How to Stitch Together Inspiring Spaces for Crafting and Crafts
Grab your glue guns. Dayna Isom Johnson of NBC’s new TV crafting series, ‘Making It,’ has DIY decor tips that’ll stick
Gwendolyn Purdom
July 28, 2018
Lover of architecture, history, dogs, the Chicago Cubs, crowded bookshelves, and homes with a story. Former editor at Preservation mag and Culturess.com.
Lover of architecture, history, dogs, the Chicago Cubs, crowded bookshelves, and... More
Dayna Isom Johnson, left, Nick Offerman, Amy Poehler and Simon Doonan. Photo from NBC
In the seven years that NBC’s beloved sitcom Parks and Recreation was on the air, one enduring story line involved gruff, mustachioed Parks Department Director Ron Swanson’s love of woodworking. Nick Offerman, the actor who played Swanson, shares his character’s love of handcrafting furniture in real life, and on July 31, he and Parks and Rec co-star Amy Poehler will reboot their on-screen camaraderie as hosts on NBC’s new crafting competition series, Making It.
The show, which follows eight makers from across the country as they compete in a series of crafting challenges, comes as homemade crafts and crafting enjoy something of a renaissance. Whether it’s in the personalized mason jar favors you see at weddings or the Etsy-driven popularity of artisan fairs, handcrafted pieces and decor are everywhere, especially at home. U.S. crafting products industries were valued at $43 billion in 2017, according to a study by the Association for Creative Industries, and 63 percent of the study’s respondents said someone in their household had participated in at least one creative activity in the previous year.
“There’s a resurgence of crafting because people are, first of all, spending more time at home, and what do you do when you’re at home? You need to be busy with your hands,” Dayna Isom Johnson, one of Making It’s two judges and Etsy’s trend expert, told us. “And then the other major part of it is that making and crafting really brings joy to your life, and especially in this time in our world right now, there are so many horrible things happening that why wouldn’t we want to bring joy to our life?”
Read more about Nick Offerman’s woodworking
In the seven years that NBC’s beloved sitcom Parks and Recreation was on the air, one enduring story line involved gruff, mustachioed Parks Department Director Ron Swanson’s love of woodworking. Nick Offerman, the actor who played Swanson, shares his character’s love of handcrafting furniture in real life, and on July 31, he and Parks and Rec co-star Amy Poehler will reboot their on-screen camaraderie as hosts on NBC’s new crafting competition series, Making It.
The show, which follows eight makers from across the country as they compete in a series of crafting challenges, comes as homemade crafts and crafting enjoy something of a renaissance. Whether it’s in the personalized mason jar favors you see at weddings or the Etsy-driven popularity of artisan fairs, handcrafted pieces and decor are everywhere, especially at home. U.S. crafting products industries were valued at $43 billion in 2017, according to a study by the Association for Creative Industries, and 63 percent of the study’s respondents said someone in their household had participated in at least one creative activity in the previous year.
“There’s a resurgence of crafting because people are, first of all, spending more time at home, and what do you do when you’re at home? You need to be busy with your hands,” Dayna Isom Johnson, one of Making It’s two judges and Etsy’s trend expert, told us. “And then the other major part of it is that making and crafting really brings joy to your life, and especially in this time in our world right now, there are so many horrible things happening that why wouldn’t we want to bring joy to our life?”
Read more about Nick Offerman’s woodworking
Photo from NBC
Johnson says she and her fellow judge, Barney’s style expert Simon Doonan, as well as Offerman and Poehler, hope the show — which highlights makers specializing in everything from paper crafts to felt to woodworking — will inspire viewers to tap into their own creativity at home.
Johnson and other pros with experience designing at-home crafting spaces have a few suggestions for aspiring artisans and homeowners who appreciate handcrafted, one-of-a-kind decor.
Johnson says she and her fellow judge, Barney’s style expert Simon Doonan, as well as Offerman and Poehler, hope the show — which highlights makers specializing in everything from paper crafts to felt to woodworking — will inspire viewers to tap into their own creativity at home.
Johnson and other pros with experience designing at-home crafting spaces have a few suggestions for aspiring artisans and homeowners who appreciate handcrafted, one-of-a-kind decor.
Pick Up That Paintbrush or Papier-Mâché
Crafting calls for creativity, of course, but Johnson encourages people to give it a try even if they don’t see themselves as particularly imaginative or artistic. “We are all creative,” she says. “Even if someone says, ‘I’m not creative,’ yes you are, everyone’s creative. Think back to your 7-year-old self, your 5-year-old self, we were always making something at that point, but somewhere along the way we lost that, we lost that spark of imagination, that spark of creativity.
“I always tell someone, if you want to get back into that, think back when you were a child and think about what brought you joy when you were making. Was it coloring? Was it making friendship bracelets? What was that thing, and that can help you develop what you want to get started in.”
