Dive into history hands-on this year at the Carpenter Museum! Register below for our 2023 workshops.
August 2023
18th Century Textile Decoration: Design and Print your own Fabric Square
Thursday August 3, 6:30 PM
Long before the industrial revolution mechanized calico printing in the 19th century, fashionable clothes were designed and decorated by hand.
In this workshop, we will learn about the history of decorated textile production and consumption, in early America, with special attention to Rehoboth connections. We will also discuss the colors and patterns that were hallmarks of colonial fabric design, the keen eye for detail, and the immense creativity of those who looked to the natural world for sources of artistic inspiration.
Finally, we will try our hands at designing a block stamp and creating our own printed cloth!
Recommended for adults. No prior experience necessary. All craft materials will be supplied.
Fiber Arts: Spin Wool with a Drop Spindle
Saturday August 12, 10 AM
Participants in this workshop will learn to work with wool and practice the basic techniques of spinning. We will start with wool carding, and use a drop spindle to spin the wool into a length of yarn to take home. We will explore the properties of wool, and the history of wool and other textiles in New England (with a unique perspective on items from the Carpenter Museum Collections). All craft materials will be supplied, along with instructions to help you continue spinning at home!
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This workshop will be led by historian and fiber artist Eleanor Langham. Eleanor has spent most of her life volunteering and working in historic museums and living history groups. In the past she has worked at Coggeshall Farm Museum, the Old Slater Mill Association, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, and Mystic Seaport. She currently works as an elementary school teacher in East Providence.
Recommended for adults. No prior experience necessary. All craft materials will be supplied.
September 2023
Saturday September 23, 10 AM
Corn Husk Dolls: Child’s Play in Pokanoket and Colonial Rehoboth
Make and decorate your own personalized paper, and learn about the history of paper-making in New England!
We know that corn was a critical food source in the period of early New England settlement, but, for both the Pokanoket people indigenous to this region and the Rehoboth settlers, the corn plant meant more than just a full stomach. In this workshop, children will learn about the importance of corn in early colonial life and the many uses of the corn plant.
We will talk about how children played in early Rehoboth, and what toys they may have had. Each child will make their own corn husk doll to bring home, along with instructions for making more!
Recommended for school-age children in grades 2-12. Each child may be accompanied by one adult. All craft materials will be supplied.
October 2023
Join us in October for the annual RAS Crafter’s Marketplace Fair!
November 2023
Thursday, November 16, 6:30PM
From Wood to Page: Make and Decorate your own Paper
Make and decorate your own personalized paper, and learn about the history of paper-making in New England!
In this workshop participants will make paper for themselves. They will also also use an assortment of decoration techniques both during and after the paper-making process.
During the workshop we will also explore the history and craft of paper-making in America with a focus on New England. This will include looking at some of the shifts in materials, impacts on the environment, the importance of Massachusetts in the paper business, and uses of paper.
Recommended for adults. No prior experience necessary.
All craft materials will be supplied but the museum, though if you have elements you want to use: dried flowers from your own garden, stamps from our past events etc. do not hesitate to bring them to add some personal flair to your paper!
For Take-Home Instructions and Further Reading, visit our Additional Resources Page.