Kits are packaged in clear plastic bag with tan colored unpunched hang tag.

Writing Kit

Here is what came before ballpoint pens! Learn to cut and write with a quill pen, or practice your colonial handwriting on a natural slate first.

Contents: feather, quill cutting instructions, handwriting chart, wood framed real slate, soapstone pencil, cedar pencil, wooden ruler, postcard

$7.50
Item # 9180184

Currency Kit

Ever wonder where the phrase "two bits" came from? Learn about the system of money in colonial America, complete with reproduction coins and bills.

Contents: six dollar note, five pound note, twenty shilling note, two different tobacco notes, table of the value of coins, one Spanish dollar coin, two bits, one quarter dollar coin, one half dollar coin, one cloth bag

$7.50
Item # 9180185

Herb Garden Kit

Grow your own herb garden! These herbs are easy to grow from seeds, and will add tasty flavors to your meals. You can't get a fresher seasoning than "picked straight out of the garden"!

Contents: Instructions, 6 seed packets (basil, coriander/cilantro, dill, chives, parsley, sorrel), 6 soil tablets

$2.50
Item # 09180189

Housewife Kit

A "housewife" is a wallet that contains sewing supplies. You will wonder how you got by without one! Now when a button pops off your shirt or trousers, you will know exactly where to go to fix it.

Contents: 2 housewife pieces, wool stuffing, tape, sewing kit (needles, thread, needle threader, scissors, thimble)

$7.50
Item # 9180191

Pockets Kit

"Lucy Locket lost her pocket..."

We wonder how this is possible, when today all pockets are sewn directly to our clothing. But, 18th century pockets were separate garments that tied around a woman's waist. Here is the perfect accessory to your colonial outfit.

Contents: 2 pre-cut pocket fronts, 2 pre-cut pocket backs, 2 yards woven tape, sewing instructions

$7.50
Item # 9180192

Drop Spindle Kit

Drop spindles date back to the time of ancient Egypt, long before the spinning wheel was invented. And, this ancient tool still works! With a little practice, you can turn fluffy wool into yarn for knitting or craft projects.

Contents: Instructions, wooden drop spindle, wool roving

$6.00
Item # 9180187

Wool Roving

This is wool that has already been combed and is ready to spin.

$1.50
Item # 9180691

Toys & Games

Fan Painting Kit

A lady does not want to be without her fan, especially during the summer! You can decorate this fan with your favorite colors or pictures.

Contents: paper fan, watercolor paints, paint brush

$2.50
Item # 09180186

Yo-Yo Painting Kit

Sometimes the simple toys are the best. The yo-yo has been around a long time, and is still fun! Here is one that you can decorate yourself.

Contents: 2 wooden yo-yo halves, 1 wooden plug, string, watercolor paints, paint brush

$2.50
Item # 08180608

9 Men's Morris

This game is centuries old, and it's no wonder; the rules are easy enough for a child to grasp, yet the potential for strategy keeps adults intrigued. Not many games appeal to such a wide age range!

Contents: Instructions, paper game board, 20 glass game pieces

$1.75
Item # 9180190

Quoits

This game is similar to "horseshoes"-- toss the ring onto the stick. How far back can you stand and score?

Contents: Instructions, 2 wooden rings, 1 wooden stick

$6.75
Item # 9180638

Ninepins

Ninepins, the forerunner of bowling, was wildly popular in colonial America. As the name suggests, nine pins were used instead of ten, and they were set up in a square, with three rows of three pins each, like this:

* * *
* * *
* * *

Contents: Instructions, bag, 9 wooden pins, 2 wooden balls

$10.50
Item # 1806059

Pencil: Cedar (top) $0.25

Pencil: Twig (bottom) $1.00

DYE

COLOR(S) PRODUCED

Beginner's Dye Kit

Here is all you need to get started with natural dyeing! All ingredients are safe and non-toxic.

Make reds and pinks with cochineal, yellows and golds with turmeric, and try dyeing one on top of the other to get shades of orange! You can also get greens and purples if you combine this dye kit with the Indigo Kit.

Kit includes: full instructions, cochineal, turmeric, alum mordant, 100% wool yarn

$9.00
Item # 071801626

reds, oranges, yellows

Indigo Kit

Many people hesitate to try dyeing with indigo, because it seems complicated. But with our kit, you will see just how easy it is! Indigo is different from any other dye, because it can only work through fermentation and oxidation.

