Dried-Pepper Hangings

Make a Dried Bouquet
Grade Levels: K - 8

Gathering and drying flowers was a popular fall activity during the Colonial era in America. The bouquets added a touch of color to the drab dwellings and provided pleasant smells as well. Many people still enjoy drying flowers.

Objectives:
Students will learn about the hobbies of Colonial women.
Students will learn how to make bouquets of dried flowers and peppers.

Materials:
For dried-pepper hangings, use the following:
Copies of the Dried-Pepper Hangings Instruction Sheet
Some sharp knives
Tapestry needles
Strong thread
Scissors
Green and/or red peppers

For dried-flower bouquets, use the following:
Flowers and plants that will air-dry (baby's breath, bittersweet, heather, milkweed pods, bayberry, straw flowers, thistle, corn, goldenrod, cattails, wheat, hydrangea)
Scissors
Heavy string

Procedures:
Hand out the Dried-Pepper Hangings Instruction Sheet and review the information with your students.
Use class time to create the pepper hangings or tell students they will receive extra credit if they choose to make a dried pepper hanging at home.
Finished dried arrangements make attractive hangings for the classroom while students learn about the Thirteen Colonies.
As an extension activity, make dried-flower bouquets. Explain to students that Colonial women spent most of their energies providing food, clothing, and shelter for their families, but somehow they saved a little time and space for a patch of flowers. Bouquets of dried flowers often hung in 17th-century homes to serve as air fresheners.
Instruct students to pick and cut the flowers or plants when they are in bloom.
Tell students to sort and arrange bouquets, then tie them with heavy string.(Remind students to make sure there are no insects on the bouquets because they can interfere with the drying process.)
Help students hang the bouquets upside down by the string in a warm, dry place.
Excerpt from America: Ready-to-Use Interdisciplinary Lessons & Activities for Grades 5-12

Dried-Pepper Hangings Instruction Sheet
Having enough food to eat was a constant concern for the early New England colonists. They feared hunger and starvation, especially during the last weeks of winter. In the fall season, they prepared and stored as much food as possible for the coming months. One common Colonial method of food preservation was air-drying fruits and vegetables. The Indians taught the Pilgrims what foods to preserve and how to sun-dry them. When winter came, the fruits and vegetables were soaked in water and cooked. In the meantime, strings of dried fruit and vegetables hung in many Colonial homes. They not only helped feed the colonists during the winter months, but they also decorated homes and created pleasant scents. Two common vegetables that were hung and dried included peppers and corn.

Some of the easiest and most attractive hangings can be made using red or green peppers. Try making a pepper hanging by following these easy directions.

Materials Needed:

Sharp knife
Needle and strong thread
Scissors
Green and/or red peppers
Steps to Dried-Pepper Hangings:
Wash and dry several red and/or green peppers.
String peppers with a needle on a piece of strong thread.
After stringing the peppers, hang them in a high place where they will receive good ventilation.
(Optional) You may want to string the peppers in clusters instead of in a row. For a touch of brightness, tie a yarn bow at the top of the cluster. Dried pepper hangings add an attractive decoration to any room and make delightful gifts.