If you’re someone who likes to keep up with trends, Johnson says, consider macramé, terrariums and punch-needle embroidery, which have seen a spike in popularity in recent years. And if you’re still not sure what type of crafting you want to try, she recommends searching Etsy for DIY kits, which come with all the tools and supplies you need for a particular project. “If you like it, then you can dig deeper and really start bulking up on the materials needed if you want to continue that craft,” Johnson says.
Crafting calls for creativity, of course, but Johnson encourages people to give it a try even if they don’t see themselves as particularly imaginative or artistic. “We are all creative,” she says. “Even if someone says, ‘I’m not creative,’ yes you are, everyone’s creative. Think back to your 7-year-old self, your 5-year-old self, we were always making something at that point, but somewhere along the way we lost that, we lost that spark of imagination, that spark of creativity.
“I always tell someone, if you want to get back into that, think back when you were a child and think about what brought you joy when you were making. Was it coloring? Was it making friendship bracelets? What was that thing, and that can help you develop what you want to get started in.”
If you’re someone who likes to keep up with trends, Johnson says, consider macramé, terrariums and punch-needle embroidery, which have seen a spike in popularity in recent years. And if you’re still not sure what type of crafting you want to try, she recommends searching Etsy for DIY kits, which come with all the tools and supplies you need for a particular project. “If you like it, then you can dig deeper and really start bulking up on the materials needed if you want to continue that craft,” Johnson says.
Carve Out an Inspiring Crafting Space
Whether you’re eager to ramp up a new hobby or you need a better place to stash supplies for your longtime passion, designating and designing a space at home exclusively for crafting can take your work to the next level. An underused bedroom, basement or office might work well — it all depends on the type of crafts you have in mind.
Whether you’re eager to ramp up a new hobby or you need a better place to stash supplies for your longtime passion, designating and designing a space at home exclusively for crafting can take your work to the next level. An underused bedroom, basement or office might work well — it all depends on the type of crafts you have in mind.
“The purpose of the room determines nearly everything about the space. It provides our designers the information they need to do the appropriate space planning, cabinetry selections and selections of other key elements like lighting and flooring,” says Jack Culian of St. Louis-based design firm Mosby Building Arts, who worked on the combination crafting and gift-wrapping space shown here.
“Some crafts require certain types of flooring and woods, while others may require a certain type of lighting,” he says. “So a strong understanding of the type of crafts being done ensures the room is designed perfectly.”
“Some crafts require certain types of flooring and woods, while others may require a certain type of lighting,” he says. “So a strong understanding of the type of crafts being done ensures the room is designed perfectly.”
Culian’s clients wanted family-friendly areas in the basement for gift wrapping and for their grandchildren to join them in crafting.
Culian advises homeowners to think of these types of spaces in the same way they might think about designing a kitchen: Reliable cabinetry and smart storage are key.
Culian advises homeowners to think of these types of spaces in the same way they might think about designing a kitchen: Reliable cabinetry and smart storage are key.
Johnson is an advocate of bin systems to keep supplies from becoming clutter. “It’s always really great to designate specific bins for the specific tools needed to execute those crafts,” Johnson says. “Because once everything starts blending together, that becomes too much work, and that’s not what it’s about.”
It may also help when committing to a hobby such as crafting to create a space that’s inspiring and somewhere you actually like to spend time. When he designed the workshop shown here, Delaware Valley-based builder John Gehri Zerrer looked to the framing, floors and millwork often used in Arcadian and Pacific Northwest architecture as a starting point.
“I interpreted the details I liked and stayed away from what might be expected of an 18th-century Hunterdon County barn,” he says.
“I interpreted the details I liked and stayed away from what might be expected of an 18th-century Hunterdon County barn,” he says.
The finished shop — which features cathedral ceilings, aluminum and glass overhead doors, cedar shake siding and all tools piped to an Oneida dust-collection system — highlights the light and textures Zerrer loves. “The design considerations around your craft is what personalizes it and empowers the artist when she’s in her space,” he says.
Johnson recommends using bold, inviting colors to really get the creative juices flowing, and potentially making the space a place for gathering and socializing, as crafting often introduces crafters to a larger quilting or painting or sewing community.
“Think about how you can incorporate your family and friends,” she says. “Do you want to have a making night a week? We are hoping that Making It is really going to inspire people to put their phones down and really start making again and building those relationships with their family and friends. And hopefully they’ll watch the show, see some of the projects that our makers are creating and say, ‘Hey, you know what? I can create a version of that.’ ”
“Think about how you can incorporate your family and friends,” she says. “Do you want to have a making night a week? We are hoping that Making It is really going to inspire people to put their phones down and really start making again and building those relationships with their family and friends. And hopefully they’ll watch the show, see some of the projects that our makers are creating and say, ‘Hey, you know what? I can create a version of that.’ ”
Find Handcrafted Pieces You Love
Even if you don’t want to start stitching together a new pastime, outfitting your home in handcrafted decor, whether made by you or purchased from a craftsperson, will add unique personality. Yet narrowing down all the creative pieces out there to one or a few you want to display at home can be overwhelming, especially as the internet makes connecting with artisans around the world easier than ever. (Etsy alone has 50 million items available.)
