Paper Quilts

• If you do not have access to fabric, needles and thread for every scout, you can still perform a quilting project using paper squares. Explain that quilts were often made from fabric recycled from worn garments, such as an old baby blanket or a flannel pajama shirt. Reproduce the ideas and aesthetics behind patchwork quilts by asking scouts to make their own miniature paper quilt. Give each scout a sheet of paper and a tube of water-soluble craft glue. Before the troop meeting, cut paper of many shades and patterns into squares. Provide the students with these squares and ask them to glue them onto their papers in rows, mimicking a patchwork quilt.
  
  

Quilt Sqaures

• Give each scout at least two squares of fabric featuring different colors and patterns, as well as a sewing needle and spool of thread. Teach scouts how to thread the needle and tie a knot connecting the ends of the thread so it cannot slide off. Guide them through the process of sewing the squares together, keeping the seam on the side of the fabric you do not wish to be visible. Explain that if you were making an entire quilt, you would repeat this process hundreds of times before adding a layer of stuffing and a solid sheet of fabric for backing.
  
  

Historical Quilt

• Reproduce a 19th century environment while your troop carries out quilting crafts. For example; hold a troop meeting that resembles an 19th-century school session. Invoke the era by donning an old-fashioned outfit and checking children’s fingernails for cleanliness when they arrive. Explain to scouts that quilts are an American historical touchstone and have been present throughout American history, making an appearance during historical periods, from the first European settlers in New England, to the gold rush era of the mid-1800s in the western part of the country. Show scouts pictures of old historic quilts or bring in a family heirloom quilt for them to examine if you have one.
  
  

Troop Quilt

• Ask each scout to decorate a square so you can assemble a troop quilt. If you do not have access to fabric and sewing supplies, ask students to decorate a square of paper by drawing or writing on it. If you have fabric squares, give each scout a piece of iron-on material and ask them to cut it into whatever shape they like. You can then iron these designs onto square patches of fabric to save time and eliminate the necessity for technical sewing. Ask scouts to create designs that commemorate memorable experiences your troop has had, since quilts were historically used as vessels of memory. Make all squares, whether paper or fabric, uniform in size. If you are making a paper quilt, glue the patches onto a large sheet of butcher paper when they are complete. If you are making a fabric quilt, assist scouts in sewing the edges together once everyone finishes decorating a patch.