Handwork Series - grade 3

I've been wanting for a while to do a series of posts on my suggestions for Handwork in each grade. So I will work on that now! These are my own ideas of what to do when, partly informed by my Waldorf Handwork Teacher Training and partly by what I think works well from personal experience.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If you are interested in training, I very highly recommend the Applied Arts Program. Admission to the 14th Cycle of the Applied Arts Program is now open! It will start on March 15, 2026!

This four-year program meets for two weeks each summer and one week each winter, covering two grades each year. Course sessions take place at the Fiber Craft Studio, which is located in the Threefold community in Chestnut Ridge, NY, just 30 miles from New York City.

If you're looking for a curriculum with videos and whatnot, I recommend Waldorf Handwork Educators. Currently they just have grades 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Back to School Sale - Labor Day Weekend!

August 30 through September 2, 2025

All 4 grade level guides will be on sale for this special weekend event!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here are all of the blog posts in my Handwork Series:

Handwork Series - K

Handwork Series - grade 1

Handwork Series - grade 2

Handwork Series - grade 3

Handwork Series - grade 4

Handwork Series - grade 5

Handwork Series - grade 6

Handwork Series - grade 7

Handwork Series - grade 8

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now on to my grade 3 notes. I'll update them if I come up with new ideas:

plan & plant a dye garden for the Farming & Gardening block

explore a variety of fibers (plant & animal) for the Fibers & Clothing block

How to Harvest Stinging Nettle for Fiber

Cordage

sewing / mending

sewing on a patch

sewing on a button (we did a Button Tree project)



Wishing Houses
from "Making Zen" May 2026 with Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir



sewing on a snap!

embroidery

circle mat



needle case
new skill: buttonhole stitch

Decoupage Lanterns

wet felting

soap

flat piece of wool felt (ger) for the Housebuilding block

knitting & crochet

owl

Play Kitchen Foods for the Currency block

patchwork square farm (collaborative project)

crochet hat (design own pattern)

spinning

spinning progression:
stick, stick & rock, drop spindle, hand carding, wool carders



spinning off a cotton seed

weaving

Dancing Map Dolls



pattern and instructions are in
Kids Weaving: Projects for Kids of All Ages


Hula Hoop Loom



PVC pipe loom for the Measurement block



measurements and instructions are in
Kids Weaving: Projects for Kids of All Ages

This post contains affiliate links to materials I truly use for homeschooling. Qualifying purchases provide me with revenue. Thank you for your support!

Handwork Series - grade 2

I've been wanting for a while to do a series of posts on my suggestions for Handwork in each grade. So I will work on that now! These are my own ideas of what to do when, partly informed by my Waldorf Handwork Teacher Training and partly by what I think works well from personal experience.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If you are interested in training, I very highly recommend the Applied Arts Program. Admission to the 14th Cycle of the Applied Arts Program is now open! It will start on March 15, 2026!

This four-year program meets for two weeks each summer and one week each winter, covering two grades each year. Course sessions take place at the Fiber Craft Studio, which is located in the Threefold community in Chestnut Ridge, NY, just 30 miles from New York City.

If you're looking for a curriculum with videos and whatnot, I recommend Waldorf Handwork Educators. Currently they just have grades 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Back to School Sale - Labor Day Weekend!

August 30 through September 2, 2025

All 4 grade level guides will be on sale for this special weekend event!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here are all of the blog posts in my Handwork Series:

Handwork Series - K

Handwork Series - grade 1

Handwork Series - grade 2

Handwork Series - grade 3

Handwork Series - grade 4

Handwork Series - grade 5

Handwork Series - grade 6

Handwork Series - grade 7

Handwork Series - grade 8

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now on to my grade 2 notes. I'll update them if I come up with new ideas:

dyeing

wool birds with carded rainbow wool

sewing

Millicent Monster



Spirit Owls
from "Making Zen" May 2025 with Trixi Symond



I also recommend Trixi Symond's blog post on
Easy Ways to Organise Needles and Thread in a Class

embroidery

pencil case



bookmarks (running stitch, blanket stitch, backstitch, seed stitch)



Shooting Star Beanbags

wet felting

Acorn Ornament



Felted Egg (I use raw eggs, which teaches children to be gentle)

butterfly stitch

loop for string games

cord for recorder bag

knitting

lion



pattern and instructions are in
A First Book of Knitting for Children


pig



pattern and instructions are in
A First Book of Knitting for Children


elephant



pattern and instructions are in
A First Book of Knitting for Children


recorder bag
new skill: purl stitch

this is a traditional Waldorf project but we don't do recorder!

