What is a Craft?

For my first article as a features content writer, I decided to more or less define and inform you, the reader about crafts.

Per the yahoo dictionary, the word craft is defined as a skill in doing or making something, as in the arts. Further, it says it is an occupation or trade requiring manual dexterity or skilled artistry.

Many people make crafts as a form of relaxation. Personally, I was led to crafts as a way to keep my hands busy. I was taught repeatedly that idle hands are the Devils tools.

For many years, I watched my Mother watch television while doing her sewing and crocheting. I found it annoying that she wouldn't "see" something for the split second it was on the screen, as a child. (Usually because it was a toy that I wanted!) And now as an adult, I do the same thing, and annoy both my children and my husband! But, my hands are busy, I am content and relaxing with my family, doing exactly what it is that I love.

Crafts come in various shapes, sizes, styles and designs. And more often then not, no two are exactly the same. You and I can sit down and do the exact same craft, and it can turn out totally different. This can be because I personally add a little pizzazz to my crafts, to make them unique. Or it can be, because today my hands are hurting and I am crocheting much looser then usual. For that matter, sometimes the factor of just the hand we work with, can change how our things turn out. I know this for a fact, because I am left handed. My crochet, is backwards compared to most. I learned how to crochet by sitting backwards from a right handed person. It still turns out, and even holds together. But it is truly backwards!

A craft, as you most likely, know- is usually a hobby. Something most do in their spare time. However, now of days, many do crafts from home as a way to make a few extra bucks from time to time. The sad thing, is that the pricing of crafts, is not what it's cracked up to be. A lot of time and labor go into the production of an item that is hand crafted. And those that don't craft, or don't know crafts- will freak out at the price and walk away. They will assume you are over priced, and in all actuality, more often then not, our prices for our hard work is usually a lot cheaper then what we would like to see out of it. We personally know just how long it took to crochet the afghan, or knit the scarf, and we know how we may have had to pull out several mistakes. An item that we have spent so much time on, we aren't going to get every red cent out of it. Calculate the skeins of yarn, and the time, and then put a price on the afghan. Ten skeins of yarn at $2.50 each, that's $25.00. Then the time it took to make it, which lets say it took three days to make. Naturally you didn't crochet every hour of the day, so let's deduct a day. Minimum wage is about $7 an hour. So let's do 48 hours and multiply it by 7. Now its 336. Add the $25 for the yarn. There is no possible way you are going to get $361.00 for the afghan! Now way! And I know a person who sits down, and adds up the yarn cost, and an hourly wage for themselves, and sometimes they actually get pretty close to what it is they are asking for. Selling your crafts and being cut down, can in itself cause you heart ache, trust me.

Crafting can be an expensive hobby. Just ask my husband. I do all kinds of crafts, and I change with the Seasons per say. One month I will be making jewelry, the next an afghan, the next plastic canvas, the next embroidery. It's just like a mood with me, a desire. It all depends. And it never fails, if I was making jewelry last month, and the month before I crocheted, the next month when I got back to crocheting, all though I have a full bin of various colors of yarn- I will need something I don't have. It never fails! But my husband doesn't complain one bit. We go to the store and buy another skein.

I do try to sell what I make, but because of today's economy, people would rather not spend their hard earned money on crafts, no matter how awesome they are! But that doesn't stop me from making things. I don't just do it for a sale. I do it because it relaxes me, and it is something fun to do. And obviously, my hands are not idle, so I am not doing the Devils bidding!