Art Supplies, Crafts, and Books

Crafts are a hobby that rewards practitioners with a finished product for their time investment. The heading of arts and crafts covers many things, from paper mache sculptures floral arrangements. It also pertains to the efforts of professional artists, although many of them would scoff at the word crafty when applied to their work. To be fair, they would be right; no one would call the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel a handicraft, and for good reason.

But what is it that breaks the barrier between arts and crafts? The most easily defined aspects are time investment and originality. Crafts by design can be taught to a group of people, often children. They follow the basic steps, and get remarkably similar finished products. Certainly there is room for variation and artistic license with in crafts, but they do not require the ingenuity demanded by a work of art. In fact, if someone owned a copyright on, say popsicle stick figurines, they would likely win suits for infringement on just about anyone who’s ever made one.

That’s not to disparage the crafty. After all how many hobbies will leave someone engaging in them with nothing more than some memories when all is said and done? Anyone who watches sports will be left with nothing but memories, and possibly overpriced memorabilia for their hours of effort. A gamer has data to show for all their hours of gaming. Someone who engages in crafts however can make beautiful creations with their time.

Time is the other dividing factor between arts and crafts. In citing the Sistine Chapel’s roof, I am referring to a painting project that took Michelangelo four years to complete! By contrast many crafts require just a few hours of time investment to complete a project. Again, this isn’t an attempt to marginalize crafts; they are a more readily accessible form of creative expression.

The supplies necessary to participate in arts and crafts depend largely on what it is you want to create. For instance if you plan on making a birthday card, you’d be well advised to pick up several shades of paper, some glue, and possibly even colored pens, pencils, or markers. If you were going to make a coil pot on the other hand you would need clay working tools, as well as clay.

If you’re looking for a place to start in the crafting world, you can check a local craft shop. They will have supplies for just about any project imaginable. They will also have books on many subjects that will teach you the techniques specific to many disciplines. These books can be especially helpful for beginners, as the technique used to achieve a desired effect may not be readily apparent when looking at the finished project.

Perhaps one of the greatest applications of crafts is as something for kids to do. Children are virtual bottomless wells of creativity and energy. Sometimes all that energy can be a little much for a parent; and channeling it into something productive can be a life saver.

 

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