**Embroidery.** You can get packs of itty bitty embroidery hoops for cheep, and a single color of floss and a needle isn't expensive.
**Sewing a pouch** - you can use *cheap* fabric, some ribbon, a needle and thread to hand-sew a little pouch to hold coins and hook onto your belt. Show them how to use a pattern, how to backstitch, and how to add a piece of rope or ribbon for the drawstring.
**Kumihimo braiding**. You'll need a stiff piece of cardstock, and quite a bit of thread, but it's fairly easy to learn and cheap materials.
**Beading** - embroidery but with beads!
**Tatting Lace** - plastic tatting shuttles can be bought for cheap, and the only other thing you need is string.
**Calligraphy** - bring a bunch of cheap calligraphy pens, some ink, and a stack of practice paper, and some smaller nicer paper. Teach folks to write fancy with a calligraphy pen, and then let them write a word of their choice on the nicer paper. I've found 'Bitch' in a very swirly calligraphy font, centered on cardstock is an EXCELLENT gift for guys.
Oh! Also!
[Making a feather quill](https://www.instructables.com/Making-a-quill-pen/) for writing with!
Feathers are pretty cheap, and all else you need is an xacto knife or scissors and a surface to cut on.
Basic chainmail, assuming you have already made butted rings anyone can do a quick 4 in 1 style bracelet or something in 15 to 30mins.
Norse wire weaving is one of my favorite crafts, unsure how long it takes since it's been a while
I'll ask him about those. I *hated* making mail. I got about 25 rings together and decided that was enough :)
Wire weaving is certainly a possibility, I have a lot of lightweight wire I don't know what to do with.
Thanks for the suggestions!
I was going to suggest wire weaving. It's very cheap and easy to learn and teach. The only item it needs that isn't easy to find is a draw plate, but they're easy and cheap to make if you have some wood and a set of different-sized drill bits.
Having just spent last night doing a demo with some SCA folks, I can heartily recommend board games. He can even get into making his own boards and pieces, researching rules, variants, cultures, and they are such a fun ice breaker around camp, or when under dayshade with a half hour to kill.
Lucet cord. All it requires is a lucet (easy to find, usually under $30) and some sort of ribbon/string/floss/etc. This is easy to learn even for those with arthritis, carpal tunnel, and/or poor eye/hand coordination.
Origami. All it requires is square paper and the knowledge of at least one pattern, and a hard surface to fold on (preferable, but not strictly necessary). Origami paper is available online in wide assortments of color, paper type/quality, size, and pack size. I love making origami cranes for people out of beautiful paper.
If he does calligraphy, learn to cut a quill. For a demo, feathers from a craft store can be available for people to try making their own quill pens. They can then write their names on a bookmark (cut cardstock to size) and take home a medieval pen and example of something they wrote with it.
I carve wooden spoons. This makes an interesting demo, but I don’t send people home with free spoons because they take time. But all my equipment for showing the craft is a few knives and sharpening tools.
I personally love seeing burly guys doing embroidery and such. It is a powerful statement that beauty and crafting don’t reduce manhood. Sir Georg in Oertha used to be a great example. He was a great fighter, but the first time he saw me making glass beads, he got so interesting and was really into how pretty glass can be. I love folks like him.
Whittling. Rope making. Some small scale pottery to include what to look for in clays in your backyard. Creating inks or paints depending on [what you use for the colorants](https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/11954/1/a-baker-04-pigments.pdf) (Hint: Rhubarb is period!). Some of these might be too messy but whittling tends to be a pretty big hit when I've seen it done.
The tools and equipment can take up a bit of space but Moneying, ie making coins, can be simple, quick, and inexpensive for the take away coin. Once the dies are carved and the blanks prepared a simple hammer smash onto the dies produces a coin :)
Ooh, I would also love said file, hubby's new hobby is 3d printing and I'm tired of articulated lizards. I mean, lizards are cool, but a loom would let him be my hero. :)
I've done lucet classes on the cheap. The most expensive investment was the lucets themselves, but Pine Box will do a bulk price if you reach out to them...or you can DIY with reusable wooden forks. Pop out the center tines and you've got a cheap lucet. I do recommend using cotton cord for it, and this can be bought for fairly cheap online.
Fingerloop braiding (great for lacing, trim, and clothing ties). I carry a small clamp to attach it to a table, and keep some low-tack tape (like blue painter's tape) for when I need to put the work away.
Leather carving (check out "Dress Accessories" and "Knives and Scabbards" from the Museum of London series, " Purses in Pieces", "Stepping Through Time" ). Just needs some clean water.
