homeschool-art – The Schoolin' Swag Blog

Sometimes learning isn’t just about academics; it’s also about life skills, character qualities, and artistic pursuits. This Sea Turtle carved from soapstone is a beautiful art project, but it also teaches patience, dedication, and precision. In addition, carving is a life skill you can use for many other projects.

What is the Sea Turtle Soapstone Carving Kit?

First, it is important to note that soapstone is a real stone. I know there are carving projects that use bars of soap to teach beginning carving, but this is an actual stone carving project. Soapstone is a soft, smooth stone that is reasonably easy to carve, making it a great option for students.

This carving kit takes students from a block of stone to a finished sea turtle, waxed and ready for display. This is a project that can be displayed for many years to come or gifted to a friend or family member.

Everything you need for the project is included in the kit.

What is Included in the Kit?

One partially shaped block of soapstone
Carving Tool
Sandpaper
Finishing oil
Step-by-Step Instructions

Our Experience with the Sea Turtle Soapstone Carving Kit

My twelve-year-old loves art and making things with his hands. He was super excited to get this kit and try it out. I decided to give it to him and see how it went, letting him know I was available if he needed help.

He used the included paper instructions and worked his way through it without any assistance from me. Video instructions are also available via a QR code, but he didn’t feel like he needed them.

Overall, it took him a couple of hours over several days to complete the project. Working his way through the steps and the detailed work at the end.

He has requested that I find him additional kits to complete, as he really enjoyed that one.

The only thing I would change is asking him to use one of our disposable tablecloths or an old crafting tablecloth to contain the dust from the sanding.

“It was very fun and unique. It was fairly easy, though I learned to be a little more careful after I accidentally snapped one leg off while filing it down.”

Conclusions

Overall, I think this was a great kit that contains everything you need to complete the project (always a plus in my book). It builds artistic carving skills, as well as patience and perseverance. It can also strengthen fine motor skills.

The kit is recommended for ages 8-99 and I think that is a good guideline. You need the person completing the kit to have good fine motor skills and to be able to work carefully with the tools. A younger child may be able to complete the kit for more assistance.

Visit Timberdoodle today to learn more, purchase your Sea Turtle Soapstone kit, and explore the other soapstone kits they offer.

FAQs

What ages is this kit for?

The company recommends ages 8-99, which suits the skill and dexterity required.

How Many Projects?

This kit includes one project.

Does the kit require reading?

Ideally, the student should be able to read the instructions, but there are also video instructions or someone could read the instructions for the student. There are also detailed pictures included.

What is a Picto Kit?

There are multiple designs within the Picto Kit line, but we reviewed the Mountains kit. These kits use wood and fabric to create a fun and beautiful work of art. The child gently removes precut shapes from the wood, chooses fabric from the variety included in the kit, and covers the wooden pieces with different colors and patterns of fabric. The kit comes with a wide variety of upcycled fabric scraps to choose from (or you could use your own).

Once the wooden pieces returned to the frame, it is screwed onto the included block of wood using the included screws and the predrilled holes. The overall size is 7.5 in x 9.5 in. The Mountains kit makes a beautiful picture of two mountains with clouds in the sky and a big round sun at the top.

A short video tutorial (about four minutes long) explaining how the kit works can be accessed through a QR code. The directions were simple enough that my eleven-year-old son was able to watch the video and complete the project independently.

Picto Kit Components

The kit includes all of the materials necessary to complete this project, but you will need a hammer, screwdriver, and scissors.

If your child wants to paint the wooden block, you must provide paint and brushes. My son chose not to paint his, and it still turned out beautifully.

From start to finish, the project only took him about thirty minutes to complete.

Five Things We Loved About Picto Kits

You can unscrew the frame and trade out the fabric to make new designs as many times as you want, so it does not have to be a one-and-done project.

The different fabrics and geometric shapes encourage creativity.

Adding tools to art was a lot of fun for my son.

It was simple enough for younger children but creative and fun enough for even adults to use.

The wooden block and frame make the completed project very study.

The artist with his completed Mountains Picto Kit.

Who Should Use Picto Kits?

Overall, I think these are great projects for a variety of ages. They are beneficial as a part of your homeschool art studies or just as a fun project for your art-loving child. They would be a great summer project to sneak in some learning through play. The various colors and textures of the fabric, along with the fact that you can keep changing the fabrics, allow for a great deal of creativity and imagination.

You can hang the wooden frame on the wall to show off your child’s work, have them re-do the picture as often as they like, or even gift their artwork to a friend or relative. The sturdy wood and beautiful fabric easily make an art project suitable for gifting.

Find out more about these kits, and check out all the different designs at Timberdoodle!

Tag: homeschool-art

Sea Turtle Soapstone Carving Kit: A Timberdoodle Review