This nine chapter volume explores creativity in art teaching through contemporary craft. A variety of artists, educators and historians share with readers their wealth of practical resources and frameworks for utilizing craft media (fiber, ceramics, baskets, needlepoint, knitting, etc.) and craft approaches (grassroots projects, digital communities, craftivism, etc.) within contemporary K-12 art education, museum and community programming, and teaching artist residencies. Authors representing a variety of specialties in craft, art, and education examine the resurgence of the handmade and homemade in contemporary youth culture, digital implications of how we define and teach craft creatively, and the overlap of design, function, and beauty in artists’ work. The anthology also describes the challenges and potentialities of working with craft in education settings, including the overarching craft of teaching practices. Each chapter provides a range of creative frameworks and practical models that educators can use comprehensively: from dynamic digital resources, to community groups, and lesson plans and activities in craft with art classes and special needs classes. The book serves to propose a working definition and rationale of the functions of craft in daily life, popular and youth culture, and larger social issues (including craft, D.I.Y., and activism/“craftivism”).

Do something creative every day! In A Year of Creativity, learn how to throw the perfect creative party with your friends—with organizing tips, 25 project ideas, and even recipes for snacks. Can’t meet in person? Organize a virtual party to connect with others as you work on the same craft project. Then share your unique results with creative people all over the world. A "craft date" is a fun get-together with a handful of creative friends in which you surprise each other with craft and DIY projects using cool materials, inspire each other, and make beautiful things together. At each date, a group of participants share a self-made project to be re-created by the other attendees. Materials are individualized for each participant and given as a unique personal gift along with the instructions for the project. A craft date is different than a workshop since you get to choose the lovely people that you invite, and as the organizer, you get to participate in all the projects. Invitees can put their own spin on the project by using their favorite colors, materials, or techniques. This way you end up with a range of different interpretations and results, leading to new inspiration and ideas. A Year of Creativity is a book for everyone with a basic knowledge of crocheting, knitting, and sewing. It does not teach you how to crochet or explain how a sewing machine works. There are plenty of other books for that. What it does do is inspire crafting enthusiasts to make something together, learn from each other, and have fun doing it. You'll find within: An introduction to craft dates and how they work Tips on planning your craft date events Plenty of project ideas (short, long, and cooperative) Plus recipes for party dishes that keep the creative juices flowing You will share ideas, discover new inspiration, and find new friends while creating uniquely beautiful aprons, knit garlands, infinity scarves, haberdashery bags, cards, pencil cases, and more. Have you had a great craft date or are you working on a neat project and want to show it off? There’s a place for this in the craft dates community. On Instagram, for example, you can tag your photos with, or search for the hashtag #craftdates. You can have a look at each other’s work, drum up inspiration for your own dates, invite your Insta-friends, or organize a "blind date" with creative people from your town or city that you don’t know yet. A whole world will open up. A very creative world is waiting for you in A Year of Creativity.

This book brings together cutting-edge research from leading international scholars to explore the geographies of making and craft. It traces the geographies of making practices from the body, to the workshop and studio, to the wider socio-cultural, economic, political, institutional and historical contexts. In doing so it considers how these geographies of making are in and of themselves part of the making of geographies. As such, contributions examine how making bodies and their intersections with matter come to shape subjects, create communities, evolve knowledge and make worlds. This book offers a forum to consider future directions for the field of geographies of making, craft and creativity. It will be of great interest to creative and cultural geographers, as well as those studying the arts, culture and sociology.

SECOND UPDATED EDITION, WITH THREE ALL-NEW CHAPTERS The first edition of Making is Connecting struck a chord with crafters, YouTubers, makers, music producers, artists and coders alike. David Gauntlett argues that through making things, people engage with the world and create connections with each other. Online and offline, we see that people want to make their mark, and to make connections. This shift from a ‘sit-back-and-be-told culture’ to a ‘making-and-doing culture’ means that a vast array of people are exchanging their own ideas, videos, and other creative material online, as well as engaging in real-world crafts, music projects, and hands-on experiences. Drawing on evidence from psychology, politics, philosophy, and economics, Gauntlett shows that this everyday creative engagement is necessary and essential for the happiness and survival of modern societies. This fully revised second edition includes many new sections as well as three brand new chapters on creative processes, do-it-yourself strategies, and platforms for creativity.

The ideal follow-up to the much-buzzed-about The Grown-Up’s Guide to Making Art with Kids, The Grown-Up’s Guide to Crafting with Kids features more tactile projects that will improve kids’ fine motor and visual processing skills, in addition to strengthening their focus and memory. Plus, crafting is super fun! The book follows the same format as the first in the Grown-Up’s Guide series, consisting of multiple creative prompts, exercises, and step-by-step crafting projects that children and adults can do together. Author Vicki Manning, who runs a popular Instagram account where she regularly posts craft projects that she’s done with her own kids, The Grown-Up’s Guide to Crafting with Kids appeals to parents, caregivers, grandparents, teachers, and anyone else who wants to spend creative time with the kids in their lives. Kids will love working with adults to make crafts, which include: Clay robots Pom-pom ice-cream cones Sun printing Treasure boxes Wax-resist bookmarks And much more Chapters on tools and materials, sourcing materials around the home and outside, and suggestions for engagement and craft-making are included as well. Crafters and families likely already have most of the items they need for the projects, so it's easy to get started now. Plus, cleanup is quick afterward! With fun, colorful, and appealing artwork and projects; easy-to-follow instructions; and crafts made from accessible, affordable, and popular materials, The Grown-Up’s Guide to Crafting with Kids will quickly become an essential book for families, preschool and elementary schools, art classes, and more.

Encourage your kids to get in touch with their creative side with What Shall We Do Today? For children, the experience of creating is every bit as important as the end result. Crafting will fire their imagination and offer an inspiring alternative to endless hours in front of the computer or TV screen. What Shall We Do Today? is packed with more than 60 colorful, fun, and imaginative projects designed for boys and girls aged between 3-12 years. The book is arranged by season, and each section is crammed full of vibrant, appealing ideas for fun crafting activities, great gifts and pretty decorations. Every project can be completed using readily available materials - just follow the step-by-step instructions and you can't go wrong.Catherine Woram studied fashion at St Martins School of Art in London, followed by a masters in fashion at the Royal College of Art. She writes for many publications, including the Telegraph magazine, Ideal Home and Prima. Her earlier books include Crafting with Kids, Gardening with Kids, Christmas Crafting with Kids and What Shall we Do Today? and Felt Button Bead, all published by Ryland Peters & Small.

Learn how to focus your creative energy to make things—and make things happen. In this blend of memoir and hardworking handbook, creativity and craft maven Amy Tangerine shows how to find your flow, maintain a positive mindset, and cultivate a rich and fulfilling life by focusing on what truly matters and implementing small yet powerful changes. Chapters explore how to craft the soul, craft the right mindset, craft the right environment, craft good habits, rediscover your creative mojo, and maintain momentum, with each section offering exercises for taking your creative practice to the next level. For anyone who has felt disconnected from their creativity or has had trouble saving a space for their passions, Craft a Life You Love will teach you how to make time for creativity each and every day.