You can make beautiful stationery, cards, wrapping paper, and other artwork by printing with leaves and other found objects from nature. Water-soluble printing inks work well, but almost any ink or paint can be used for nature printing, so try whatever product you … Read More

In this age of email and texts, receiving a handwritten note is a treat. It’s especially charming to get one on a handmade card. All three of the following patterns use the slow stitching needlework style, with each version a bit more challenging than … Read More

A whole world of sewing opens up when you master drawing with thread. We like to use a sharp pencil, chalk, or vanishing ink pen to sketch some guidelines on the surface before stitching. Come up with your own motifs, use templates, or just improvise … Read More

Artists make sculptures out of all sorts of materials, including stone, wood, glass, and wire. Some sculptures are small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, and some are large enough to fill a gymnasium. Luckily, you don’t need special tools or materials … Read More

In unusual times, crafting can be powerful therapy. We’re invited to slow down, focus on the project at hand, and be fully present in the moment. Lea Redmond’s inventive Knit the Sky scarf is a fun and satisfying way to combine crafting with mindful nature … Read More

Calendula is one of those herbs whose flowers seem to contain their own source of light. If you’ve ever grown it in your garden, you’ve likely experienced yourself the deep, warm glow emanating from calendula’s fiery yellow-orange blooms. So it comes as no real surprise … Read More

There is something magical about being part of a practice that traces back through the centuries. The history of quilting is one of countless stories and untold hours with needle, thread, and cloth. From a utilitarian point of view, the fact that we still make … Read More

Paper opens a whole new world of weaving. These Swedish stars are made using a traditional Scandinavian paper weaving technique. You can choose to work with the most ubiquitous of papers — newspaper, brown craft paper, maps, sheet music, or even pages from used books. Read More

The world of tapestry weaving offers remarkable possibilities. It requires certain skills, but this shouldn’t keep you from dipping your toes into that water. Many of those skills aren’t difficult to learn. More important, those remarkable possibilities are very intriguing! There are two basic facts … Read More

I’ve never been one to make resolutions. In fact, I’m not a planner at all. My natural inclination is to “plant ideas” and wait for them to flower at some later time (which they seem to do almost unconsciously, often surprising me). It was probably … Read More