25 Oct How to Create a Paper Sloyd Spool Basket

Oh my goodness! It’s already our last project from the first year models from the book Paper Sloyd for Primary Grades by Ednah Anne Rich! We’ve gotten through 14 different models. Not only have we learned a lot, but we’ve developed some pretty impressive skills! Our last project for the first year is to create a paper sloyd spool basket.

But before we start – what is a spool basket? This book was originally written in 1905, so it’s clearly something commonplace from the turn of the century. If you do any sewing, you know what a spool is. It’s what holds the thread in an organized way, and I suspect people have been trying to keep spools organized for a long, long time. A spool basket is one of the ways they did this.

In my searching, I found many different types of spool baskets, ranging from extremely elaborately carved wooden boxes to as simple as our little bristol board box. Back then, it wasn’t like they could run out to the mall and get a sewing basket! So people would come up with their own solutions to a simple problem, and I love that!

New Tools = New Skills!

This project is a little different than the previous projects. Having developed some skill in the use of paper, we are now moving forward to bristol board, a slightly thicker, stronger type of paper. When we start to use bristol board, we are also going to use an exacto knife and a self-healing cutting mat – so a whole new set of skills!

I found it necessary to sit down with my children to practice with the exacto knife and mat before getting into the paper sloyd models. I wanted to be sure of their technique (still not perfect, but we’re working on it) and most of all, safety.

Here are a few tips you may find useful when teaching your children about technique and safety:

• If you only have a wooden ruler, use the side with the small metal strip. This will prevent the knife from cutting the ruler to shreds. Alternatively, and preferably, you can use a metal ruler with a non-skid surface.
• Always be aware of where you are placing your fingers. Keep them away from the edge of the ruler and away from the knife blade at all times.
• Don’t be in a rush. Being in a rush will cause you to lose focus, or will tempt you to be careless.
• Always use the exacto knife with a cutting mat.
• Always have the cutting mat on a firm, flat surface.

Materials Needed:

• Bristol board (I found a large piece at the Dollar Store, 2 for $1)
• A self-healing cutting mat
• An Exacto knife
• A Ruler
• A pencil
• Scissors (Optional)
• Glue

Let’s Get Started!

If you are a homeschool mom, we’ve made our Happy Handicraft videos (like this one) with you in mind. Once you’ve set your child up with the materials, you can turn the video on and let us do the rest. Go take a well-deserved break!

If you’ve enjoyed this project, please go to Happy Handicrafts and subscribe, as we have videos coming out weekly. You can also follow along on the blog, as the posts will always contain a little more detail and will give you any tips and tricks that we have learned along the way.