Arts and crafts are one of the simplest ways to bond with your children, family, friends, and students. They are easy and fun to make and will not cost you very much at all, especially if you are using everyday household objects. Plus, there are all sorts of occasions to get out your glitter and scissors, including birthdays and holidays.
If you are a parent looking for creative things to do with your children, arts and crafts can be the answer to your question. By using old tin cans or recycled newspapers, or even buying craft materials, you can let your kid express his or her creativity with you. Things like painting flower pots together, for instance, can create keepsakes for years to come.
Daycare centers always seem to be in need of new and cheap arts and crafts ideas. Giving kids the chance to work on crafts together can let them bond and form life long friendships at an early age. Young children may also learn about many things through crafts without being forced to sit through a class, and this makes the learning more interesting.
If you are a teacher looking for ways to reward your students or just give them something to do, arts and crafts can fill that time. Students like having a bit of down time between lessons. Arts and crafts will let them take a break while still being productive. There are tons of educational crafts out there such as building bridges out of toothpicks. After they have been built you can test to see which bridges can hold the most pennies. This is an excellent tie-in to basic physics and architectural design. And if you're going to be teaching about renewable resources and recycling there are many craft ideas using only recycled materials.
Holidays are also a good time to get the family and friends together for arts and crafts. No matter what holiday is coming up there are probably many different craft ideas out there for all ages and skill levels. A trip to your local craft store may offer you the opportunity to find free craft ideas or books of craft ideas to create together. Birthday gifts made from craft ideas can even be some of the most sentimental gifts you will ever give.
Arts and crafts can be the best way to get the family and friends together for fun, or to keep your students interested in learning. No matter what the topic of the day is, there is generally some way to incorporate creativity into it, and give everyone the chance to shine. Holidays and birthdays are an excellent reason to pull out the arts and crafts without having a real objective other than making something creative and memorable.
Set apart by it's simple elegance and superior quality, the Craftsman Style Bungalow was a precursor of today's continuing trend towards simple, uncluttered interiors. At the turn of the 20th century, in rigorous rejection of strict Victorian dictates and ostentatious interior design, the Arts and Crafts Movement prompted a return to true craftsmanship. Pioneered by William Morris, this international movement originated out of the fundamental ideal opposed to the mass production of the industrial age and promoted originality in home furnishings.
Understated elegance, simplicity in purpose, and form following function are hallmarks of the well designed Craftsman Bungalow. The current trend awareness of environmental issues and "green living" dovetails into this aesthetic has resulting in a resurgence of interest in the Arts and Crafts Style.
Typically limited in square footage, the bungalow home is a model of practical design and creative use of space traditionally including built in cabinetry and an open floor plan. Many of today's newer craftsman style homes and bungalows are much larger than at the turn of the century, but still reflect open styling and distinct interior and exterior detailing.
Lot's of windows to bring in natural sunlight help brighten up the typically darker wood details of many original craftsman homes. Choose sheer, simple fabrics for window coverings to allow ample light into the home. A simple embroidered detail along the hemline will add the "craftsman touch."
The natural interior colors for your craftsman style home can be easily inspired by nature. Think of using the colors of a vineyard, the different hues of fall leaves, the muted tones of stones. Nature is anything but boring! It is soothing to the eye to follow your interior colors as they continue outside, as when glancing through a window or an open door. Take your outdoor surroundings into consideration, the colors of the foliage and sky. The exterior colors should also be subtle and natural, think of your craftsman home as "growing" from it's foundation.
There are talented artisans reproducing craftsman furniture at many price points. Do your research and look for the best quality you can afford. Try not to fall for the cheap imitations, take it slow and furnish your home with one or two fabulous pieces at a time. Your beautiful home will be much more reflective of you when doing it this way. Don't be afraid to mix antiques with good quality reproductions. Simple and sturdy well made pieces will give your home the look you are after. You can easily mix in textural upholstered pieces in a simple shapes to soften the room. Embroidered pillows and tabletop linens also "soften the edges" of the typically masculine forms of mission furniture, adding color and texture to delight the eye.
Don't underestimate the effect lighting will have a on the feel of your craftsman home. Once again, mixing antiques and quality reproductions is quite effective. Remember to balance overhead lighting with table lamps and pendants to create flattering light from several heights in the room. Mixing lighting fixtures of various shapes and styles within the movement adds impact to any room. Try a stained glass table lamp, perhaps sconces with hand blown glass shades, or simple pendant lights with clear glass over a kitchen island. Hand crafted artisan lighting is a great way to add quality to your home and can give the richness of an antique at a fraction of the cost.
Rugs can vary from Navajo style to the many beautiful Arts and Crafts patterns produced today.
Remember to add your personal touch with accessories made of hand hammered copper, Tile and pieces of Art Pottery to complete the Craftsman Touch.
Both Jeff Carlisle & Jan Davidson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jeff Carlisle has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, About Branding and Culture. Jeff Carlisle is a freelance editor for Kid Kraft Kits. Read more and find great deals and discounts on Kid Kraft Kits products at