Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Your Turn
After seeing an issue of Martha Stewart's magazine, I wonder if anyone actually crafts out there. I mean someone must go to Michael's right? Do you craft? Knit? Scrapbook? Are these things people do or are they projects people think they are going to do and buy all the stuff, but never actually do?
All the freaking time. I do buy double the amount of stuff I actually use though and refer to Michaels as the "crap store"...as in more crap I covet but don't need.
ReplyDeleteI still have the unfinished cross-stitching present I was making for my mom for Mother's Day one year. It was of her favorite poem, the Footprints one.
ReplyDeleteThat was from 2002.
I knit to pass the time when waiting at Ork during the day. I don't knit anything but scarfs, but it keeps me busy and people find it oddly fascinating.
ReplyDeleteCrafting, hell yes! Crochet, knit (poorly), quilt (still poorly), and zine making are my primary go-tos.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't buy overpriced craft supplies at big stores. Mostly I rummage around in the recycling or thrift stores for my supplies.
I think some people craft...God, look at Pinterest sometimes. It's kind of terrifying.
ReplyDeleteMy mother crochets blankets, she made 2 for the new baby but she usually starts them and quits half way.
ReplyDeleteI too start crafts and I quit half way. I finished one thing, I forget what its called but you pull small pieces of yarn thru a design on what look likes a carpet. It was a panda bear. I never finish anything.
A hook rug?
DeleteI fucking LOVE to knit! I'm going to start on a cherry red short sleeved sweater tonight. :D
ReplyDeleteNot sure if it counts as "crafting" but I make custom action figures and repaint/minor re-sculpting Transformers figures into new characters (for example, making the new Optimus Prime figure into Nemesis Prime/Scourge by repainting it from red and blue to black, grey, teal and purple).
ReplyDeleteUh, have you ever seen Etsy?
ReplyDeleteHell yeah.
ReplyDeleteKnit, paint, beading, silversmithing, lampwork, sewing, dyeing, I hit Michaels, JoAnns, Hobby Lobby all the freakin time....
I do not craft, but every once in a while if I come across something I want to do or that I think it is a good idea I might tackle it.
ReplyDeleteI sew. I've made a ton of things this year as well as done alterations on clothes (I've gained a few pounds this year :( )
ReplyDeleteLove craft stores. I buy a few things I don't use but for the most have made scrap book collages, floral arrangements and the acrylic paints bring back to life any nonporous objects. I just hate the traffic I have to endure just to get there.
ReplyDeleteNo, not at all.
ReplyDeleteDo all kinds of things all the time. Have a dozen or so half finished projects around the house. I find inspiration all over - Martha Stewart, Lowes.com, pinterest, various blogs. I bought a house a few months ago and realized I had very little money to decorate and Goodwill plus crafting has helped me to pull things together.
ReplyDeleteThat said, there are bits and pieces of various projects -- stamping being the most expensive -- all over.
not really. basically crfating is done if you really have to - if you are really poor. or a die hard fan of one craft or craft a present with some very personal meaning. of course exeption is crafting with the kids. but other then that - you get ikea stuff which is like the same poorly crafted cheap material with some nicer design. its a craft itself putting some of those things together. i would always buy the high quality. it is important to enjoy the things too.
ReplyDeleteI used to do a lot of cross stitch and embroidery but arthritic hands make it a little too difficult now. If I could afford it, I'd like to make stained glass but it looks like an expensive hobby.
ReplyDelete@Rowdy - haha that's what Patton Oswalt's character in Young Adult does!
ReplyDeleteI crochet, scrapbook (with the kids), make all our holiday cards, and paint. My oldest daughter makes all her own jewelry. Thanks to all that, we're both on a first-name basis with the staff at Michael's and Jo-Ann Fabrics. lol
ReplyDeleteRCB - that rug craft you described sounds like latch-hooking. I used to do that all the time and just bought a kit to teach my 9 year old how to do it. She loves it (so far.)
Oh, and I used to embroider and cross-stitch but I haven't tried either in years.
Yes! Thank you, I almost called my mother to ask what that was called. There's a cool tye dye latch hook set at Michaels that I would love but I bought a lighthouse one a few years ago and never finished it. I'm glad your daughter enjoys it! It is fun but I can't sit still long enough.
