crafts
Crafts Hacks for makers; a digital vision board with clever tips, ideas, techniques and materials for DIY creations.
In Praise of Embroidery
A long time ago, 1860 to be exact, a young Swiss man Arnold Zuppinger sailed to Manhattan to sell his father’s goods. Arnold was the son of a wealthy Zurich textile manufacturer who owned a silk mill in the French Alps. Zuppinger’s raw and woven high quality silk would win international recognition for excellence in 1862.
By Diane Helentjaris5 years ago in Lifehack
Iridescent and Irresistible Pearl Buttons
Riding the sea of black robes, the killer whale sparkled a message of inclusion and heritage. Created from pearl buttons, scarlet, and black cloth, the whale was the central motif of the button blanket draped over Christina Gray’s shoulders. It proclaimed the young woman’s membership in the whale clan of the Tsimshian indigenous people. Atop her head, a woven cedar bark hat served as an exclamation point. No other lawyer called to the Ontario bar that June day in 2015 wore such dramatic garb.
By Diane Helentjaris5 years ago in Lifehack
Crocheting Nature
I'm not really sure when it started. I don't remember waking up one day and thinking, "I'm going to crochet a version of every organism I find in the woods that really speaks to me." I never planned to write multiple crochet patterns for very specific mushrooms, or to construct a cicada with yarn and plastic, but I suppose the past year has taught us all surprising things about ourselves. My surprising thing, apparently, is that I love to crochet mini versions of the natural world.
By Sarahmarie Specht-Bird5 years ago in Lifehack
SEWING FOREVER
Sewing machines can often be complicated and very confusing to anyone new to the craft of sewing. Investing in a sewing machine that simplifies the process makes it easier to learn how to sew and discourages frustration and defeat. Choosing a beginner sewing machine does not mean sacrificing extra features and functionality. These ten machines support the novice through simplicity of design and manage to retain the extra features that can take sewing skills to the next level.
By Dandelionclub5 years ago in Lifehack
MACRAME FOREVER
Knotting—or macramé—is one of many crafts being revived by those who love working with their hands. Just like surface embroidery, quilting, and needlework are seeing a bump in popularity, macramé is being transformed from a 1970s relic into a hot, trendy art form.
By Dandelionclub5 years ago in Lifehack
ORIGAMI FOREVER
Origami is an entertaining and challenging art no matter how old you are. Starting with very simple projects, like paper balloons and hopping frogs, and working your way up to some of the amazing projects below is often a slow but satisfying process that will really make you feel accomplished when you see the final product.
By Dandelionclub5 years ago in Lifehack
Weaving Little Wonders
For centuries, the optical miracle known as the rainbow has fascinated mankind. Ancient philosophers argued about how many colors it actually contained, whereas during Greek and Roman times people believed that rainbows were arched gateways the goddess Iris used to bridge the gap between humans and immortals. Many are familiar with the account in the Bible after the flood, wherein God promises Noah he will never destroy the Earth in that manner again, and as proof of that promise he gave humans the rainbow. This Biblical account is one of my favorite morals, because it depicts the rainbow as a symbol of hope and better times ahead and shows how powerful promises can be. Rainbows can be seen after a torrential downpour, their brilliant rays of light blanketing the sky like a beacon in the middle of a storm. They’re a reminder of better things to come, of hope that looms on the nearing horizon.
By Allison Keller5 years ago in Lifehack
Crepe Paper and Creativity
Hot glue sticks, floral tape, 180 gram Italian crepe paper, heavy-duty scissors, and chalk pastels cover my coffee table. My fingers are coated in orange chalk and tiny flecks of hot glue. At this point, it’s likely I’ve burned my fingerprints away by continually pinching daubs of not-yet-cooled glue. Sometimes, it’s necessary to make something beautiful.
By Christine Young5 years ago in Lifehack
The Consuming Fire
It does not matter what craft or project you enjoy, its more than the craft you see visually. Its an expression of the soul. A little piece of who you are that comes from deep within that manifests visually for others to see, touch and enjoy. As a spoken word has life, so does the creation of our hands when crafted from the pool of emotion that we pour into our projects. Creativity burns within us like a fire that must be released and as it is outwardly expressed, it consumes others. It has and impact on our world and whether it be writing, singing, scultpting, knitting, carving, or even architecture. Doent matter the medium, it can bring us peace and stike a memory or an emotion for our audience. The art of someone elses creativity sparks mine, music. Music has a great impact on my creativity whether im welding or carving and listening to heavy metal. Something high energy or something slower like country or love songs while I draw, paint, or write. I do many crafts and mediums but ultimately, its the burning of emotion within me that must be expressed. Creativity must be released, its how a creative person was designed. My peace does not come from the work of creating but the expression of what I carry inside me. Sometimes my anger comes out in a fiery dark painting or love through a drawing of my son. Creativity can affect others as much as the artist though. A drawing I did for my aunt who lost her son or the right words through the gift of wriring has brought healing to a family. Sometimes crafting can just make a great decor but its really a portal that takes us somewhere else in our mind. Crafting gives both the artist and audience a tranquility and peace that is hard to find anywhere else even if just for a moment. To all of us who are creative enough to tap into our the well of emotion in our souls enough to express it and touch others on a level they themselves may not even understand. The world thanks you.
By Levi dotson5 years ago in Lifehack
Inner Peace
Whenever I have been asked what creative activity I turn to when searching for inner peace, I have always had trouble answering. In all truth, anything that is creative is peaceful too, and it depends on my mood and the situation at hand. I find peace in painting mini-village pieces, drawing traditional and digital art, writing poems, working on my stories, taking photographs, and creating a needlepoint canvas design.
By Elizabeth Townsend5 years ago in Lifehack
LET'S GET CREATIVE!
Good Morning ladies and gentlemen. In today's class we are going to crochet tunsian graphcan pattern. The first thing to know about crocheting is that patterns are designed for different levels of expertise. There are beginner patterns which is like the granny square used to make blankets or ponchos and there intermediate level and expert levels. This pattern can be determined as either intermediate or expert (difficult). Like the corner-to-corner crochet pattern and the Graphgan. The corner-to-corner crochet is a lesson for a different day and personally I find it a little more challenging.
By Khadijah Ameena Hamidah5 years ago in Lifehack