Kit includes: full instructions, indigo, madder, wheat bran, soda ash

$16.00
Item # 071801627

blues

Alkanet
2 oz. powder (will dye 1 pound fiber)

$3.25
Item # 071801615

purples, grays

Black Walnut
4 oz. hull powder (will dye 1 pound fiber)

$3.75
Item # 071801617

browns, black

Brazilwood
3 oz. sticks (will dye 1 pound fiber)

$6.50
Item # 071801630

reds, pinks

Cochineal
1 oz. insects (will dye 1 pound fiber)

$6.50
Item # 071801618

reds, pinks, purples

Fustic
1 oz. wood chips (will dye 1 pound fiber)

$5.50
Item # 071801619

bright yellows, oranges

Logwood
1 oz. chips (will dye 1 pound fiber)

$4.25
Item # 071801621

purples, grays, black

Madder
4 oz. powder (will dye 1 pound fiber)

$6.50
Item # 071801622

oranges, reds, browns

Turmeric
1 oz. powder (will dye 1 pound fiber)

$1.00
Item # 071801624

yellows, golds

Abigail: Before the Revolution

Published exclusively by the Claude Moore Colonial Farm!

This wonderful work of historical fiction will take you into the lives of a poor farm family in the year 1771. Written by Diane Leatherman, who was one of the Claude Moore Colonial Farm's "farm wives" in the 1970s, it is a perfect way to interest children in the lives of the common folk, not just the rich and famous.

Abigail Jones thinks she is 11-years-old, but she isn’t exactly sure. She knows a few letters but she can’t read. She and her family live during the Colonial Period shortly before the American Revolution. Their lives are hard; they live at a level common to most ordinary people in the 18th century. Their house has a dirt floor and mud and wattle chimney. Abigail is the oldest child in the family and her mother depends on her way too much. Mama was raised in an artisan family as an only child and is ill-prepared to be the wife of a poor tobacco farmer in Virginia, bearing one child after the other. The family lives a harsh existence, by our standards. But the hard work and tedium are occasionally relieved by the Market Fair! Abigail and one of her brothers become apprenticed in different trades; for Abigail it means escape.

64 pages, paperbound with glossy cover
Item # 1018054
$7.95

The Farm Almanack for the Year of Our Lord 1771

Published exclusively by the Claude Moore Colonial Farm!

This handly little volume contains gardening information, colonial recipes, household hints, and 18th century jokes all under one cover! The information in this book is taken from original 18th century sources, and is published by the Claude Moore Colonial Farm for your use and enjoyment.

30 pages, paper bound on natural laid paper hand stiched with linen thread
Item # 1018051
$5.95

The Drinker's Dictionary

In 1737, Benjamin Franklin published a humorous list of 18th century slang for being drunk. Now you will know that someone is burdock'd, chipper, staggerish, or took his drops! Published by the Claude Moore Colonial Farm.

16 pages, paper bound on natural laid paper hand stiched with linen thread
Item # 1018052
$3.00

Virginia Gazette

Get the latest news! The Claude Moore Colonial Farm has printed versions of the following editions of this important 18th century newspaper:

February 14, 1771 (Originally published by William Rind)

June 13, 1771 (Originally published by Purdie & Dixon)

Item # 1018053
$1.50 each

Issues

February 14, 1771 June 13, 1771

George Washington's Rules of Civility

Around 1745, a young George Washington learned correct behavior by writing out these Rules of Civility. Etiquette was very important in the 18th century, and rule books like these have been around for centuries-- even before Washington's time! This book will remind you of some etiquette that you will recognize: "In speaking to men of quality, do not lean, nor look them full in the face, nor approach too near them. At least, keep a full pace from them." It will also instruct you on some 18th century polite behavior that seems strange to us now! "Spit not in the fire, nor stoop low before it."

128 pages, hard bound
Item # 1019466
$24.95

Notecards: The Four Seasons

Four attractive notecards and envelopes, each with an 18th century engraving of a season: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. Attractively packaged and suitable for gifts.

$3.50
Item # 01180814

Notecards: Farm Animals

Now children will enjoy writing notes! These four notecards and envelopes come with a box of crayons to color the farm animals: pig, turkey, cow, and chickens and a twig pencil to write notes.

$4.25
Item # 01180815

The Colonial Cook

Food preparation was a full-time job for colonial women, even those who were assisted by servants or slaves. This book sets the colonial cook in her kitchen, and depicts with beautiful illustrations and photographs how she spent her day and which foods she cooked.

Reading Level: Grade 3
32 pages
Item # 10120700
$8.95

The Blacksmith

The blacksmith was a very important craftsman in colonial times. He made items from iron that were used in the home and on the farm and also made tools used by other tradesmen. Blacksmiths also made horseshoes and shod horses. This book brings the smithy to life through beautiful illustrations, detailed diagrams, and clear explanations.

Reading Level: Grade 3
32 pages
Item # 10120701
$8.95

18th Century Clothing

The clothing of the eighteenth century was a colorful mix of fancy fashions from Europe and homemade threads created from wool, flax, and cotton. Young readers will learn about fashion, the dangerous makeup worn by women and the undergarments that made it hard for them to breathe.

Reading Level: Grade 3
32 pages
Item # 10120702
$7.95

Orinoco Tobacco

Nicotiana tobacum
Annual, 72”, full sun
very fine seed; cover lightly

Warning: all parts of plant are poisonous

Find out more historical information about our tobacco.

$1.75 (1 packet containing approximately 100 seeds)