8 Craft Trends for 2019

January 24, 2019 by FaveCrafts 2 Comments

Craft trends for 2019 should make their way into your projects and home decor this year. You have 11 more months to make sure you’re on trend! After attending the 78th annual Creativation show in Phoenix, we’ve come away with some thrilling new projects and old favorites to try in 2019.

Macrame

Macrame was trending at the 2018 Creativation Show and it made its reappearance at this year’s event as well. Wall hangings and plant hangers were abundant at yarn company booths across the show floor.

(We created a roundup of 11 Macrame Plant Hanger Tutorials inspired by this trending craft! Check it out.)

Uniquely Beautiful Dream Catchers

In a similar vein, dream catchers sprouted up at the show this year, complete with pom poms and doilies embedded!

Dream catchers spotted at the Darice booth.

Yarn Crafts without Knitting or Crochet

Knitting and crochet are popular at the show every year; these are two crafts that aren’t going away any time soon. However, this year yarn companies released new loop yarn that allows fiber enthusiasts to make knit projects without any tools—just use your fingers!

Bernat’s new Alize Blanket-EZ yarn, featuring unique loops. Learn how to make the EZ textures blanket here.

P.S. Explore more yarn crafts in our collection of 55 Yarn Crafts without Knitting.

Succulents Are Never Leaving Us

Succulents, air planters, terrariums, oh my! These striking plants are as popular as ever, emerging in scrapbooking lines, paper crafts, and more.

A snapshot from the new Greenhouse line by Kaisercraft.

Dogs Wearing Glasses, and Corgis in General

I saw at least three dogs wearing glasses, or rather, images of dogs in glasses, on the show floor. They were spotted in embroidery kits, heat-transfer vinyl, diamond art kits, and more. Time for nerdy cute style!

This glasses-and-bowtie adorned Hug a Pug image was spotted at the Diamond Dotz booth, among many other sparkly creations!

This glasses wearing pup was spotted at the Fabric Editions booth.

Related: my Dad happened to text me this photo of our family dog, Mocha, while I was at the show.

Diamond Art

MAKE WAY for the most exciting, sparkly new craft that was showcased this year! Diamond art kits by companies like Diamond Dotz and Leisure Arts are like embroidery or paint-by-number with flatback gemstones for the prettiest canvases. Check out these examples:

Similar to Diamond Art, other takes on painting by number appeared at the show. One of my favorite booths was StickTogether, which invites people to craft together with large scale sticker kits! Sometimes keeping your hands busy with an activity or goal serves as the perfect ice breaker when gathering people together. At the show, they had passersby add stickers to this image. By Day 3, the image was complete:

Marbling and Geodes

Unique paint pouring methods, sealers, and more were popular at paint manufacturer booths throughout the show.

Featuring FolkArt paint at the Plaid booth, these are some of the incredible creations showcased using these techniques.

Vinyl

Last but not least, vinyl was popular across crafting genres at the show. There were entire company booths dedicated to vinyl, and many fabric companies as well as paper crafts and die cutting brands featured crafts with vinyl. We’ve seen a number of them show up in our User Submitted Articles as well, so this trend is definitely on the rise!

What craft trends will you follow in 2019?

Trending Crafts from Creativation 2018

January 31, 2018 by FaveCrafts 5 Comments

Every year we adore seeing new craft trends at the Creativation show. It’s wonderful to get an insider’s look at what new projects and motifs are up and coming! We love sharing what’s new with our readers. Here are some of the popular trending crafts from Creativation 2018.

Trending Crafts

Birds of Paradise, especially Toucans

Toucans and other tropical birds were everywhere at Creativation this year! There was a cute toucan make and take, and I saw toucan paper, fabric, and other crafts with toucans at the show.

Just finished making this precious toucan with @fabriceditions ❤ #creativation2018 #toucan #birdsofparadise
A post shared by FaveCrafts (@favecrafts) on Jan 22, 2018 at 12:36pm PST

Flamingos and Pineapples

Speaking of birds of paradise, flamingos are still hip. In fact, flamingo crafts were everywhere at the show! If you’re pairing flamingos and pineapples, you’re especially on trend.

Flamingo Crafts:

Letterboards

See that beautiful “how about them pineapples” photo above? That text is written on a letterboard, and letterboards were everywhere.

Cacti

At first we thought we were seeing so many cacti because Creativation is held in Arizona, but as it turns out, the humble cactus is trending. Perhaps cactus is the new succulent?

Cactus Crafts:

Hygge Crafts

Hygge became hip in 2016 and it continues to be popular! Red Heart released a new line of hygge yarns, and comfy and cozy products were abundant.

Check out our collection of 27 Hygge Crafts.

