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Victorian Theme Crafts for the
Holidays
By Priscilla Haug
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Looking for the perfect
Christmas gift for a friend or family member – why
not make something special and different from all
the gifts found at the mall? In keeping with the
Victorian tradition of gift giving at Christmas and
New Year's, gifts worked by the giver are always
more cherished.
One choice would be to
make an authentic 19th century gift for that special
person on your list. Many nineteenth century
women's fashion publications provided a "Work
Department" with instructions, illustrations and
patterns to create fashion and household items.
Today we can use these 100+ year old crafts to
create unusual gifts and accessories. Here are some
ideas: |
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For those who can knit or crochet, why not modernize
a nineteenth century accessory for the fashionable
lady of today. Pick a purse pattern from the ebook,
Antique Purses & Bags
1860-1865 [Click
here], to make a unique cell phone
holder. The ebook download includes 40 rare Civil
War era purse engravings, as well as many of their
original needlework instructions. |
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 Today’s
business cards are reminiscent of
Victorian
calling cards.
During the nineteenth century,
when a person paid a formal call on a friend, it was
customary to leave a visiting card or calling card
as a reminder of the visit. These cards were
typically small, about 2 by 3 inches. Many ladies’
magazines provided engravings with directions to
make cases to hold these cards. Craft one of your
own for that business woman on your gift list to
carry her modern-day business card. |
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For children, you can download a digital reprint of
authentic
Civil War era paper dolls
[Click here] to print, color, and cut
out. You can even use them to make Christmas tree
ornaments. . |
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 In
addition, a full color page of a
playground scene [Click here]
with cutout figures of boys designed to be pasted on
the large playground picture can be printed and
given to the young child on your gift list.
Illustrated are some favorite pastimes including
shooting marbles, ball games with sticks and
bats, bowling, trundling hoops, playing soldier, and
leapfrog. |
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Simple and inexpensive gift-making projects were
worked with
perforated paper [Click here].
Both women and children made a wide variety of
embroidered items including bookmarks, small
samplers to frame, needle cases and other decorative
items for the house. |
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Hand painting china was an easy and popular craft,
especially at holiday time. Finding a single tea cup
and saucer at an antique store, then wrapping it
with cookies and tea bags would make a special gift year
round. Furthermore, it would be easy to create your
own ceramic gift - most pottery or ceramic studios
provide everything: including stamps, stencils,
sponges, idea books, a little coaching, and a lot of
encouragement. |
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 Fancy
work or needlework [Click here], an
embroidery pastime for women and young girls for
centuries, often provided a treasured gift during the
holidays. A common fancy work pattern available was
a design for the
corners of handkerchiefs. Make your own or check a
local flea market or antique store for small
inexpensive treasures such as handkerchiefs, tea
towels, or tray covers. |
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Another easy gift to make is a
small pincushion [Click here];
this gift is both decorative and useful. During the
1800s, many patterns with instructions were
available. These projects involve very little time
or skill, but still are quite artistic when
finished. Much of the design is made with the pins
themselves. |
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For the gentleman Civil War
buff or re-enactor, we have an embroidery pattern
for a
smoking cap
[click here] to be
worked in appliqué and braid. |
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 For the lady you can make an
pair of needlework slippers. This pattern for
a
"Christmas
Slipper"
[click here] from
an 1860 women's magazine would be the perfect
Christmas gift ... either make it yourself or supply
the yarn with a copy of the pattern. For those ladies who dress up in
Victorian garb there is an embroidery pattern for
undersleeves [Click here]. |
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Of
the various gift-making activities during the
Victorian era, none is, perhaps, more interesting
than
hair work [click here].
During the mid-nineteenth century hair work became a
popular drawing-room occupation, as fashionable as
the much-practiced knitting, netting, and
crocheting. By acquiring knowledge of this art,
ladies were able to manufacture the hair of beloved
friends and relatives into bracelets, chains, rings,
earrings, and thus insure that they could actually
wear the treasured memento they prized. You can
find antique examples of this art to purchase from
dealers in antique jewelry,
or even try your hand at making your own. |
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For those who are artistically challenged or want a little
help getting started there are many kits on the
market that you can add your own personal touch as a
unique holiday gift. Below are a few examples
available today: |
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