Handwork Series - grade 4

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.

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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.

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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

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Now on to my grade 4 notes. I'll update them if I come up with new ideas:

dyeing silk embroidery floss in sun jars

embroidery

painted & embroidered linen mat



Embroidered Fabric Scrap Hummingbird
from "Making Zen" May 2025 workshop with Ann Smith



Stitching a Fabric Scrap Owl Sachet
from "Making Zen" May 2026 workshop with Ann Smith



handwork bag
new skill: chain stitch

mixed media

Water and Line: Watercolour and Stitch
from "Making Zen" 2026 workshop with Ozden Dora Clow



a lovely connection with the Landforms & Water Features block!

Paint & Stitch Your Summer Scene
from "Making Zen" May 2026 workshop with Helen Moyes

cross stitch

pin cushion - 4 way or 8 way symmetry



toiletries kit



How to Sew Up a Cross-Stitch Pincushion

Fabric Scraps Funky Bracelet
from "Making Zen" May 2025 workshop with Giovanna Zara

great for grade 4 and the Timeline of Life (ammonites)

when Zac turned 10, he instantly became interested in braiding
grade 3 - Cordage, Weaving
grade 4 - Braiding, Knot Tying, Cross Stitch

Wet Felted Geodes

paper crafting

Exploring Negative Space in Design
from "Making Zen" May 2026 workshop with Meredith Woolnough


perfect for cuttlefish stripes in Zoology!

papermaking

inspiration and instructions are in
The Gourmet Paper Maker

knitting

doll pattern for Man & Animal I
to go with chapter 1 of Kovacs



doll + wardrobe are the final patterns in
A First Book of Knitting for Children


here is another option for a pattern

crochet

coral reef for Landforms & Water Features (collaborative project)

animal hand puppet (design own pattern)

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