March 17, 2026/ German Paper Cutting
 
Scherenschnitte
 
Literally translated as scissors (scheren) and cuttings (schnitte), scherenschnitte came to America with German-speaking immigrants (most from Germany, Austria and Switzerland) in the 1700s. While it was concentrated in Pennsylvania, especially Lancaster County, it spread to Virginia and other states. Typically, scherenschnitte is made by cutting a single sheet of paper, with all parts connected, into designs. These elaborate cut work pieces, including love letters, birth and family lineage records and valentines, are highly collectible.

April 21, 2026/ Mother's Day Fabric Wreath
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The word wreath comes from Middle English wrethe and from Old English writha 'band'
 
The history of "colonial wreaths" in America is primarily rooted in a 20th-century revival, not actual colonial practices. While colonists used natural greenery like pine, holly, and ivy for sparse, simple decorations, the elaborate, fruit-and-pod-laden wreaths popularized today originated in the 1930s with the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg.
 
Colonists did use natural greenery for simple decorations, often a sprig or two for the holidays, but elaborate wreaths were not a common practice. The use of fruit was not a colonial custom, as it would have been seen as a waste and an attraction to animals. Colonial women may have taken quilts and clothing that were way beyond repair to tear them into strips to make rag rugs and as wreaths on woven straw.

May 19, 2026/ Colonial Sampler 
 
The word “sampler” derives from the Latin exemplum via the French essamplaire –meaning “example.” These samplers functioned as practice pieces–a way for stitchers to learn stitches–and, once completed, as reference guide for future projects. Samplers were used as a way to help teach basic needlework skills while including the alphabet, numbers, important quotations, and family history.
 
Many early samplers do not have the letters “J” and “U” in their alphabets because they were not part of the early Latin alphabet and so the letter “I” was used for “J” and the “V” for “U.” The letter “s” is often replaced with the printers “s” which looks like the modern f.
 
Candlewicking, a classic whitework embroidery technique, has a distinct style that involves stitching primarily with Colonial knot stitches. In the early days of the United States, especially during the Westward Expansion, fine embroidery threads weren't plentiful—they also wouldn't have been especially practical. However, because the cotton threads used for making candle wicks were easy to acquire, they may have become the material of choice for those who wished to add some embellishment to quilts and other sewing projects.

July 21, 2026/ Corn Husk Doll
 
The earliest examples of cornhusk dolls were made by Native Americans. While most tribes used the dolls as toys for children, the Iroquois and Oneida tribes incorporated cornhusk dolls into their religious practices. It is not known if Native Americans taught Colonial Americans the craft, or if the practice developed in parallel, but cornhusk dolls were made by European settlers and by African slaves. All three groups used the same basic technique to craft the dolls.
With an abundance of corn grown on the region's farms, Appalachian people developed a particular fondness for the material, especially for the making of dolls.
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August 18, 2026/ Quilling embellishment of picture frame
 
Quilling, sometimes called paper rolling or paper filigree, is a decorative art form that uses colored paper strips. These strips are coiled, curled, and twisted to create decorative designs on greeting cards, boxes, pictures, and more. Glue is used to secure the pieces in place. 
 
Paper quilling can be traced back to the 15th century. However, some historians believe it originated in Ancient Egypt. Although the exact origins are somewhat of a mystery, one thing we know to be true is that quilling was widely practiced in 18th-century France, Italy, and England. 
Quilling quickly spread to America, its popularity being during the Colonial period.

September 15, 2026/ Clothing repair and upcycling
 
Colonial women didn’t have the luxury of throwing out clothing with holes or rips. There were no stores to buy replacements and ‘ready-made’ clothing was expensive. Clothing the colonial family was an enormous time investment. You mended and darned rips because that was a whole lot easier than starting from scratch. Girls were given a needle as soon as they were old enough to hold it.
 
A woman’s sewing tasks were divided into two categories: plain sewing and fancy work. Fancy work is all the potentially fun stuff like embroidery, lace, and ruffly collars. Plain sewing was the mountain of straight hems and stitching of shirts and underpants that actually had to get done in order for all the carding, spinning, and weaving of cloth to be of any use at all. Even if you dispensed with fanciness and kept to the bare minimum, a simple piece of clothing required hours of work from a practiced plain sewer.
 
Clothing was repaired, holes mended, hems let out, dresses re-designed to last many years.

October 20, 2026/ Tin Can Luminaries

 

Punch tin reached its peak during the Colonial Era in America, having actually first appearing in 14th-century Europe in the form of pierced tin lanterns, and perhaps even before that in Spain. Tin, known as “poor man’s silver,” was an incredibly popular material with which to make everyday items since it was inexpensive, lightweight, and durable. 

Lamps made out of tin and punched with holes were a popular way to carry lit candles during Colonial times. The holes punched into the lanterns were an appealing feature not only because it helped display light, but also because it kept the flame from being blown out by the wind, which was important when traveling long distances. 

Traditional tin lamps of that time were usually made out of recycled metal such as old cans and stovepipes. It’s said that Colonial families would punch unique designs into their lanterns, such as their family’s symbol, so that they could be identified when walking out and about after dark.