I confess that I am one of those Girl Scouts who liked doing arts and crafts projects at troop meetings. I still like doing handwork at home and workshops.
I admit this reluctantly, however. Too often I hear women dismiss “arts and crafts” as the sign of a wimpy, faux troop. Not REAL Girl Scouts, they smugly imply.
Well I disagree. Real Girl Scouts want arts and crafts. We had arts and crafts badges for a century, before the 2011 program change ushered in journeys and all-STEM, all the time. There were a handful of art badges, but some of those have already been discontinued.
But it’s time to go back to the craft cupboard. Offline, analog hobbies are trending–and upcoming badge releases will apparently revive this category.
Here are some highlights of past arts and crafts badges.
Girl Scout Handicrafts and Hobbies on Display
The newest exhibition at the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital headquarters celebrates artsy, crafts badges and the myriad media they encompass.
Few of these badges come from our second century of Girl Scouts. Instead, almost all were available before 2011. Names and designs changed and skills were regrouped, but Girl Scouts were always encouraged to work with their hands.
Every girl has creative ability, which grows with use.
Leader Magazine (May 1938)
Knitting
Girl Scouts of a certain age know exactly what I mean by “the 1963 Cadette sweater.” A knitting pattern for a “Trefoil Sweater” appeared on pages 98-99. I never tackled it, but girls who did kept them with pride.
I saw versions in at least four different colors at the closing ceremony for the Edith Macy Center this March–more than 60 years after the handbook was published.
And have to brag–my daughter went to a high-pressure, all-magnet high school. Her Gold Award project was creating a knitting club at the school. Knitting is a positive way to relieve stress that produces useful results. Students and teachers knitted during classes all year.
Textiles and Fibers
The large hooked rug on display was made by Brownie Troop 427 of Haymarket, Virginia, in 1987. Every person attending a Girl Scout birthday event that year was invited to place a few stitches and to sign the backing.
It is typically on display at the Council Equipment Center.
Metal Arts, Glass, and Ceramics
Metal Arts might have been the least popular Cadette badge in the 1960s and 1970s, but Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low was an accomplished blacksmith herself.
Our collection includes tin-punched lanterns, glazed tiles, ceramic figurines–even a Girl Scout ashtray! That’s a craft project you won’t find at camp anymore.
Puppets and Toys, Drawing and Painting
We have simple toys made by girls as well as a collection of council holiday cards chosen from girl submissions. We even have a century-old watercolor paint set and cookie-scented pencils.
Scrapbooking and Papercrafts
Girl Scouts use paper in multiple ways besides their handbooks. They make their own paper, origami animals, custom gift wrap, and decoupage boxes. Girls Scouts of 1938 could buy their own scrapbooks to record their memories, a tradition that continues today. While there were few official national (GSUSA) scrapbooking badges available in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, the hobby was back in fashion by 2006. Participants at the 2008 National Council Session in Indianapolis received a special scrapbook kit in their SWAG bags.
Many councils created their own badges to follow the trend. Shops stocked a variety of Girl Scout albums, pages, and stickers.
Sewing and Clothing Design
Girl Scout badges have always encouraged sewing. From home decorations to prom gowns and uniforms, Girl Scouts could design and sew almost any item they could need or want.
Early Girl Scouts learned the basics from the Needlewoman badge then progressed to Dressmaker. They might buy “make-up” kits containing everything needed to make their own uniform: fabric, patterns, and buttons.
Others chose to upcycle old clothing with Girl Scout themes. In the 1970s some cookie prizes were iron-on transfers instead of patches, and girls redrew favorite patches or Pre-Try-Its with fabric paint.
Decorative Arts
Badges in decorative arts, printing, and textiles encouraged girls to decorate their projects with embroidery, stencils, and stamping. Girl Scouts have tie-dye since the Craftsman badge of 1920!
Over the years, the Girl Scout Equipment Catalog has included a variety of craft kits, ranging from embroidery to macrame. The 1971 catalog, for example, had a four-page spread of craft kits.
Needlecraft and Embroidery
A variety of needlework kits were offered by the Girl Scouts, some sold in catalogs and other by outside vendors. They usually featured a version of the Girl Scout Promise.
The first design appeared on the cover of the October 1938 American Girl magazine.
Troop activities are all about balance–and what the GIRLS want to do. Hopefully more creative work will be encouraged in the future.
© 2026 Ann Robertson, writer, editor, Girl Scout historian, but NOT a Girl Scout employee.