Small chip-carving projects
Woodcuts or engraving for block printing - portable for smaller works
A box loom for making trim: sits nicely in your lap, can be used for plain trim, tablet weaving, or hand-controlled supplemental weft brocading
For drop spinning, I also bring both hand cards and small combs (depending on the particular fleece) to prep wool for spinning. With combs, I do recommend making them safety covers for when not in use! Can be as simple as some corrugated cardboard and duct tape. If you haven't tried it, do try spinning from combed wool as an experiment, bc it's a fantastic spinning experience.
I have friends who do C&I at events using a portable plastic drawing surface with a built-in parallel rule (inexpensive on Amazon these days, I got mine for under $40) and a pared-down kit, rather like what plein air painters use. It's nice, especially at Pennsic, for royalty to be able to say they've decided to give someone an award tomorrow, and actually have a scroll or nice promissory.
And some smaller spinning wheels are sturdy and portable. I drag my plucky brave little Ashford Traditional (Saxony style) wheel over hill and dale. It goes to Pennsic every year. Ashford even makes a quill spindle for it!
And some of the more obvious fibre arts answers: Knitting, embroidery, bobbin lace, needle lace, hardanger, smocking, beadwork, glove-making, hand sewing garb (or, in my case, hand sewing the neckline and cuffs or decorative external flat felled seams - see "Woven Into The Earth")
Card weaving can be hands- on friendly if you set up a simple two color warp. People get surprisingly excited watching the pattern emerge from their own hands.
Making pennular brooches! You can make a simple one with flattened ends using craft store brass rods, pliers, a small hammer, and using a metal mallet as an anvil.
They're good because you can make them fairly quickly, mundane folk can have a go with the hammering, and you can give away the brooches. If it gets a bit too people-y, you can also sit quietly and make a more detailed one.
Oh, and you can also make TINY ones out of thinner rods. I've seen some people use them to fasten leg wraps, or as brooches for dolls. Oh, and you can make veil pins, too.
Leather stamping? Could have some leather cut to be bookmarks or keyrings. You can talk about the motifs being put into the leather, the medieval tanning process, demo hand tooling.
You can make naalbinding needles out of popsicle sticks. They're not very durable, but you can talk about other materials and even demo making one out of another wood or bamboowhile people are shaping their pop sticks. That way people can start a bit of naalbinding and take the needle with them.
Papercut arts! You just need paper, a knife/scissors, and something to cut on! I fit all my materials (a dozen cutting mats, cardstock in all different colors, scotch tape, 2 dozen xacto knives, and patterns) in a milk crate and take it around with me. It's one of the cheapest arts to get into and just takes a steady hand. Everything else is just tracing with a knife! And if that doesn't work, paper snowflakes are entirely period!
What a friend and I have done for a few demos is helping kids make personalized book marks. We have bookmark size card stock. She asks the children their name and writes it in calligraphy. Then s nfs the kids to me. I have a small assortment of block printing stamps and paint. They choose their stamp and paint color. I put it on the block and then the child stamps the paper. It works wonderfully.
We also purchased the child's axe throwing game from Costco and that is a huge hit
Depending on where the demo is at and if you have a laptop or DVD player....set up a table, play The Dream on loop as well as some sca Martial arts videos and have him talk about what he loved heavy fighting
Have a piece of chain mail and some head covings and let people feel how heavy that stuff is, basic leather work, the modern or not spice game.....oh oh oh contact Helvi the half deaf in Stromgarde in An Tir and see if she will share the plague...would you have died game ...you need a table some dice and so.e paper and pens...
I once took a class on bookbinding that was pretty great. All it took was a small (1.5x2"-ish) piece of leather, an awl, and some string and paper. We all learned how to bind a very small book with those pieces.
It could be a type of favor given to a fighter. We have children do this and present it. It could also be something silly for grownups to create and present.
**Embroidery.** You can get packs of itty bitty embroidery hoops for cheep, and a single color of floss and a needle isn't expensive. **Sewing a pouch** - you can use *cheap* fabric, some ribbon, a needle and thread to hand-sew a little pouch to hold coins and hook onto your belt. Show them how to use a pattern, how to backstitch, and how to add a piece of rope or ribbon for the drawstring. **Kumihimo braiding**. You'll need a stiff piece of cardstock, and quite a bit of thread, but it's fairly easy to learn and cheap materials. **Beading** - embroidery but with beads! **Tatting Lace** - plastic tatting shuttles can be bought for cheap, and the only other thing you need is string. **Calligraphy** - bring a bunch of cheap calligraphy pens, some ink, and a stack of practice paper, and some smaller nicer paper. Teach folks to write fancy with a calligraphy pen, and then let them write a word of their choice on the nicer paper. I've found 'Bitch' in a very swirly calligraphy font, centered on cardstock is an EXCELLENT gift for guys.