DeleteHoly crap - I had a blog devoted to my crafting. I sew, knit, and crochet. I'll do other random crafts but I do not like scrapbooking.
ReplyDeleteI love crafts! Especially mosaics. Michael's is fun, altho' some of the merchandise is tacky (plastic flowers anyone?) but some of it is pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteADORE Martha Stewart, always have.
I craft, but I'm really untalented. I do needlepoint and mosaics and make Christmas ornaments, etc. I'd love to be able to paint, but even my stick figures look deformed.
ReplyDeleteReally I sew, paint and recycle all kinds of things via crafts...don't knock Michael's
ReplyDeleteyes, wreaths and holiday decorations. i have a secret desire to win the lottery and beat those whores on pinterest at their own game, god they are good. 90% of the time I put my creativity into cooking, it's my first love.
ReplyDeleteI craft! I make clothes, purses, soap, lotion, body scrub and lip gloss/chap stick. :)
ReplyDeleteI love doing it.
Oh! I forgot to mention candles and tarts.
DeleteI paint, but is that classified as crafting? Otherwise, no, aside from the odd flower arrangement and door wreath for christmas.
ReplyDeleteI can do anything with hot glue or it's like. Had a bad sewing experience when I got distracted and sewed through my thumb. Since then, it's liquid seam for me;)
ReplyDeleteI'm a low-budget Martha Stewart. I knit, crochet, make candles, bead. I get bored with one and will start another. My craft supplies are hidden everywhere in the house. My husband won't let me buy/start anything new, so I'm making a lot of prayer shawls and scarves for charity to get that bulky yarn gone so I can learn to quilt.
ReplyDeleteMy fav knitting sites are garnstudio. I've printed out about 50 patterns I want to do and have them in a binder. I also blog about my yarn crafts.
I paint, sew, knit, crochet, sculpt, sometimes papercraft, and have a very unhealthy "retail therapy" relationship with fabric, craft, and thrift stores!! I am currently in the midst of going through all the stuff in my sewing/craft room, vowing to never hoard any more supplies until I use what I've accumulated.
ReplyDeleteI sew my kids costumes, have tried my hand at scrapbooking, and decorate cakes like a fool. Yes, Enty, people craft. I think it's probably one of the most popular hobbies in the country, especially since there are so many kinds of crafting.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy making cards, invitations, scrapbooks, and jewelry. Hobby Lobby, Joann, and Michael's are some of my favorite stores!
ReplyDeleteI've just started my own website:
www.mjscreatives.com
I build full-size chairs out of Legos. Does that count as a craft? Too nerdy for this group?
ReplyDeleteI do crafts with my four year old son all the time. I didn't have cable for a long time (divorced FT single mom whose ex won't pay support despite being found in contempt of nonpayment of support) and I wanted to find some stuff to pass the time, have fun, and let his creativity go. My grandmother has severe dementia and it started as doing crafts for her (paper and pipe cleaner flowers I embellished, Indian corn, ect) to decorate the facility she resides in. She loves them, and loves them even more because my son made them. Just two days ago we made a Spongebob out of an actual sponge and he loves it.
ReplyDeleteMy mom bought us DirecTV as a Christmas gift but we still love our crafts :)
I could open my own Michael's store with the craft supplies I have. I paint glassware that I sell, I scrapbook, make cards, knit, crochet, you name it. So glad to see how many other people do too. Have a store on Etsy and on Artfire that I've had to put on hold because I can't keep up, so yes, people do buy handcrafted stuff too.
ReplyDeleteI do not craft, but I live in a world populated entirely by craft fanatics who spend hours on Pinterest.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing good to get pictures into frames.
ReplyDeleteMartha makes me feel so inadequate.
^^^LOL, I love what people can do with legos.
ReplyDeleteI love to scrapbook, and I've transformed the guest room into my work space. I would love to be able to crochet and knit.
@Unknown, I think you're missing the point, hon. Most of us craft to create, not because we can't afford something.
I knit like a mofo. There's like a couple hundred thousand people on Ravelry.com for knitters, crocheter and spinners.
ReplyDeleteDetest Martha Stewart.
@comma chaser - I'm intrigued - do the chairs have cushions? Are they comfortable? I'd love to see a picture!
