Arts and Crafts Trends: An Overview
Even if you’re a person with a considerable creative bent, there’s probably some type of crafting you’ve never tried before. Here are some of the biggest trends in crafting happening around the world right now, to keep you up to date.
Papercraft
Think of papercraft as a sort of Western form of origami. Instead of doing traditional folds to make cranes out of square pieces of paper, paper crafters make unbelievable and inventive structures. Check out this miniature paper house or wedding bouquet to get an idea of what I mean.
Knitting
Knitting has gone from the pastime of older, homebound folks, to something that all the kids are doing. “Guerilla knitting” has arose as a means of turning knit goods into public art; guerilla knitters come out at night to transform everyday objects into a street art conversation piece. The blog street sloths documents some cool instances of guerilla knitting.
Besides an unexpected turn into the world of street art, knitting has also expanded beyond the realm of sweaters and winter hats. Knitted food, for example, has become a fun novelty. If you’re in the San Francisco area, you can even participate in adult-only knitting salons.
Jewelry Making
Online marketplaces have forever expanded the types and uniqueness of jewelry you can find online. One of the most interesting trends in jewelry making is the repurposing of old goods, such as this necklace made with an old watch casing or this pendant fashioned out of a Scrabble tile. The best part about this new recycled jewelry is that it’s not necessarily kitschy, but can be genuinely beautiful, beyond novelty.
Crochet
Crochet is more than just doilies and fancy tea cozies. Currently, crochet is experiencing a Renaissance in the area of crocheted jewelry. Simple, delicate crochet accents add beauty to necklaces, small crocheted circles make pretty earrings, and the simple accessory of a crocheted ring will bring together an otherwise bland outfit.
Bookbinding and Paper
Ever see a beautifully illustrated, vintage children’s book sitting in a junk shop, and just wish there was some way you could repurpose it into a useful object? You should look into the craft of bookbinding. Crafters are using everything from old seed packets to old nautical charts to build new, blank journals from forgotten paper goods. Others are fancier: leather bound and hand-drawn with scenes from famous Shakespeare plays. Traditional bindings hold together still-different blank books ready to be filled with your ideas.
Paper-making and stationary is another arena that has benefitted from the Internet’s wide market. Want some interesting stationary, but don’t like the hideous, pastel-colored sets available in your local big box store? Because stationary making is an inherently accessible craft (who hasn’t used a pair of safety scissors and crayons to create a mother’s day card?), you can find all sorts of unique, hand drawn, and hand cut paper goods on Etsy. Just 10 years ago there never would have been a market for such a wide variety of ornate envelopes and paper.