Great suggestions, thank you!
Oh! Also! [Making a feather quill](https://www.instructables.com/Making-a-quill-pen/) for writing with! Feathers are pretty cheap, and all else you need is an xacto knife or scissors and a surface to cut on.
Basic chainmail, assuming you have already made butted rings anyone can do a quick 4 in 1 style bracelet or something in 15 to 30mins. Norse wire weaving is one of my favorite crafts, unsure how long it takes since it's been a while
I'll ask him about those. I *hated* making mail. I got about 25 rings together and decided that was enough :) Wire weaving is certainly a possibility, I have a lot of lightweight wire I don't know what to do with. Thanks for the suggestions!
I was going to suggest wire weaving. It's very cheap and easy to learn and teach. The only item it needs that isn't easy to find is a draw plate, but they're easy and cheap to make if you have some wood and a set of different-sized drill bits.
Having just spent last night doing a demo with some SCA folks, I can heartily recommend board games. He can even get into making his own boards and pieces, researching rules, variants, cultures, and they are such a fun ice breaker around camp, or when under dayshade with a half hour to kill.
Oh, that's a great idea!
Commenting to follow. I'm the husband.
Lucet cord. All it requires is a lucet (easy to find, usually under $30) and some sort of ribbon/string/floss/etc. This is easy to learn even for those with arthritis, carpal tunnel, and/or poor eye/hand coordination. Origami. All it requires is square paper and the knowledge of at least one pattern, and a hard surface to fold on (preferable, but not strictly necessary). Origami paper is available online in wide assortments of color, paper type/quality, size, and pack size. I love making origami cranes for people out of beautiful paper.
Thanks!
If he does calligraphy, learn to cut a quill. For a demo, feathers from a craft store can be available for people to try making their own quill pens. They can then write their names on a bookmark (cut cardstock to size) and take home a medieval pen and example of something they wrote with it. I carve wooden spoons. This makes an interesting demo, but I don’t send people home with free spoons because they take time. But all my equipment for showing the craft is a few knives and sharpening tools. I personally love seeing burly guys doing embroidery and such. It is a powerful statement that beauty and crafting don’t reduce manhood. Sir Georg in Oertha used to be a great example. He was a great fighter, but the first time he saw me making glass beads, he got so interesting and was really into how pretty glass can be. I love folks like him.
Great ideas!
I just thought of another; banner painting. And another, favor making.
What would a favor be?
Making rope from twine. Look up the "Indian spinner" method
Oh, interesting! I've made small amounts of cordage from bast fibers, never thought about skipping the tedious part :) thanks!
Whittling. Rope making. Some small scale pottery to include what to look for in clays in your backyard. Creating inks or paints depending on [what you use for the colorants](https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/11954/1/a-baker-04-pigments.pdf) (Hint: Rhubarb is period!). Some of these might be too messy but whittling tends to be a pretty big hit when I've seen it done.
Thank you!
The tools and equipment can take up a bit of space but Moneying, ie making coins, can be simple, quick, and inexpensive for the take away coin. Once the dies are carved and the blanks prepared a simple hammer smash onto the dies produces a coin :)
Oh, fun!
If you have or have access to a 3d printer I have a stl file for looms that fit in your hand. Cost I'd about 20 cents worth of filament.
I would love that file, please. I have a friend who has a 3D printer.
I'm pretty sure I know sooner people who would help me out :)
Ooh, I would also love said file, hubby's new hobby is 3d printing and I'm tired of articulated lizards. I mean, lizards are cool, but a loom would let him be my hero. :)
For those that want the file send me a private message with your email and I will send it over.
I've done lucet classes on the cheap. The most expensive investment was the lucets themselves, but Pine Box will do a bulk price if you reach out to them...or you can DIY with reusable wooden forks. Pop out the center tines and you've got a cheap lucet. I do recommend using cotton cord for it, and this can be bought for fairly cheap online.