ReplyDeleteAs for cross stitch, I've made pillows and once over a 3 year period I made a quilt with cross stitch squares of the alphabet that's about 5 X 8 feet - it's hanging in our bedroom. Agree with momster - I did it because it's relaxing and I could get exactly what I wanted. I really miss doing cross stitch.
I hand make holiday cards (I have now accumulated way too much paper, I can do just about any holiday, real or imaginary!!) and make Christmas quilts. One year, I bought YARDS of Christmas patterned material and decided to make quilts for everyone in the family. I bought several packs of cigarettes and spent 3 days (husband out of town, unemployed at the time) all day and night making quilts. Never occurred to me that the quilts would smell like smoke.....oh well, they're washable! I still have plenty of fabric left over and I make them for the occasional 'new' family member, friend or whatnot. Other than that, nope, not talented enough. :)
ReplyDeleteLike Lynette here, I could open a craft store of my own. I sew, knit, crochet, bead, origami, stamp. I'm starting to dabble in making my own beauty products... I have an Etsy store, and sell quite a bit of my handmade wares online, at craft shows, and home parties. My friends have come to expect my handmade goods as gifts, and are quite disappointed if they get something store bought :-]
ReplyDeleteI'm also the "fun mom" in our daughter's circle of friends, we have a craft cabinet stuffed to the gills with supplies & I'm always ready for a mess, so the kids never want to leave!
Seems to be enough of a demand for it given all of the Hobby Lobbies, Jo Ann Fabrics and Michaels stores you see in business. Also since I am out of luck trying to get the craft table that I wanted from Target I have to have Dear Hubby make me one ;>.
ReplyDeleteMy one child would flip his lid for a lego chair! =)
ReplyDeleteWe mainly do holiday crafts and mini projects for kid birthday's and general holidays. it helps immensely that I have access to some professional design peeps though that don't mind taking my ideas and helping execute that side so it doesn't look so amateur.
I friggen LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to craft!! I crochet (and have a stash out of this world and still want more). I make jewelry, embroider, cross stitch... OMG crafting makes me happy and keeps me sane as the mother of four boys.
ReplyDeleteMichaels, JoAnns, and Hobby Lobby are my sooo favorite stores. I could easily spend thousands there and still not have everything I want...
And how disappointing! Tried clicking on many of you crafters' profiles to see your wares & get to know you, but ya'll are private :(
ReplyDeleteOhhh, @Lurky, a craft table!??! That would be awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteI am a crafting maniac! I knit, crochet, sew, cross stitch reproduction antique samplers, macrame, make jewelry, and make miniatures. I'm another person whose house looks more like a craft store than a single family dwelling. Every time I walk into Michael's I spend a couple hundred dollars just on Industrial Chic items.
ReplyDeletenow that I am unemployable...
ReplyDeleteI craft all the time. Just spent the morning painting old jars as candy jars for Halloween to sell at a church function
I make capes for girls. I also craft hand rolled joints to look and smell exactly like cigarettes. It's a true art form, really.
ReplyDeleteI crochet a lot. I'm working on Xmas presents right now. I need to pick up some Martha Stewart Xmas books and get some decorating ideas. We alternate Chanukah and Xmas at our house, and Xmas is this year.
ReplyDeleteMy 9-yr old daughter sews and has her own machine. The projects she makes are amazing.
Oh, and you would be surprised how many crafting supplies are available at dollar stores!
ReplyDeleteI sew and cross-stitch. I want to learn to knit and crochet.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to find stuff to do with my son.
I found EBay to be a good source for out-of-print cross stitch designs and some new ones on discs. Haven't checked into crafting supplies there but it might be a good source.
ReplyDelete@Elly, how old is your son?
ReplyDeleteI have sycessfully criss stutched and done embroidery in the past. I am just terrible at almost any other project- cant cut straight line, glue is all over the place, all my projects scream," made bh 4th grader!" Sad and disappointing, but ive made peace with it.
ReplyDeleteI love crafting, but do not do it near as often as I would like. Also I am not the one who comes up with the fantastic Pinterest ideas.
ReplyDeleteMy friends and I have a group on Facebook and we try to get together once a month to do a different craft. Every month someone hosts and picks the craft and we have a pot luck dinner. It’s pretty fun!
