie back with another thin strip of husk. Arms and legs are made with two braided pieces of cornhusk inserted through bundle and tied. Decorate as you choose, but remember, no face!
References:
"Braided Rugs" retrieved from http://www.area-rug.info/braid-rugs.htm
Evert, Jodi. Kristen's Craft Book. Pleasant Company Publications. 1994. 44 pages
Stoddard, Dr. Sharon "The Making of Braided Rugs" retrieved from http://ds5.cgpublisher.com/proposals/13/index_html
Trottier, Maxine Native Crafts Kids Can Press LTD. 2000. 40pages