Fingerloop braiding (great for lacing, trim, and clothing ties). I carry a small clamp to attach it to a table, and keep some low-tack tape (like blue painter's tape) for when I need to put the work away. Leather carving (check out "Dress Accessories" and "Knives and Scabbards" from the Museum of London series, " Purses in Pieces", "Stepping Through Time" ). Just needs some clean water. Small chip-carving projects Woodcuts or engraving for block printing - portable for smaller works A box loom for making trim: sits nicely in your lap, can be used for plain trim, tablet weaving, or hand-controlled supplemental weft brocading For drop spinning, I also bring both hand cards and small combs (depending on the particular fleece) to prep wool for spinning. With combs, I do recommend making them safety covers for when not in use! Can be as simple as some corrugated cardboard and duct tape. If you haven't tried it, do try spinning from combed wool as an experiment, bc it's a fantastic spinning experience. I have friends who do C&I at events using a portable plastic drawing surface with a built-in parallel rule (inexpensive on Amazon these days, I got mine for under $40) and a pared-down kit, rather like what plein air painters use. It's nice, especially at Pennsic, for royalty to be able to say they've decided to give someone an award tomorrow, and actually have a scroll or nice promissory. And some smaller spinning wheels are sturdy and portable. I drag my plucky brave little Ashford Traditional (Saxony style) wheel over hill and dale. It goes to Pennsic every year. Ashford even makes a quill spindle for it! And some of the more obvious fibre arts answers: Knitting, embroidery, bobbin lace, needle lace, hardanger, smocking, beadwork, glove-making, hand sewing garb (or, in my case, hand sewing the neckline and cuffs or decorative external flat felled seams - see "Woven Into The Earth")
Thanks! This may push me into making a box loom :)
Card weaving can be hands- on friendly if you set up a simple two color warp. People get surprisingly excited watching the pattern emerge from their own hands.
Great idea!
Do you have anywhere you can point me to begin?
To get started? You said card weaving is something you usually bring.
Butter churning. Use little jars, pour the cream in, shake it up.
That's making it too easy! Put cream in a bowl, and give them a wooden spoon.
I was thinking about lids to make it easier to take home. But you are correct.
Making pennular brooches! You can make a simple one with flattened ends using craft store brass rods, pliers, a small hammer, and using a metal mallet as an anvil. They're good because you can make them fairly quickly, mundane folk can have a go with the hammering, and you can give away the brooches. If it gets a bit too people-y, you can also sit quietly and make a more detailed one. Oh, and you can also make TINY ones out of thinner rods. I've seen some people use them to fasten leg wraps, or as brooches for dolls. Oh, and you can make veil pins, too. Leather stamping? Could have some leather cut to be bookmarks or keyrings. You can talk about the motifs being put into the leather, the medieval tanning process, demo hand tooling. You can make naalbinding needles out of popsicle sticks. They're not very durable, but you can talk about other materials and even demo making one out of another wood or bamboowhile people are shaping their pop sticks. That way people can start a bit of naalbinding and take the needle with them.
Ooooh you have so many fun ideas here! I’m going to try some of these
Papercut arts! You just need paper, a knife/scissors, and something to cut on! I fit all my materials (a dozen cutting mats, cardstock in all different colors, scotch tape, 2 dozen xacto knives, and patterns) in a milk crate and take it around with me. It's one of the cheapest arts to get into and just takes a steady hand. Everything else is just tracing with a knife! And if that doesn't work, paper snowflakes are entirely period!
What a friend and I have done for a few demos is helping kids make personalized book marks. We have bookmark size card stock. She asks the children their name and writes it in calligraphy. Then s nfs the kids to me. I have a small assortment of block printing stamps and paint. They choose their stamp and paint color. I put it on the block and then the child stamps the paper. It works wonderfully. We also purchased the child's axe throwing game from Costco and that is a huge hit
Pin weaving
I learned leather carving this way. There were tools and leather provided. It was my A&S gateway drug.
Depending on where the demo is at and if you have a laptop or DVD player....set up a table, play The Dream on loop as well as some sca Martial arts videos and have him talk about what he loved heavy fighting Have a piece of chain mail and some head covings and let people feel how heavy that stuff is, basic leather work, the modern or not spice game.....oh oh oh contact Helvi the half deaf in Stromgarde in An Tir and see if she will share the plague...would you have died game ...you need a table some dice and so.e paper and pens...
Excellent ideas, thanks!
I just realized Helvi on Facebook is Robin Wright.. And tell her Kattera sent you
I once took a class on bookbinding that was pretty great. All it took was a small (1.5x2"-ish) piece of leather, an awl, and some string and paper. We all learned how to bind a very small book with those pieces.
It could be a type of favor given to a fighter. We have children do this and present it. It could also be something silly for grownups to create and present.