New crafts book celebrates state’s history

Art

By Kaylee Kruschke
Murphy News Service 

The Minnesota Historical Society has released a new children’s book called “Making History” — a guidebook containing 15 craft projects that can be worn, displayed or used to help children learn about and celebrate local history.

The book allows children to imagine themselves in the shoes of people of Minnesota’s past. One craft involves making a Civil War sewing kit. Children can imagine they are a soldier who has been given this kit from a loved one and how important it will be for them to have because they have only been given one uniform and will need to sew any holes and tears and replace buttons on it.

Other crafts in the book include a Minnesota trapper hat, cobweb valentine, 1950s apron and a North Woods troll.

“The mission was making these crafts connect to Minnesota history,” said Wendy Freshman, co-author and family programs specialist at the Minnesota History Center. “There was a lot of brainstorming.”

Kristin Jansson, co-author and prop and prototype designer, said the pair was aiming to come up with different angles and use events in Minnesota history that are out of the ordinary and might not be well known.

Some of the crafts in the book were ones Freshman had already created for her family program, but some of them were new and created in collaboration with Jansson.

“I hope [children] have fun,” said Freshman. “I hope [the book] stretches their crafting skills and at the same time they learn a little bit of history about the craft.”

As an introduction to each craft, Freshman and Jansson tell a story about how the project relates to Minnesota history and how people used the item in a certain time period or a description of the character involved.

The authors also include a photo in the introduction for most of the crafts that show an item from the past that the Minnesota Historical Society possesses that relates to the project.

Jansson said she hopes the introductions create a sense of curiosity and desire for the children and adults helping them to visit the Minnesota History Center.

The crafts are categorized by skill level and type and have detailed instructions, including photos, on how to complete each one. The instructions contain a lot of details and were designed so that anyone would be able to complete the craft and not need any prior experience, Jansson said, adding this way it will be easier for adults to help the children.

A supply list for each project is listed and indicates to children which items require an adult to help them. “One of the goals was to encourage intergeneration interaction and storytelling,” Jansson said adding all of the crafts weren’t meant for the child to do them alone, but with a parent, grandparent or other adult.

“It’s more fun to do it with someone else,” Jansson said.

The book also includes templates for many of the projects that can be used to complete the crafts. “I think in this technology heavy world we forget to use our imagination and our hands,” Freshman said. “[The book] gets you back to the basics of creativity.”

FYI …
The Minnesota Historical Society posted a video on their website featuring the authors showing how to make a North Woods troll and provided free downloadable templates of some the projects from the book. To access these visit mnhspress.org/makinghistory. The book can be purchased at shop.mnhs.org for $17.95.

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