Passing on a Love of Crochet, Needlepoint, and Other Crafts

I grew up in a do-it-yourself, crafty home. My mom sewed our clothes through elementary school. And my sisters and I made potholders, macramé plant hangers, and jewelry out of rocks, which we shaped on a grinding machine that our dad got for us.

As a pre-teen, I was selling crochet stuffed animals at a consignment store. I was so enthusiastic about crafts that as a high school senior, I tucked a photo of my creations (including a life-size crocheted grandfather clock) into my college application. (Unbelievably, I got in anyway.) I made my freshman dorm neighbor crocheted golf club covers. As an adult, I kept at it, needlepointing purses and Christmas tree ornaments and crocheting bookmarks that look like bookworms.

So I'm thrilled when our daughters want to go to the fabric store to pick out material to make their own blankets, curtains and throw pillows – and to choose yarn.  Some families like hanging out at the mall. We like scrutinizing the supplies at Hancock Fabrics.

Today, thanks to the Internet, it's easier than ever to pass along a love of DIY projects. Over the weekend my younger daughter decided she wanted to get back into needlework. She simply searched for "easy crochet hats" on youtube. We tried a few, but she ultimately chose one called "Free Hat Pattern. Super Easy. Maggie's Crochet." A couple hours (and many double crochet stitches) later, she was the proud owner of a pink chapeau she made herself.  

Next up: We would like to design our own patterns for Free People-style sweaters. (Making them is far more affordable and fun than shopping for them.)

Inspired to try some crafty projects? Good yarn and fabric stores almost always offer classes. My daughter has also taken photography and knitting courses at our local art center. And she and I took a stitches class together at a nearby needlepoint shop. (She lowered the average age of the class by a few decades, but that's OK!) And don't forget to visit Youtube. Just search for "learn to" and fill in the blank – macramé, knitting, quilting.

Steven Spielberg need not feel threatened. The down-home online videos typically star a middle-aged woman, wearing sweater she made herself and demonstrating her handiwork at a kitchen table. Sometimes the clips show nothing more than unmanicured fingers at work.

No interest in needlework? No worries. Crafts come in many forms. An extremely popular Youtube video teaches how to make a "Bristlebot," a battery-operated toothbrush head. The sky – or actually, the Internet – is the limit.

For more stories about family activities, read:

How to Bake the Best Cookies

Charity Jobs: How to Get Your Whole Family to Bike, Walk, Run (or Do Anything Else!) for a Good Cause