BIG time info crafts...i mostly focus on food crafts (i am a master food preserver)
ReplyDeleteBTW if anyone out there is interested in turning their craft into a business, i co-produce a conference dedicated to indie business and crafting called craftcation
www.craftcationconference.com
Yes, I buy canvas to paint on - they are not very good, but I like them!!!! I also like to re-upholster but not sure if Michael's is the place that I buy the fabric??? But I do agree with the person that said it is a crap store:) I call yard sales - crap sales!!!! One man's junk is another man's treasure:)
ReplyDeleteI have a room devoted to my bead stash. Crystals, semi-precious stones
ReplyDeleteand intricate bead work are my passion. I also crochet. Fire Mountain Gems owns me.
mad knitter here, it's how I meditate and keep from stabbing people. :)
ReplyDeleteah (as the late Whitney Housten would have said,) - hell to the no!
ReplyDeleteBUT, back in the late 1990's watching the Martha Stewart Show was one of the things that helped me get sober. B/c I'd watch from my shitty hotel on 15th and Valencia, thinking that I wanted to be there (in her kitch, with that sort of life -'tis where I grew up), and not here in this shitty hotel room when I became a mom. So it was one of the three things that pulled me up and out. But crafts.........again, Hell to the NO
I build cigar box musical instruments, and assemble effects units. My upcoming project is a kalimba, and after that a mountain dulcimer.
ReplyDeleteI knit, embroider, and sew, but not as often as I should, considering the supplies I have. I keep thinking of awesome things to make for Christmas (one side of my family does a secondhand/handmade gift exchange) and then I get overwhelmed by my long To Do list. Craft Paralysis.
ReplyDeleteI sew dresses for myself and medieval garb for my SCA adventures, knit, and play with beads on occasion. I've made quilts in the past out of leftover fabric from dress projects, and really need to do another at some point to use up some of the more recently acquired scrap fabric. Did embroidery for a while in my teens & early 20s, and could probably take it up again if I really wanted to. Would like to learn to crochet, as I hear it goes a lot faster than knitting. Also, I'm just getting into making perfumes and trying to recreate historical cosmetic recipes, and made my very own batch of Hungary Water recently. (It didn't turn out as well as I would have liked, but I think I know what went wrong, so the next batch ought to be better. I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of right now!
ReplyDeleteI sew, quilt, knit and used to do a lot of needlework and bead work, but hands are too far gone with arthritis to do much anymore. I used to try new recipes with my daughter. I still make all sorts of jams and holiday specials to give to friends. Once your hands go, you are limited.
ReplyDeleteYes! I have done a lot of crafting, and am in the middle of a number of projects right now.
ReplyDeleteI embroider, have done crewel work, crochet, knit poorly and with much assistance, latch hook rugs, quilt, counted cross-stitch, paint, scrapbook and stamp. I also do a lot of canning, especially pickling and jams, jellies, etc.
As for Martha Stewart, I used to love watching, but she lost me a number of years ago on a Thanksgiving-related show. She was demonstrating how to hand shape small turkeys out of marzipan (I think) and then paint them for each place setting. It completely blew my mind that people might do that, and I was done.
I grew up making most of my clothes by the time I hit junior high, so it would have been odd to just quit making things later in life.
There are often weekly coupons for Michael's, at least monthly ones for JoAnne's, and I have found a fair number of supplies at garage or yard sales as well as scrapbooking conventions. It's surprising how low some of the prices are. It doesn't really have to be expensive.
I have my own craftroom. I knit scarves but want to learn to do other things. I am teaching myself to sew and have sewn curtains, halloween costumes, basic mending. I love to paint and have painted a bunch of those silly holiday decorations from time to time. I love flower arranging and have taken classes (I did all of my own flowers for my first and second wedding, and several of my friend's weddings). I also have painted some pictures (my mom has a mountain scene framed on her wall that I refused to sign so no one knows I did it). And now I'm really into jewelry making. My family and friends (at least the girls) are all getting jewelry for Christmas this year.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was more creative and crafted but I'm more of a TV type of girl.
ReplyDeleteI knit and am pretty darn good at it too. I knit while watching TV, keeps me from feeling like I'm wasting time.
