CMP Review 2026-03-17

March 17, 2026

What reason is there to teach handicrafts in an age of technology? At one time, the work of one’s hands supplied the needs of one’s life. But for the child of today, “his needs are chiefly supplied from shops and he is hardly aware that everything he uses has been made for him by someone who fed a machine.”

This observation was made by Agnes Drury in 1927. But she also observed that handicrafts have a value that transcends the utilitarian. She observed that the ability to create with our hands is part of our “inheritance as human beings” and that no child should “be deprived of it.”

Drury was the Senior Handicraft Teacher at the House of Education. Her article skillfully lays out the why, when, and how of handicrafts. Covering everything from paper sloyd to wood-carving, it is a must-read for understanding this essential element of a Charlotte Mason education. Find it here.

@artmiddlekauff