Pom Poms

It’s true: pom poms are here to stay. There was plenty of pom pom rick rack, ribbon, and other pom pom details on knit and crocheted projects. The Craft Yarn Council made pom poms at their booth this year, too.

Explore our eBook of pom pom and tassel ideas: 5 Easy Tassel Crafts and DIY Pom Pom Projects.

Last but not least…

Llamas

Llamas abounded at the show this year! They were on cards, printed on paper, embroidered for home decor, and sewn into cute little plushies.

I made a llama! #makeandtake #creativation2018 #fuijifilmafci2018
A post shared by FaveCrafts (@favecrafts) on Jan 21, 2018 at 9:59am PST

Llama Crafts:

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What trend are you most excited about for 2018?

HOT New Craft Trend: Weaving and Tapestries

August 3, 2015 by FaveCrafts 6 Comments

I know. It is hard to imagine loom weaving as the latest craft trend, but as you guys are doing more and more DIY Bohemian decor, weaving crafts fit right in. Rainbow Loom Bracelets are a cousin of good old fashioned weaving, but looms can be as small as hand-held or as big as tapestries. You can make some rustic wall decor with weaving and creating a tapestry. Tapestry? You may think that that form of art has long died out since the Middle Ages, but they are making a comeback into the modern age.

HOT New Craft Trend: Weaving and Tapestries

So what exactly are tapestries? In the Middle Ages, their main purpose was to insulate large stone castles and protect the insides from dampness. Since they required large looms and many workers to make them to cover expansive wall areas, they quickly grew to be a symbol of wealth and power to be able to commission these wall decorations to be made. Kings would take them on their travels for prestigious status and for comfort in their depictions of their favorite stories or past times for thought and reflection. Pictures of victory battles were commissioned after wars starting in the late 1500’s (source). Until the 18th century, they were completely made by hand and dyed from plants and insects until the first automatic loom was made by Jacques de Vaucanson which made the tapestries far more sophisticated in pattern (source). Today, tapestries are rarely hand woven. Although the manual labor of hand-weaving has been taken over by machines and an automatic press, the amount of time has been reduced, but they are nonetheless still an intricate piece of artwork (source).

I promise I won’t be making you build a huge loom and start juicing pomegranates to make your own DIY wall decor. This is the 21st century after all! No, I will just make you buy the dye instead of juicing fruits and insects, but you still have to make a huge loom…totally kidding. Loom projects may seem super scary just by the history alone, but we still craft even with Martha Stuart in business, don’t we? This is a trade and a skill that you can take with you for the rest of your life. Small weaving projects are a great place to start. You may love this so much that you may want to go big and create your own tapestries.

Here are a few projects to get you started!

DIY Make A Weaving Loom from Super Super HQ

Woven Chair Back

How To Weave Without Special Equipment

Make Your Own Loom from Emily Franceschini

Woven Circle DIY Mat from A Beautiful Mess

Weaving With Wool Roving from A Beautiful Mess

Weaving Lopped Rya from Hello Hydrangea

Do you think tapestries and hand-weaving are going to die out with technology taking over?

7 Rainbow Loom Patterns to Love

January 26, 2014 by AllFreeJewelryMaking 2 Comments

Have you heard about the Rainbow Loom craze? The crafting world has been taken by storm by this jewelry making phenomenon! Kids (and adults) have jumped on this new crafting trend. Rainbow Loom crafts are cool accessories (mostly bracelets) made out of tiny, colorful rubber bands that are usually found on the arms of kids and teens. Go to any craft or toy store, and you are sure to find them!

From necklaces to bracelets to rings, there are so many homemade jewelry making options when it comes to crafting these rubber band jewelry projects. You can even add little charms to your projects, like with this Owl Charm Rainbow Loom Bracelet. You’ll be amazed how stylish some of these rubber band jewelry pieces can be; we love this Chic Chain Rubber Band Jewelry and this Grown-Up Rainbow Loom Bracelet. We are so excited about the Rainbow Loom here at AllFreeJewelryMaking that we have compiled a list of some of our favorite rainbow loom patterns for you to enjoy. With a variety of looms to choose from, including the Rainbow Loom, FunLoom, Cra-Z-Loom, and Wonder Loom, you have so many options to choose from to be a part of this craze. Kids and adults alike will love making these colorful, fun DIY jewelry pieces.

Plus, if you or someone you know loves using a rubber band loom, you’re going to love our new giveaway! AllFreeJewelryMaking is giving away a copy of Rubber Band Loom Crafts, a book from Leisure Arts, filled with amazing designs for DIY projects that you can make on any rubber band loom. Scroll on down to enter today!

7 Rubber Band Loom Patterns

More Rubber Band Loom Supplies

Bonus!