I actually prefer to have children make a square of garter stitch first using all purling (the turtle works well for this)

we put a little tiny freshwater pearl into their first purling project when they sew it up, to celebrate



from there they can make another star gnome in stockinette stitch and delight in seeing the V's appear!

when everyone finishes their gnome, we have a Gnome Party with dancing and hot chocolate and we celebrate some more!!

Headband with Animal Ears (design own pattern)



diamond washcloth with cotton yarn
new skill: knit into front & back

Baby Dragon
new skill: stacked blanket stitch

crochet

border for diamond washcloth

This post contains affiliate links to materials I truly use for homeschooling. Qualifying purchases provide me with revenue. Thank you for your support!

Handwork Series - grade 1

I've been wanting for a while to do a series of posts on my suggestions for Handwork in each grade. So I will work on that now! These are my own ideas of what to do when, partly informed by my Waldorf Handwork Teacher Training and partly by what I think works well from personal experience.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If you are interested in training, I very highly recommend the Applied Arts Program. Admission to the 14th Cycle of the Applied Arts Program is now open! It will start on March 15, 2026!

This four-year program meets for two weeks each summer and one week each winter, covering two grades each year. Course sessions take place at the Fiber Craft Studio, which is located in the Threefold community in Chestnut Ridge, NY, just 30 miles from New York City.

If you're looking for a curriculum with videos and whatnot, I recommend Waldorf Handwork Educators. Currently they just have grades 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Back to School Sale - Labor Day Weekend!

August 30 through September 2, 2025

All 4 grade level guides will be on sale for this special weekend event!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here are all of the blog posts in my Handwork Series:

Handwork Series - K

Handwork Series - grade 1

Handwork Series - grade 2

Handwork Series - grade 3

Handwork Series - grade 4

Handwork Series - grade 5

Handwork Series - grade 6

Handwork Series - grade 7

Handwork Series - grade 8

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now on to my grade 1 notes. I'll update them if I come up with new ideas:

wool paintings

instructions for dry wool "paintings" are in
Magic Wool: Creative Activities With Natural Sheep's Wool


we translated a watercolor painting into a wool painting

spinning wool into yarn with a stick

winding a ball of yarn

a good story for this is “Teasel and Tweed” from
A Donsy of Gnomes: 7 Gentle Gnome Stories


rainbow ball of yarn for making paths in the yard to nature treasures

unwind and rewind a ball of yarn, find a nature treasure in the middle

story of the cotton plant

slipknot

finger knitting - cotton yarn

wind around bamboo tipi for morning glory / moonflower / beans



braided belt (blue, yellow, red)



2- and 4-Finger Knitted Snake (video)



Pony Reins

making knitting needles

instructions (I like the acorn cap ones) are in
Kids Knitting: Projects for Kids of all Ages


please also read my blog post on Not Pushing Knitting!

introduction to knitting

this "woolly" form is a perfect transition into learning to knit!


the image is from The Very Hungry Lion by Gita Wolf


my favorite book to read before teaching knitting is Red Berry Wool

knitting - wool yarn

kitten



chicken (can dye yarn with onion skin)



turtle (can dye yarn with fresh mint)


lamb (can dye yarn with acorns + iron)



pattern and instructions are in
A First Book of Knitting for Children


knitted pouch with felted button closure


star gnome

'Visible Mending': The Healing Powers of Knitting

This post contains affiliate links to materials I truly use for homeschooling. Qualifying purchases provide me with revenue. Thank you for your support!