Did you think everything gets quiet here when winter comes and we are only open on weekends?  You’d be surprised! Yes, of course we are still open for group tours and scout programs — but the Log House has been bustling with activity all week.  Volunteers are busily decorating for our annual Holiday Open House, taking place on the first two weekends in December.   During this event, the Log House will be decked out for the holidays in period style and with a focus on Stickley’s own ideas.  Utilizing holiday greens, pinecones, and the home’s forest palette, the decorations will bring nature indoors and spotlight the Arts and Crafts movement’s emphasis on finding beauty in simplicity and in simple materials.

For Stickley, a rich family life was a key part of his Arts and Crafts ideas, and this event addresses his values by providing a peek into Christmas preparations that would have been typical for a family like the Stickleys, including blending Victorian traditions — like making treat-bearing cornucopia and giving handmade gifts–with more modern trends. One vignette imagines Mrs. Stickley preparing to wrap a kimono, a fashionable gift–as was anything related to Japanese culture–for ladies at the time. The Christmas tree itself is a blend of Victorian and modern times, as it is wrapped with a short string of electric lights, which were the latest thing and quite expensive, but in a nod to custom, the tree also includes candles, which were traditional and still the most popular method for lighting a Christmas tree.

While celebrating the holidays, the Holiday Open House is also meant to provide respite during a hectic time of the year. On the porch of the Log House visitors will be invited to relax and enjoy hot cider and cookies, perhaps take a minute to work on a jigsaw puzzle or send holiday greeting to a friend.

 Join us for the Holiday Open House December 3-4 and 10-11 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Or come for a sneak peek at the holiday décor during our annual trunk show, which opens at 11 a.m. on Black Friday, November 25.

What’s Behind the Closed Doors? is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Join us in a lively old-fashioned harvest celebration which honors the time when Craftsman Farms was a fully-functioning farm. Now in it’s 5th year, Fall Family Day is the Museum’s biggest and best-loved family program. Bring a blanket to picnic on the grounds and take in the colorful autumn beauty of Craftsman Farms. Enjoy a hayride. Try old-fashioned cider pressing. Watch or try your hand at woodworking, pottery and other handicrafts. Enjoy live music when you try “Square Dancing with Sue.” In between square dances, enjoy the classic fun-filled group game “Simon Says.”

Pumpkin painting will be a part of this exciting afternoon, with all children invited to pick and paint a pumpkin to take home. Fall Family Day wouldn’t be complete without the ever-popular Balloon Cow Craft or old-fashioned children’s carnival-style games, like rubber duckie ring toss, and sack and 3-legged races.

Delicious goodies, including apple cider, cider doughnuts, and a variety of tasty boxed lunches will be on sale from Apple Spice Junction. Visitors will also want to check in at the Museum’s General Store, which will sell a variety of souvenir and sundries.

The event will also feature an Open House at the Stickley Museum, which was the Stickley family home and was designed by Stickley to be the centerpiece of Craftsman Farms.

Fall Family Day is made possible by a generous grant from the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany Foundation.

When?
Saturday, September 24 from noon to 4 p.m.

Where?
On the grounds of Craftsman Farms

How Much?
$5 for Member Children and $7 for Non-member children
Adult admission is $7.
To defray the cost for entire families, adults accompanying children are admitted free.

More info?Call 973-540-0311

September 24 Fall Family Day to be the Best Yet! is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

On Friday, the Stickley Museum Summer Camp wrapped up lively week filled with nature activities, crafts, games, stories, outdoor fun, and new friendships.

Campers went on a Nature Scavenger Hunt gathering leaves, pine cones, wildflowers, stones, and twigs. They used these natural materials in craft projects including leaf printing on fabric and creating handmade Nature Sketchbooks. They also learned how Stickley used and respected materials from nature. They learned about Stickley’s focus on craftsmanship and put these ideas into action making their own wooden clocks with parts donated by Schlabaugh & Sons. After learning about the pottery of the Arts and Crafts movement they used clay to make hand built pots.

Each day the campers got to know a different room in the Log House, and learned stories about Craftsman Farms history about the Stickley family. By the time they gathered for their end-of-camp ice-cream party, they were able to retell many stories about Gustav Stickley and Craftsman Farms.