To start, Johnson suggests looking for craftspeople from your hometown or another place that has meaning for you and that you’d feel good about supporting. (On Etsy, you can search by location using filtering tools.) These objects add a story, Johnson says.
“It is the complete opposite of buying a commoditized item from off the traditional retail store shelf, because that thing could potentially be in hundreds or maybe even thousands of homes across the world depending on where you purchased it from,” she says. “Whereas if you have these special items that you are supporting from your area or a maker from somewhere else in the world or you made it yourself, there is a complete story that goes along with that.”
Even if you don’t want to start stitching together a new pastime, outfitting your home in handcrafted decor, whether made by you or purchased from a craftsperson, will add unique personality. Yet narrowing down all the creative pieces out there to one or a few you want to display at home can be overwhelming, especially as the internet makes connecting with artisans around the world easier than ever. (Etsy alone has 50 million items available.)
To start, Johnson suggests looking for craftspeople from your hometown or another place that has meaning for you and that you’d feel good about supporting. (On Etsy, you can search by location using filtering tools.) These objects add a story, Johnson says.
“It is the complete opposite of buying a commoditized item from off the traditional retail store shelf, because that thing could potentially be in hundreds or maybe even thousands of homes across the world depending on where you purchased it from,” she says. “Whereas if you have these special items that you are supporting from your area or a maker from somewhere else in the world or you made it yourself, there is a complete story that goes along with that.”
Show Off Crafts at Home
Making your craft into a conversation piece at home could be as straightforward as displaying it on a wall, like the quilt shown here, or in a shadow box, but there’s also room to get more creative. Johnson says one of her favorite decorative details at home, for example, is a collection of passed-down family recipe cards she personalized with woven pieces of yarn and hung up in her kitchen. “It gives me inspiration for what I’m cooking,” she says.
If you’re looking to incorporate a crafted piece into your existing decor, one of the perks of working with artisans, whether you connect with them online or at a local craft fair (or see them competing on Making It), is that they’ll probably be willing to customize the piece for you.
“This is a real person who owns their business, so if there is some way that you want to personalize something or add a special flair to that item, all you need to do is start up a conversation,” Johnson says.
Of course, part of the charm of a one-of-a-kind piece is that it stands out, and if you don’t want to plan or change the rest of the room’s decor to accommodate your piece or pieces, Johnson says, that’s OK too.
“If you are a maximalist and minimalism is the big trend right now, break the rules. You don’t have to follow it just because it’s a trend,” she says. “Do what works for you and pick pieces that bring you joy, that create a true space of happiness, a true space of Zen feeling.… Make your home feel like you are constantly walking into an oasis, but it is your own personal oasis.”
Making It premieres Tuesday, July 31, on NBC.
Tell us: Where do you get crafty at home? Share photos of your spaces and creations in the Comments.
More
Organizing Your Craft Room
How to Set Up a Craft Room
Making your craft into a conversation piece at home could be as straightforward as displaying it on a wall, like the quilt shown here, or in a shadow box, but there’s also room to get more creative. Johnson says one of her favorite decorative details at home, for example, is a collection of passed-down family recipe cards she personalized with woven pieces of yarn and hung up in her kitchen. “It gives me inspiration for what I’m cooking,” she says.
If you’re looking to incorporate a crafted piece into your existing decor, one of the perks of working with artisans, whether you connect with them online or at a local craft fair (or see them competing on Making It), is that they’ll probably be willing to customize the piece for you.
“This is a real person who owns their business, so if there is some way that you want to personalize something or add a special flair to that item, all you need to do is start up a conversation,” Johnson says.
Of course, part of the charm of a one-of-a-kind piece is that it stands out, and if you don’t want to plan or change the rest of the room’s decor to accommodate your piece or pieces, Johnson says, that’s OK too.
“If you are a maximalist and minimalism is the big trend right now, break the rules. You don’t have to follow it just because it’s a trend,” she says. “Do what works for you and pick pieces that bring you joy, that create a true space of happiness, a true space of Zen feeling.… Make your home feel like you are constantly walking into an oasis, but it is your own personal oasis.”
Making It premieres Tuesday, July 31, on NBC.
Tell us: Where do you get crafty at home? Share photos of your spaces and creations in the Comments.
More
Organizing Your Craft Room
How to Set Up a Craft Room
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This was the workroom of my last loft. 4'x8' cutting tables are a must which were seldom bare, and because I'm a costumer when friends would come over we would drink wine then inevitably play dress up.