Why do we love to do crafts?

[jjquilter]

I've been pondering this question recently as I'm now into my second year of SAHM'hood. I am loving my day to day life, which is full of DD and writing and crafts, and housekeeping, of course. I have been knitting, sewing up a storm (quilts, diaper covers, clothes, toys...), beading, making soap and bath bombs... In the past, I have done pottery as well, which I also love.

In my family crafting is seen as a grand waste of time, something not within our 'culture.' But now I am seeing my 9 year old cousin get into sewing and knitting and I'm encouraging her.

For me, crafting is therapeutic. I find that as I am sitting down as my sewing machine, my breathing slows, becomes deeper and more restful. I sift through tiny beads and my focus changes from the trouble-filled life I usually live to a minute, colourful world full of nuggets of prettiness. When I made bath bombs, I brought aroma, sensation into my house (and it was overpowering!). A quilt, to me, is as big a sign of love as I can produce, and it makes me so happy when my dh and I and dd pull it up around us to keep warm. I love to create things out of raw materials because it is more meaningful to me than going out and buying something. I am thrilled that my dd uses only my homemade diapers and diaper covers.

Also, I love knowing how to make things 'from scratch,' as in days of old. I would like to believe that I could live very happily if my farm had no electricity or running water, that I would be able to get by sewing all of my own clothes, making my own bedding, and such. In that same vein, I do all of my cooking from natural ingredients and don't buy very much packaged stuff.

So why do you love crafting?

[khrisday]

I also see it as a therapeutic release, as well as an art form. Creative expression is greatly underappreciated in our cultutre. As well as expressing myself, I am making things that will hopefully either bring joy to someone else, or be useful in some way.

[RasJane]

Wow, I could have nearly written that post, jjquilter. For me crafts are my sense of being almost. This is what I can do to show my family that I truly love them. When I give something I made, even if it is just a simple loaf of bread, I am giving me.
I can also destress by pulling out a sewing project and seeing a flat piece of fabric turn into a bright colored shirt or a wispy dress.
MIL told me about a friend of hers. I want to share it with you.
She had 5+ kids I think and was just at her wits end feeling depressed cuz dh would get home and she felt she had accomplished nothing all day. Now, she knew that wasn't true as she had run the vaccum, washer and dryer and dishwasher all day. But she had nothingt to show for it. So she got a pattern for those little pull over bibs you make out a hand towel. She could put one together in about 15 minutes. So every day, she made one. And one her dh came home, she could say, I made something, there it is!

[AnnaReilly]

Originally posted by RasJane
...she could say, I made something, there it is!

That's what I like best. I like the feeling of having *created* something...

[jjquilter]

RasJane,

I know how that woman must of felt, working so hard to feed and take care of so many children and at the end of the day, not having anything tangible to show for it. It's a bit 'counter' to our society of generating goods, services and money as a sign of accomplishment. Perhaps women's work is more of a life's work, than an 8-hour/day job with job evaluations every three months.

But I also understand her pride about that bib -- I'm so proud to have dd wear something I made, or when we use my quilts, eat my bread, when dh smells like my bath bombs. You're right -- for me craft=love.

[Chelly2003]

I don't get much time for it (I sit behind a desk all day) but its a lovely way to release stress for me.
I mostly do cross-stitch (when my wrists don't hurt), I wish I had more time to make soap and stuff like that.

Chelly

[Prairie Momma]

For me, my crafting and artwork are an escape. I tend to "zone out" and hate to be disturbed. My kids tend to learn to fend for themselves when I'm in a crafting kick! I enjoy being in my own little world, as it is often the only time I ever get to myself.

And as was said before, there is that sense of accomplishment and being able to point to something and say "I made that! " and have others show their admiration for it.

Jen

[JenniferC]

I think that in our culture we tend to live in our 'heads' isolated little people living only in our heads and looking out at the rest of the world, constantly evaluating, judging etc. I find that crafting helps to reconnect with the physical world, to be more in the moment and to get outside of head focused space. My hands feel empty without knitting in them at times, and working on the bandsaw in our workshop can be oddly meditative, the smooth movement of the wood past the blade, and watching a shape take form. Also there is the whole pride of "I made something myself", bragging rights! Most of our baby stuff has been crafted by my husband and myself and I'm so proud of our self-sufficiency!

[LdyBluNH@aol]

while things go wrong w/craft projects for me, my projects are teh one thing i have control over!!!

and i can look at it and get a sense of accomplishment

cant do that with laundry, dishes, vaccuuming or anythign else in the house. i get to use a very different part of my brain for projects -- i have to THINK to get thru a project. there's not a lot of thinking for the day to day house crap.


i also think that crafts can be a statement of who we are by teh choices we make in the project (ie colors style etc.). i never make things for people i dont like either. you have to close to my heart for me to be able to choose and design and DO a project for you.

although i did do one the other day for a birthday present for dd's friend.

[mom at home]

My own enjoyment, the satisfaction that I can make something nice and not have to buy it, the enjoyment of doing it with my kids, creative expression, and I think it's just in my blood. When I was looking for something -can't remember what now- in a store the woman working there pointed me to the craft area and then remarked that now days these things are in the craft area, but back when she was a girl they were just in the regular sections of the store because the only way to have these things was to make them, you couldn't buy them. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in the wrong era -I should have been around when making things was a necessity -not just a hobby.