Fill a quart size glass jar with one pint of heavy cream. Screw on the lid, making sure it is tight. Have your children take turns shaking the jar until the butterfat separates from the cream, about an hour.
Pour the contents of the jar through a plastic mesh strainer. Use a wooden spoon to push the butter into a bowl with a lid. Add salt to taste, using the wooden spoon to mix it into the butter.
If desired, butter can be colored by juicing a carrot. Put several peeled full size carrots in a blender and set the machine to pulse with a tablespoon of water per carrot. Squeeze resulting juice through cheesecloth, then mix carrot juice into the butter.
Mix one packet of instant yeast with one tablespoon of white sugar. Let stand 5 minutes until bubbles form. Blend 2 eggs into the yeast mixture.
Mix together 3 cups whole wheat flour and one teaspoon salt in separate bowl. Cut 1/2 cup vegetable shortening into the flour mixture until it forms a crumbly mass when squeezed together.
Pour yeast and egg mixture into flour mixture. Knead well until dough feels very pliable and stretches easily. Divide into two equal pieces.
Place each piece on a nonstick cookie sheet or in a bread pan. Bake at 375 degrees F until bread begins to turn golden on top, about 30 minutes. Allow it to cool, then serve it with homemade butter.
Place the beeswax into the top of a double boiler. Melt it over low, steady heat until it becomes liquid.
Cut cotton string into 18-inch lengths. Hold string about 4 inches from the end. Dip it into melted beeswax, then pull out and hold for 10 seconds, repeating three to four more times.
Roll the candle on a flat surface after every third or fourth dipping to help keep the candle smooth and even along the string.
Keep dipping until the candle is at least 1 inch in diameter at the end furthest from your hand when dipping.
Let candles continue to cool and harden overnight. Store in a cool, dry place.
Gather black walnuts from a nearby wooded area. Be sure to ask permission from the property owner. Place in a large stockpot and allow to soak for several days.
Once the green outer husks have split and loosened, put on plastic gloves and strain out the nuts, leaving the hulls in the water. Heat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, then turn oven off. Place the nuts on a cookie sheet in the warm oven until they dry.
Bring the stock pot with the nut hulls to a rolling boil. Boil for 30 minutes, then allow the water to cool. Strain out the hulls, reserving the now-black water. Remove one quart of the water and boil down in a separate pan until there is only a pint. This will make ink.
Bring the original stockpot of water back to a rolling boil. Add 9 quilt blocks to pan. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly with a long wooden spoon.
Allow the water to cool, then strain out the quilt blocks. Squeeze out any excess water, then dry the quilt blocks by laying them flat. Iron if needed after drying.Repeat this technique using onion skins for a yellow color, or tea bags for an antique look. You can also try using berries, flowers or leaves. Note what colors result from each attempt.
Use the dyed quilt blocks to make a 9-patch quilt. You can donate your nine patch quilts to a local homeless shelter or children's home.