ReplyDeleteKnit, crochet, paint in water colors and oils, went through a clay sculpting phase, used to make all my own clothes, my daughters' clothes, and even made the entire layette for my third baby, including stretchy jammies and a quilt with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs handpainted on the squares. I refinish furniture too. I've always been very artsy-craftsy.
ReplyDeleteI half-expect a Crazy Days and Knits group to show up on Ravelry any time now...
ReplyDeleteBtw, I knit and sew, but I definitely have more supplies than I actually use. I can get projects started, but I rarely finish them up all of the way. Even the sweaters I wear have ends that I hid on the backside instead of weaving in, because I just can't get around to doing it. I know how to crochet, too, but I haven't crocheted anything in a while.
little bit of both for me - I am very crafty - just picked up crocheting again and I do floral design and wreaths BUT I also have a shit ton of stuff half finished too.
ReplyDeleteOh and I love Michael's - 2 things of very nice yarn, 3 crochet needles - 7 bucks! Teaching my 26 yr old daughter how to crochet and sending her home with half the stuff i bought? Priceless!
My mum crocheted me a dress in the 70's, it was bright pink with a choker. She also knitted me a big cable jumper which is still my favourite. I wish I had half her skills.
ReplyDeleteI sew a bit. I love customizing clothing for my daughter. The other moms and girls go nuts over it. I'll sew on beads and flowers or do an iron on monogram.
ReplyDeleteMy real passion is cooking and I will make elaborate containers for cookies and treats, mostly using stuff from the dollar store and ribbons with homemade cards.
I do not get pinterest! I like what Martha Stewart has done to elevate crafts and homemaking skills, but her products are crappy and overpriced.
"Unknown said... basically crfating is done if you really have to - if you are really poor."
ReplyDeleteFirst, what a totally snotty and uninformed thing to say. Most people who do crafts don't HAVE to do them, they WANT to do them.
Second, have you seen the price of some supplies? I've bought cashmere yarn that was $50+ for a skein, so clearly, I am not knitting because I am poor. If I needed a scarf, I could buy one for a tenth of that price. But I want an amazing one-of-a-kind piece, so I knit one up.
Third, have you ever been to a show like the American CRAFTS Council where the pieces sell for thousands of dollars? If not, take a look.
Fourth, if you're poor, you probably don't have the spare time to do a lot of crafting, because you're too busy surviving.
candles, scented body powder, incense, crochet, scrap booking and cook! I hardly ever finish any one thing but it keeps me busy.
ReplyDeleteMaking things has given me more pleasure in life than almost anything else. I've been doing arts and crafty things almost my whole life.
ReplyDeleteRight now I do quilting and some home sewing like curtains and pillows, etc...but I've done a lot of other things. There is something very meaningful about making something with your own hands--it's not about the money or trying to diy something you can't afford (altho that can be fun too) its about the creativity and satisfaction.
I also find that it is very theraputic mentally--I find it hard to be depressed or unhappy if my hands are busy--I try to find time to do something creative--just for myself--for a little bit of every day.
I got this bad. I LOVE craft stores, but never craft! Got tons of scrapbooking stuff, the cross stitching thing, the bake on glass ones, etc. You name it I got it sitting in my closet.
ReplyDelete@Comma Chaser
ReplyDeleteThat is totally cool! We are big lego people (my daughter is super skilled) and have 100+ pounds. Building a chair would be awesome.
I knit and sew, but not regularly (except yearly Halloween costumes).
ReplyDeleteI also do origami.
@ Roman Holiday - my friend refers to garage sales as "garbage sales".
ReplyDeleteAlas, I don't have the patience and sticktoitiveness to craft.
I love crafting. Crocheting afghans is my favorite. I'm into the complicated patterns now, but they take forever to finish. I could toss off a granny square afghan in a couple of weeks. Like Pigtown said, it's a hell of a lot more expensive to make something yourself, because the materials get the same markup as the finished products we buy that were made by pennies-an-hour labor. Ditto with sewing your own clothes. MUCH more expensive.