Our Summer Camp Was a Hit! is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Full & Half-Day Camps for Ages 6 – 9
August 3 – 7 and August 10 – 14

Summer Camp at The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms features creative, hands-on, low-tech activities exploring crafts, nature, history, and more. For children age 6 – 9, camps offer old-fashioned fun designed to spark imaginations plus flexible full or half-day options; in-and-outdoor activities (as weather permits) in a beautiful park-like setting; small enrollment; and experienced, professional adult instructors. To download the registration form, click here. For more information, call 973-540-011 or email info@stickleymuseum.org.

Summer Camp

August 3 – 7 and August 10 – 14
Morning Camp: 9:00 a.m. – 12 noon
Optional Supervised Lunch Hour (lunch not provided): 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Afternoon Camp: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Fees:

$145 for Member Children
$170 for Non Member Children
Optional Supervised Lunch Hour (lunch not provided): $10

Craftsman Farms Summer Camp is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Don’t forget about our upcoming Fall Harvest Family Day! The day will include square dancing, hayrides, pumpkin painting, butter churning, apple cider pressing, rug hooking demonstrations, quilt making demonstrations, potato printing, simple crafts for younger kids, 1910 carnival-style games like clothes pin in the milk bottle, and a general store featuring old fashioned candy, cider, doughnuts, and a mum sale.

The Fall Harvest Family Day is partially funded by a generous grant from the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.

Fall Family Day Is Next Weekend! is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Parsippany Focus has a great piece on our upcoming Fall Harvest Family Day!

The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms invites visitors of all ages to greet autumn’s arrival at its annual Family Day, on Saturday, September 20, from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 p.m. on the grounds of Craftsman Farms. A National Historic Landmark nestled on 30 pristine acres of woodlands, Craftsman Farms is the former home of visionary designer, Gustav Stickley and his family. Adults and children will delight in glimpses of early 20th century farm life. The special afternoon will feature a performance by the Ironia Reelers Square Dancers from Randolph, New Jersey, and include apple cider pressing, butter churning, and old-fashioned hayrides around The Farms. Families will also enjoy craft activities like pumpkin painting and old-fashioned, carnival–style games.

Via Parsippany Focus – All Local, All Parsippany

The Fall Harvest Family Day is partially funded by a generous grant from the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.

Parsippany Focus on Fall Harvest Family Day is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Low-tech, hands-on, old-fashioned fun awaits children age 6 – 9 enrolled in our Stickley Kids Day Camps. Led by experienced, professional, adult instructors, the morning day camps (9:00 a.m. – 12 noon) will include indoor and outdoor activities (as weather permits) taking full advantage of Craftsman Farms’ beautiful park-like setting.

Historic stories from The Farms will kick off each day. The week of August 4 – 8 is planned for HandCrafters, who will make a clay tile, marbleize paper, paint with watercolors, and more. In Builders Camp, the week of August 11 – 15, campers activities include making handkerchief parachuters, mini-sailboats, and a small model house. Both camps will feature their projects in an exhibition for family and friends on Friday.

HandCrafters Camp: August 4 – 8

Builders Camp: August 11 – 15

Member Tuition: $160 and Non-Member children: $180

Advance registration is required. Click here for Registration Form.

Stickley Kids Summer Day Camps is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Saturday, September 20 from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Hayrides, apple cider pressing, butter churning, pumpkin painting, and more will await families at our upcoming Fall Harvest Family Day on Saturday, September 20 from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. Plans are underway for this special event featuring activities that will give visitors a glimpse into farm life from the early 1900s. Fall Harvest Family Day is the final Family Day of 2008. If you haven’t experienced a Family Day this past year, be sure to mark your calendar. Activities are planned with children in mind, but old-fashioned fun doesn’t have an age limit. Guests of any age are invited to take a turn at the games table, join the hayride, shop for penny candy or simply stroll the grounds under the turning leaves. Craftsman Farms is a perfect place to spend a fall afternoon!

$5 Members and $7 Non Members

Adults $5 or Free if accompanied by a Child

For this and other upcoming events at Craftsman Farms, visit our website.

Fall Harvest Family Day is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms