Old-World Crafts
Old-world crafts are crafts that were once done largely out of necessity, before the Industrial Revolution and modern technology enabled us to mass produce things. After years of factory-manufactured products, people are rediscovering the charm of old-world crafts, and hand-crafted items are becoming more and more popular. Avid crafters are finding that there is a satisfaction in rediscovering old-world techniques, and a lucrative market for old-world-style wares.
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Homemaking
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Candle and soap making are one of the most popular old-world crafts that have been making a comeback in recent years. At one time, making candles and soap was a common household chore as the only way to have them was to make them yourself. Now, people make them for the satisfaction and because you can produce a beautiful product of superior quality for less than you would pay in specialty shops. While these items were once commonly made of animal fat, modern materials, such as paraffin and vegetable oils, are easier to work with.
Textiles
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Textile crafts include a number of different techniques that are making a comeback. While quilting has never gone out of style, it is more popular than ever before. Weaving is another old-world craft that is being rediscovered by home crafters. With everyone interested in "going green," fabric dying is coming back into fashion, with people using homemade dyes from various plant products to create beautiful, natural colors.
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Metals
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Punching tin was a popular form of folk art in colonial times, used to create lanterns, or decorative inserts for furniture and cabinet doors. Tin was an inexpensive metal that was readily available and easy to work with. Using a hammer and a nail, intricate designs and patterns were punched onto a sheet of tin. Home crafters are finding this technique an easy and inexpensive way to make beautiful metal sculptures for their home and garden.
Glass
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The art of glass blowing has been around for at least 3,500 years. The 19th century brought mechanical glass production, almost rendering this art extinct. In the 1960s, the "studio-glass movement" occurred, in which glass artists began moving out of the factories and into their own studios. This movement continues to unfold and grow today with new discoveries and techniques. The beauty of blown glass products is not lost on the public, as demand grows for these exquisite works of art.
Leather
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You can't get any more "old-world" than leather crafts. As people experimented with the uses of the hides that remained after hunting and skinning animals, the practices of tanning, softening and stretching leather improved the quality of the product so that it could be adapted to a number of uses. For nearly 4,000 years, animal hides have been used on every continent for a number of purposes, such as clothing, shelter, tools and art. Leather crafts are still abundant today.
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