ReplyDeleteI'm really late to this conversation. I've been actively crafty since I was about six years old. I make jewelry and other bead-type things, I do some paper crafts, I sew. I started a crafts co-op and empowerment program for refugee women who've been resettled here. Yeah, I craft. A lot. It helps keep me from offing myself when the world seems bleak and unredeemable.
ReplyDeleteIn all fairness to Unknown, sometimes people make things they can't afford to buy, and other times people buy things they can't afford to make. In the old days, people were used to reusing materials to make new items--ladies' magazines and the like during the Depression and WWII are treasure troves for seeing how women did everything from making kid's clothes out of their cast-offs, or a coat for themselves out of a man's coat, or unraveling/frogging an old sweater to reuse the yarn for a new one--and there's no reason that can't be done now. Usually the biggest problem we have these days is simply a lack of time--it's one thing if you're a stay-at-home mom who can chase the kids outdoors for a few hours so you can sew in, say, 1943, but now you're apt to get arrested just for pushing the kids outside on their own, never mind finding the time between cooking, chores, TV, Internet, etc. to do anything that ambitious.
ReplyDeleteSomething that's worth checking out is all the various mailing lists for giving away or swapping items--FreeCycle in particular can be very good for getting new (for you) materials for crafting projects, esp. when someone else decides to de-cruft their stash. There's also yard sales, Goodwill, and even trashpicking if, like me, you have no shame. :-) (No, I don't go digging through garbage bags, but you'd be amazed at the stuff people put outside, hoping someone else will cart it away!)
not so much any more. its so much cheaper to just buy stuff already made. not to mention faster. and, the kids aren't into it anymore, they're older.
ReplyDeleteLate as use, but so jealous of you talented crafters! We need a "your turn" just for your blogs, tips and etsy shops, I wish I had mad skills!
ReplyDeleteI call my self a pretend scrapbooker, because I really just mount pictures in corner holders and write captions. I keep a bag of tee shirts cause I am desperate to learn how to make a tee shirt quilt.
Luckily I work with kids and can sometimes devote an entire day to crafts and friendship bracelets, so I still try to embrace my inner Martha...
Love crafts!!! I paint, sew,quilling, origami, macrame, pottery, papercraft, and sell all of my stuff at craft shows. i am currently hand sewing my kids halloween costumes, and get the majority of the supplies from goodwill.people give me project that i finish or do for them (no charge) i would love to be on project runway (but hate cameras)or be martha stewart's right hand woman.
ReplyDeletebtw, my favorite booklet is a collection titled foot and mouth paintings that i p/u at a thrift shop many years ago. everytime i look at it i am amazed how beautiful the paintings are, dispite their limitations.these people used their foot or mouth to apply the paint. google it.
ReplyDelete@Unknown....Wow what a bunch of putdown statements.
ReplyDeleteI thought for a moment that the woman who almost singlehandedly ruined two newsgroups on usenet (one of them a celebrity group) was posting again!
To her, being a "master preserver of food" would have meant she managed to make a single jar of noncooked freezer jam!
How could someone who claims to run a craft conference have such negative opinions of crafters??
@Elly said...
ReplyDelete"I sew and cross-stitch. I want to learn to knit and crochet."
If you are going to learn "Continental-style" knitting, make sure they teach you the proper purl rather than the overwrought monstrosity I sometimes see on the American knitting sites. The tension is going to vary anyways, so one might as well learn to purl the easy way.
I LOVE to craft. I go to Michaels and AC Moore at least once a month. I have dabbled in a little bit of everything and have done crafts since I was a little girl. I did a ton of DIY stuff for my wedding to save money. Crafting is the primary reason I'm on Pintrest. I made almost all my Halloween decorations last year from there. I think Martha Stewart is a genius. I really want to learn how to knit and sew. I love finding stuff you can get, as Robin TMP mentioned, at Goodwill, Freecycle and turning it into something else. There is a company here in my town that is kind of like those 1-800 Got Junk guys, but instead of filling up the landfills, they turn old furniture into something useful by local artists. Someone the other day posted a picture of someone that had turned an old dresser drawer into a bar. I'm amazed by stuff like that.
ReplyDeleteFor those of you that go to the craft stores a lot, I downloaded the app Coupon Sherpa that features coupons for AC Moore and Michaels all the time, so you don't have to remember to take the flyer in with you. They have always honored my coupons.