Enter to win a Rubber Band Loom Crafts! If you’re a teacher, parent, or anyone who’s talked to a kid recently, you know that rubber band looms have taken the world by storm! With this craze, you will need a helpful guide to navigate all the options you have to create with this fun product, and that is where Rubber Band Loom Crafts: Easy Jewelry & More for Girls and Guys! from Leisure Arts comes in. Use this book as a helpful guide for kid-friendly projects to make with this fun jewelry making product. Head on over to our giveaway page and enter to win! You only have until February 3rd, 2014 to enter!

Are you a fan of rainbow loom jewelry?

Craft Inspiration: Latest Trends in Sewing and Fabric from CHA 2014

January 19, 2014 by AllFreeSewing 2 Comments

AllFreeSewing was thrilled to explore the Craft and Hobby Association Show in Anaheim this year. With all of the new products, amazing bloggers, and eye-catching displays set up it was more than a little difficult to keep our focus. Regardless of our enthusiasm we still managed to get the scoop on what the latest trends are for sewing and fabric.

So, what’s on the radar for all things crafty? We saw a lot of attention this year towards time-saving products and fine materials. Color will also have a huge presence in your 2014 projects, so get ready for something fabulous. Products from Simplicity, Green Sneakers, Crystal Ninja, Camelot Fabrics, and more reminded us that new crafting techniques are always available.

Ribbon Reigns

Ribbons are all the rage this year. At the May Arts Ribbon booth tons of ribbons flaunted various colors and designs. Of course these notions can be used on any kind of craft, but as hems and embellishments they’re perfect.

We even came across The Ribbon Print Company’s amazing custom printing machine. With this innovation you can print your own personal ribbons for your business or personal crafts. The software allows for printing more than just letters.

Color Statements

In Plushi

AllFreeSewing editors noticed no shortage of color at CHA. Starting with the 100% wool fruits and veggies at the Barefoot Fibers stand, we saw bursts of color everywhere.

Therm-O-Web provided astounding shocks of color in their designer displays. Whether in the form of an owl or plush sewing machine, color was everywhere you looked.

Clothing That Counts

If you’re going to put the time into sewing your own wardrobe, make sure the fabric matches your efforts. Bright and bold looks kept catching our attention. These projects weren’t just for the kids. Besides Barefoot Fabric’s cute coats and The McCall Company’s darling dresses, we saw color creeping into adultware too.

The McCall Pattern Company wowed us with their designs. As a giant in the sewing community we knew they’d have fabulous finds, but our jaws dropped when this Vogue Badgley Mischka glittered under the CHA lights. If you’re on the lookout for patterns that can handle bolds, go for classic designs that will flatter your figure.

Innovation Without the Headache

Seriously one of the coolest innovations at CHA was Ann Butler’s line of stamps. If you don’t have the time or money to devote to an entire quilt, you can simply stamp your art to give the effect of a quilt! After it’s pressed this ink doesn’t wash away!

What has the sewing and paper crafters excited is Brother’s new Scan n’ Cut machine. Instead of struggling with fussy cutting you can indulge in your favorite shapes and delicate letters without picking up a pair of scissors or a razor blade.

At Clover we fawned over this new Iron Safe. The materials for your projects can now be protected with this simple guard.

We had so much fun exploring everything new to the crafting community. A BIG thanks to all of the lovely companies and bloggers for their time during the show. We’re already counting down for next year!

You’ve Been Gifted: 7 Holiday Rainbow Loom Patterns + AllFreeKidsCrafts Giveaway!

November 21, 2013 by AllFreeKidsCrafts 4 Comments

Two things are on everyone’s minds right now: Christmas (of course!) and Rainbow Looms, the latest jewelry craze. Whether you’re already obsessed or you’re just starting out, it’s time to put your Rainbow Loom love towards some holiday projects! AllFreeKidsCrafts has searched high and low for the best Rainbow Loom patterns for the holidays, and now you can follow these video tutorials to learn how to make Rainbow Loom designs for Christmas! Who knew Rainbow Looms could be used to make more than jewelry? These Rainbow Loom patterns would make great homemade gifts for friends and family, but Santa will understand if you gift some of these Rainbow Loom projects to yourself.

And speaking of gifts….AllFreeKidsCrafts has something else for you! Scroll down to find out how to win a copy of Totally Awesome Rubber Band Jewelry!

Holiday Rainbow Loom Bracelet

If you want to start creating Rainbow Loom designs for the holidays but haven’t spent much time with a loom, start with this Holiday Rainbow Loom Bracelet. By the time you’re finished with this Rainbow Loom bracelet you’ll have a simple accessory to wear to every holiday party, and you’ll be ready to tackle the rest of these festive Rainbow Loom patterns!

