Essay.

Cut out and keep is how I got into craft. Before then I thought it was mostly all fuddy duddy, apart from the occasional Japanese felt toy. I'd never really considered it as anything but what old women do together all around a table, whilst talking about their husbands and Eastenders.
In my own little way I'd always been making stuff, but I never considered that crafting is actually something I really enjoy, until I got here, and I realised oddly enough, it's the internet keeping people doing stuff with their hands, on their own, alive.
I soon realised crafting is a fantastic creative outlet, that's entirely sustainable and helps you lead a greener, better lifestyle. I'd hate to ever go back.

Crafting is so poorly represented in Britain it makes me want to cry.

a thank yoooou, I dunno how I'm gonna include stuff from you lot into it I suppose i'll just put cut out + keep.net in my bibliography lol

Call it primary research. Examiners LOVE to see it.

Well, I don't know how this even helps my grade because it all depends on my final major project, but I can't pass the course without this essay. I didn't get shouted at for not being in a lot he just said he understands why I'm being like this but if I'm not up to carrying on I should quit and not waste time, fair enough but I'm not leaving so.

I wasn't born in the 80s. I only wish I was

oh god why? I was born in 88 and thank god! the 80s and 90 were the worst decades for fashion EVER.

I still want peoples thoughts on craft and how you got into it etc etc. no matter how old you are!

when i started crafts, i started in girl guides. IE, recycle crap to look crappier (im not against recycling, but when it looks worse than it did in the frist place, please, save the poor object!), so taking pop can tabs and putting yarn around it, slowly, to make it into a flower (looks more like an ugly monster to me!) but one craft i really liked, we took an old film canister and cut it in half, but a small piece of black pipe cleaner through it to make it a handle, and than the canister into a cup, than we put a cotton ball in and covered it with brown felt which afterwards we glued tiny white pompoms on to make a cup of hot chocolate. It was so much fun, i made so many of them. And than i went home and did other crafts. the difference from then and now though is that though i still recycle a lot of my things, you normally can see much of what was the original piece. Ie a newspaper turns into a card peice where i use ransom letters, though you still know it's a newspaper its not like "wow, that was thrusdays newspaper", and papers become collages from old magainzes, and old laptops become cool picture frames.

The question has always been raised as, 'Is it craft or is it art?' Any answer is correct, no wrong answers.

So many immigrants in the states with little money but great in making gifts and sharing hand made items as baby shower presents, wedding presents were made, tokens of friendship and sold at swap meets at drive ins. I wanted purple cord pants or a dress and had to make them. Then stitched mushrooms and flower power on the only denim pants I owned, then made pillows cases, draw string bags to stuff things in to take camping or the beach parties. Clothing like yellow polka dot bikinis, short shorts. Most of the 60 were about Moms just begining to work outside the home, first in their generation of homemakers and still making things for their home, interior decorating, quilts, recovering furniture and collecting a paycheck. 70s it was all about daughters, young ladies now collecting for scrap books, rubber stamping, decoupage, hope chests starting to get filled by hand made or hand me down treasures. Birthday party favors made from paper cups decorated as a theme for ballerinas, clowns, robots, animals and cakes and cupcakes of all shapes, colors, flavors and sizes to fit the theme. Beaded jewelry for hippies moved on school campus, patches made from scraps, embroidery on everything, jean handbags, floppy hats and John Lennon glasses in square, round, hearts and tinted. More women working now, once students, some with children, with or without husbands but with busier lives. Collecting themselves with things to do more still find the time to make things but now yardage/cloth stores display craft items. Paint, plastics, floral, wood, tin and copper, beads, papers, yarns along side the bolts of fabric. Women craved to make things something you copy or make yourself. Showing your talent or nack of making something of use, thoughtfulness perhaps or decorative. Now craft stores and companies capitalizing on the framework of women who wanted to continue to craft. Craft stores held parties to make things, to show how to use plastics, tin and papers in the home, gifts. Celebrations were reasons to gather family and friends to make decorations together. 80s is where the family money was budgeted but now include some for craft/art or enjoyment in making or creating, gifts were getting more elaborate attention. Crafts and art being brought to a higher level from wooden Popsicle sticks to pottery, plastic modeling and glass blowing class from weekends and evening that women attended to enjoy and share time with other women.

thanks guuuys, this is good stuff keep it going, you could write my essay for me lol

When I was little, we used to have this rainy day crafts kit. It would be a big plastic sheet to spread out on the floor of the living room and then we'd have a box full of things like pom poms and lollipop sticks, glue, ribbons, buttons, glitter, paint etc etc. I LOVED it and I'm so glad now that my mum always encouraged me to make things when I was little. I also grew up around a mother who collected seashells and decorated picture frames and things with them. It was always just really simple things. But I remember making an angel in year five to put on the Christmas tree, and mine was great (seriously, I'd be proud if I made it now). I sewed it all up myself and every year it's on the tree and that's when I first found that great feeling when someone says "Oh I love that!" and you can say "I made it myself"

I think children's clubs are important for it. My mum, being a feminist, was determined to work at least part time for the majority of her life, and so in school holidays i always ended up in clubs and things, it was great. There was always glue and things to be stuck together.
I think what helps craft also is that people hold onto things that people made for them. I still have a rock my best friend painted for me when we were about seven. It's ginormous, and it's just got blue and green paint for sky and land respectively, and a flower in the middle. I don't think I'll ever throw it away. When someone makes something for you, it means so so so much more than having it bought for you, even if it's something huge like a laptop, you're not as touched as you would be had it just been a little scrap of fabric with a smiley face sewn on.

My gran keeps a Shuttlecock I decorated to look like Elvis for her about 10 years ago on her windowsill, next to a photo of her Dad.

That shuttlecock is AWESOME

hahaahahaha I love it and I love old photos!