Cooperative Living May 2015 - 23

CAUGHT IN THE WEB by Laura Emery, Field Editor
Let Your Inner Crafter
Blossom Online
For direct links
to suggested websites,
visit www.co-opliving.com.
C
rafting is an outlet for creativity that comes in many forms. It can be an adventure in buttons and beads, glitter and
glue sticks, stitches and stencils. The allure lies in the fact that raw materials - cloth, yarn, paper, paint, thread -
can be manipulated into something remarkable and unique with the perfect combination of time, effort, and imagination.
You can produce something beautiful or functional (and sometimes beautifully functional) that can satisfy a
basic need or make someone happy. A clever craft has the power to bring people together - families, friends, strangers.
With the blossoming popularity of pinning sites like Pinterest, getting your craft on is easier than ever. Be inspired and look
at the things around you in a different way. Sometimes, inspiration for the most amazing projects comes from ordinary, oftenoverlooked
objects. Plastic spoons aren't just for sipping soup; they can be turned into a beautiful chrysanthemum mirror.
Aluminum foil isn't just for wrapping your food; it can be punched into beautiful silver circles for a modern dot wall-art project.
For more inspiration, check out the following websites and let your creative self be awakened and inspired.
www.pinterest.com
Pinterest truly is every
crafter's or creative person's
paradise. It's a visual
discovery tool and online
pinning board that can be
used to find ideas for craft
projects and much more.
For example, if you want to
know how to transform
simple plastic spoons into
a beautiful chrysanthemum
mirror, simply type in
" spoon mirror " and a
variety of photos will
appear. Those photos, if
clicked, will lead you to
blog entries, tutorials,
videos, or photos of all
things related to spoon
mirrors. But if you're not
ready to take on a certain
craft, simply store it on your
pin board and it'll be there
as a reminder later when
you have some extra time.
This is the beautiful thing
about Pinterest - which
is why smart crafters
regularly stalk this popular
pinning site.
www.auntpeaches.com
Hardcore crafters tend to
have a lot of cool materials
sitting around at their disposal,
items like cardstock in all
shades of the rainbow, funky
stamps, bags stuffed with fabric
in wild patterns, and a
cocktail of glitters and glues.
But the average person may
not have many of these items
in their home. This website is
for that person, as Peach (the
blogger) most often uses normal
" everyday people " items
for her craft projects. Her website
is as unique as her personality.
Her description of herself
says it all: " I'm Peaches: aunt,
artist, wannabe photographer,
expert city dweller. My hands
are always moving. My toenails
are tangerine. I'm really
good at procrastinating. "
Here, you can make hot-gluegun
confetti hearts, intricate
paper flowers, 10-minute bead
mosaics, painted thrift-store
purses, kid-art luminaries, and
much more. Most importantly,
you'll have fun doing it.
May 2015/www.co-opliving.com
www.craftster.org
Craftster.org is an online community
that helps crafters and
DIYers find loads of ideas, advice,
and inspiration. Hundreds of thousands
of free craft projects are at
your fingertips. The content is
easy to read, and comes with a
touch of humor. Users post pictures
of craft projects they have
made and others comment and
ask questions about how they
were made. You can find everything
from quilting-project patterns
to tutorials on how to mold hot
glue or make a needle-felted rug.
craftgawker.com
The mission of this website is
simple: to inspire. And that isn't
hard when there is such a wide
assortment of crafts portrayed
with beautiful high-quality photos
and easy instructions. Discover,
search, and share arts and crafts
- like making black thumb succulents
out of foam sheets. Or, like
making your own pretty bow shirt
with a free sewing tutorial. It's all
here - and you'll leave this website
feeling confident to be crafty.
www.littlethingsbring
smiles.com
While the blog's owner
has taken a hiatus from posting
to care for a newborn,
the crafting archives remain
- and her craft projects are
remarkable enough to
peruse even if the blog isn't
being updated regularly.
Among the many fascinating
projects (shown with gorgeous
photos) are tutorials
on how to make a stunning
acorn wreath, an almond
tree, rustic snowflakes, felt
flowers, book letters (a very
cool project!), homemade
heart-shape raviolis, split
pea wreath, and sliced
wood wall art. Oh, and
plastic spoon mirrors! She
writes her craft-project
instructions so that even the
most craft-challenged folks
will walk away feeling like
they could do any project -
an " if she can do it, I can do
this " kind of confidence. This
website is definitely worth a
visit. 
21
LAURA EMERY PHOTO

http://www.co-opliving.com http://www.auntpeaches.com http://www.craftster.org http://www.littlethingsbring http://www.pinterest.com http://www.Craftster.org http://www.smiles.com http://www.craftgawker.com

Cooperative Living May 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living May 2015