Candy Cane Charm

This precious charm is super sweet! You could make these tiny candy canes to use on your Rainbow Loom bracelets as charms, or string them up as itty-bitty decorations.

Christmas Tree Charm

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree…who knew you were made of rubber bands? This Rainbow Loom design would make a great homemade Christmas ornament!

Snowman Rainbow Loom Bracelet

If you want to make a snowman but there’s no snow on the ground, never fear! Frosty’s here! This Rainbow Loom pattern makes a great wintry accessory.

Grinch Rainbow Loom Bracelet

You’ll need 2 looms to make this Rainbow Loom bracelet, but don’t let that turn you into a Grinch! You’ll love this fun Rainbow Loom pattern, and so will the friend that shares his or her loom with you to help you make it.

Snowflake Charm

Let it snow! No two snowflakes are alike, so feel free to use lots of holiday colors on this Rainbow Loom pattern. This Rainbow Loom design requires two looms, so invite a friend to come over and make the Snowflake Charm with you!

Santa Rainbow Loom Bracelet

Getting on the nice list is easy this year…just make this Santa Rainbow Loom pattern! All of Santa’s elves will be so impressed that you recreated Santa himself with colorful rubber bands.

If you love these videos, make sure you check out the Rainbow Loom video tutorials on AllFreeKidsCrafts!

WIN A PRIZE FROM AllFreeKidsCrafts!

The Rainbow Loom is quickly taking over craft stores and climbing the ranks of trendy toys for kids, so there’s no time to lose. If you want to get in on the latest craze, Totally Awesome Rubber Band Jewelry will help you get started. This book is a complete how-to guide for using this popular crafting craze, featuring unique designs that will wow your friends.

Enter to win the Totally Awesome Rubber Band Jewelry Book Giveaway today! We are giving away one (1) copy of the book to one (1) winner. The deadline to enter is December 2, 2013, at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Click here to enter for your chance to win!

Which one of these adorable holiday Rainbow Loom patterns do you want to try?

Get Ready for Stunning Summer-Inspired Quilt Patterns

June 24, 2013 by FaveQuilts Leave a Comment

The grill is hot, the kids are home on vacation, and you’re in the mood for some summer inspiration for your next seasonal quilt project. Whether your favorite summer pastime is relaxing at the beach or working in your garden, the editors at FaveQuilts are pleased to present this selection of our favorite quilts with summer themes.

Sun Quilt Patterns

What would summertime be without having fun in the sun? From joyful quilted table toppers to gloriously yellow and orange quilted blankets, you’ll be glad you checked out these three sunny quilted projects that are as bright and cheery as the balmy weather outside. If you want joyful and happy-colored quilted patterns, check out these sunny day quilted projects:

Sunshine Sunflower Table Topper

Cheery Sunshine Pillow

Sunburst Picnic Blanket

Beach Quilt Patterns

Entertain the kids by making these easy and vibrant beach-themed quilted projects. Whether you want to make a seasonal quilt pattern with cool ocean blues and little scrap quilt fish or you need a cute beach bag to store your sunblock in, beach quilt patterns are sure to be a major trend this season. If your favorite summertime hot spot is the beach, try these cute beachy patterns:

Charming Drawstring Beach Bag

Beachy Baby Strip Quilt

Ginormous Quilted Beach Bag

Quilted Picnic Baskets

Spend a few summer afternoons enjoying deliciously grilled burgers and hotdogs on your homemade summer-inspired picnic quilt. Friends and neighbors will be especially impressed by your handiwork and ingenuity when they see your patriotic picnic quilts or garden-inspired quilted blankets. While you’re hanging out with the kids on an afternoon picnic, you’ll enjoy the comfort and beauty of your own summer-themed picnic blanket. Some of these refreshing quilted blankets can even function as nifty wall quilts during the colder months. Do these quilt patterns sound appetizing? If so, check out these garden-inspired quilt patterns:

Garden District Picnic Blanket

Farm Fresh Picnic Quilt

Summer Lovin’ Picnic Quilt

Fourth of July Quilt Patterns

Light up your Independence Day with these 4th of July quilts. From red, white, and blue wall hangings to table runners depicting America’s famous stars and stripes, each of these Fourth of July quilt patterns are sure to make this year’s firework show extra special! Show off your patriotism with these fun Fourth of July quilt projects:

Patriotic Pinwheel Quilt Runner

Patriotic Stars Quilt

American Flag Wall Hanging

Summer-themed quilts can be a fantastic project to take some personal time to enjoy your favorite hobby and a great way to commemorate this year’s summer for years to come. The great thing about these diverse seasonal quilt patterns is that they allow you to express your love of all things warm and summery through your preferred quilting techniques.

What kind of summer quilt pattern are you going to make this year?

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