Crafty people: Care to share your craft ideas? What crafts have you tried or done, and how did they turn out?

Dunno if this is quite what you’re looking for, but I make jewelry. I think it involves a lot of craftiness because it’s not just a matter of stringing beads on a thread. I’m constantly coming up with new ideas and techniques. I get bored doing the same thing over again so I always try to do something different, and so far I haven’t run out of ideas. It’s amazing how much variety you can produce with just wire and beads. :D

Here are a few examples of different designs!

I’ve always enjoyed ropecraft, though I’ve done more reading about it than actual doing. I have made a rope boat bumper, which is not so difficult, it just takes time. (Most ropecraft only takes time, patience and practice, after all.) I made a rope ladder once, which is not simply a knotted rope, but a two-rail ladder with rope rungs. I know how to make a canvas and rope bucket, but I’ve not made that yet. I could do rope mats – “we have the technology” – but I never had the need for that. I’ve made throwing lines with monkey’s fist knots over rubber balls, to aid in throwing (and because they’re soft – in case they hit a boat or a person – and they float). I can also splice rope to wire or chain – or to other rope, of course, including double-braided splices, which are really pretty – and I’ve made rope lanyards for pocket knives. Rope rings have some utility, and I can splice those. I can tie Turk’s-head knots as bracelets or slipknots for bags. I’ve tried plaited sennits, but my fingers aren’t quite nimble enough to do that well now with small stuff – aside from the fact that my eyes aren’t what they once were. And I can sew a bit: I made a nice ditty bag twenty years ago that I still use, though it might need replacement soon.

I’d love to try every craft I find out about, but unfortunately, that’s way too big of a task to take on. I knit and crochet, I’ve done cross stitch, I’ve sewn and quilted, and I’ve made various kinds of bracelets with embroidery thread and hemp. Seeing the jewelry and reading about ropecraft (I’ve never thought about that before. Sounds interesting!) makes me want to try those, as well.

My girlfriend and I like to have a project going all of the time. Our most recent and most fun project was melted crayon art. Here’s an album of different stages of the project. It doesn’t require much skill, and it came out beautifully. We have it hanging in the living room right now. I think it only took somewhere between one and two hours. If you’re interested in knowing the process, message me and I’ll let you know how we did it (:

@Mariah: Beautiful!

I build my own BDSM leather gear and dungeon furniture. Images are on my web site. Links to said web site are in my profile.