ELEMENT OF DESIGN
Meaning of Craft Making
Craft making means using your hands and simple tools to make useful or decorative things from different materials like paper, cloth, wood, beads, clay, and more.
It is an important skill that helps us create things we can use or sell.
Types of Crafts
- Weaving: This is making things by crossing threads or strips of materials like raffia or cloth to make mats, baskets, or fabrics.
- Beadwork: Using small beads to make necklaces, bracelets, or decorations.
- Pottery: Making objects like pots, bowls, and cups by shaping clay and then baking it hard.
- Carving: Cutting or shaping wood, soap, or stone to make decorative or useful objects.
- Textile Crafts: Making or decorating cloth by sewing, dyeing, or embroidery.
- Paper Craft: Making things from paper by folding, cutting, or pasting, like cards, models, or decorations.
Materials Used in Craft Making
- Natural materials like wood, clay, raffia, beads, leaves, and shells.
- Man-made materials like paper, cloth, plastics, metal wires, and glue.
Tools Used in Craft Making
- Scissors, knives, needles, and threads.
- Glue, paint, brushes, and sewing machines.
- Carving tools like chisels and hammers.
Basic Craft Techniques
- Cutting: Using scissors or knives to cut shapes from materials.
- Joining: Using glue, thread, nails, or other means to put parts together.
- Shaping: Moulding clay or bending wire to the desired form.
- Decorating: Painting, dyeing, or adding beads and other ornaments to make crafts attractive.
Importance/Uses of Craft Making
- Crafts help people to express their creativity and ideas.
- Crafts provide useful things like mats, baskets, pots, and clothes.
- Craft making can be a way to earn money (self-employment).
- Crafts preserve culture and tradition through designs and techniques.
- Craft skills can improve hand-eye coordination and concentration.
- Crafts are used in festivals, ceremonies, and celebrations.
Simple Craft Projects Students Can Try
- Making bead necklaces or bracelets.
- Weaving small mats or trays from raffia.
- Creating paper cards or models.
- Carving soap or soft wood into simple shapes.
- Sewing small bags or decorating cloth with embroidery.
