Winter is Upon Us – Let’s Get Craftsy!
During the long days of summer, time is best spent in parks, on playgrounds, and out in the backyard. The outdoors rule supreme and the warm bright sunshine beckons us out into its glorious glow.
Hey! Where’d the sun go?!?! Awwww – come on man – it’s only 5:30 p.m. and it’s already dark!
When forced to retreat into the shelter and warmth of our homes, due to darkness and lack of warmth outside, time once spent frolicking in the sunshine is now spent indoors with questions looming large, what should we do? What do you wanna do? I dunno – what is there to do?
I petition to you the reader, that when the days grow short, and the indoors dominate our waking hours, there is nothing better to do than get crafty with it! That’s right – get crafty wit’ it!
Time to grab your glue gun, get out the glitter; pipe cleaners and pom-poms are now our tools of the trade. Popsicle sticks and construction paper. Beads and sequins. And feathers – lots of feathers!
Photo by Wendy Piersall, Flickr 3/4/2010 
Pexels.com CC0
Now, more than ever perhaps, we are in need of some distraction. There is power in creating. The spark of imagination and creative power inherit within each of us may be the closest link we have to divinity. For what is more divine, then to create something. To take materials that are separate and distinct in their own right, and to meld them together in creative harmony or discord to reflect and express that which is alive in us.
Sometimes, it can be hard to know where to start. And so I have gathered links and resources that can be utilized to get ideas for new projects and in some cases provide direct instruction with easy to follow steps.
Most of us know of the store Michael’s, the mecca of arts and crafts. Did you know they have multiple craft ideas and classes online daily for free? Sure, they probably encourage participants to buy the materials needed at their store, but that’s okay. You don’t have to, you can get the materials anywhere. A lot of them, you might already have. Or, you can order them from Michael’s and get all the supplies you might need for a great many craft and design projects.
The link for these free classes and ideas is here: michaels.com/onlineclasses
I got the idea for this blog after our little HCQU had a lot of fun doing an online team building activity. Each member of our team got a stencil, piece of lightly stained wood, and some paint. Then we learned how to use the stencil and paint to create designs on our pieces of stained wood. Then by taking some sand paper, we took the shine off the paint and created a more weathered look to give that authentic antiqued look and feel to our projects. It was lots of fun, evoked our creativity, and served as a great team building activity. We all got to work on our own individual projects as a group, and then we held up our masterpieces for each other to appreciate. That project was based out of a store in Erie called Board and Brush and can be found here: boardandbrush.com/erie/
Other sites that I found in a quick and easy google search for free online craft classes included: marthastewart.com
“Crafting can keep us entertained for hours just by doing something different with our hands,” says Alberto Bravo, cofounder and creative director of We Are Knitters. “We usually spend a lot of time looking at our phones, TVs, and laptops, but when you craft you feel that you’re doing something useful just with your hands.”
Listed as, “The Best Crafting Classes You Can Take Online from knitting to painting, here’s how to pick up a new skill from the comfort of your own home.” Let’s face it – nobody knows crafting like Martha Stewart, so learn from the best!
From links to, We Are Knitters with their own youtube channel at youtube.com/channel/UCnCIg3sBb7s1YONq1Qs1dzQ, to Creative Live, which has free photography, art, and design classes online 24 hours a day, you can’t go wrong. creativelive.com
Another free crafting resource can be found at: creativebug.com
At creativebug.com they have several completely free classes on topics like Art + Design, Sewing, Quilting, Paper, Knitting, Jewelry and my personal favorite – Kids – where you can learn to make Galaxy Slime! They also go on to give an option for joining as a paying member giving a great many more class options.
Of course, there are also tons of options and ideas available on sites like Pinterest and a tutorial video for just about anything you can imagine on Youtube. Really, the sky’s the limit, as far as your imagination can take you. So go on a ride, explore your creativity, and encourage those around you to participate in the wonderful process that is creating!
