Get your scissors and glue ready — March is National Craft Month!  From paper to wood, fabric to metal, no medium is off limits!  Let your creativity shine all month long or get inspired to try something new.    

Did you know that CCPL has tons of great resources for whatever your crafty hobbies are?

Creativebug  

Creativebug.com has thousands of award-winning art & craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists.  It brings the latest in art and craft education to its members, and they work with renowned artists to do just that. It is the number one inspirational resource for DIY, crafters and makers, with thousands of award-winning art & craft video classes available for FREE with your CCPL library card.  Access Creativebug here.

Hoopla (ebooks)

The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy by Abbey Sy

The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy covers the basics and beyond for creative lettering techniques.  The book begins with an overview of tools and materials, both traditional (pointed pen and fountain pen) and modern (including brush markers and chalk), then presents a visual glossary of letterforms, highlights the unique characteristics of the featured alphabets, and demonstrates how to draw letterforms to foster an understanding of how they’re created. The core chapters explore traditional, modern, and special effects lettering using a variety of mark-making tools, with in-depth how-to on adding flourishes and other special details, plus creative projects. So whether you’ve never tried lettering before or you’d like to develop your skills and consider all your creative options, The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy will guide and inspire you on your lettering journey.

Wire-Wrapped Jewelry Techniques by Lora S. Irish

Wire wrapping is a quick and easy technique that will take your jewelry craft to the next level. A little wire, a few simple tools, and some brightly colored beads are all you need to start creating your own intriguing fashion statements. By adding new wires to basic links, you can alter simple links into complex and fascinating focal designs. Wire-Wrapped Jewelry Techniques teaches 30 expert wire wrapping methods, such as forming bent-wire links, working a wrapping pattern, wrapping sequential layers, embellishing decorative loops, adding coil elements, and much more. This comprehensive guide to wire wrap jewelry includes 8 step-by-step projects for stunning necklaces, pendants, brooches, hairpins and earrings.

Modern Acrylic by Blakely Little

Modern Acrylic delivers the simple concepts and painting techniques you’ll need to create exciting and expressive works of art. With Modern Acrylic, artists, illustrators, art students, and art hobbyists can learn how to use basic painting techniques and concepts to create expressive works of art. You’ll learn to paint flowers, animals, patterns, and even how to transfer your hand-lettering skills to paint. This guide offers a lively and creative approach to acrylic paint packed with inspiring exercises and whimsical projects. Foremost a beginner’s guide, Modern Acrylic starts with a brief introduction to the tools you’ll need and continues with explanations of key painting concepts like color mixing and atmospheric perspective. Once you have a handle on the basics, it’s time to create dynamic color palettes, use basic shapes and techniques to render a range of subjects, and practice mark making and textures.

Creative Alcohol Inks by Ashley Mahlberg

Pour and paint your way to stunning fluid effects. In Creative Alcohol Inks, artist and Instagrammer Ashley Mahlberg of @inkreel shares step-by-step techniques for creating spontaneous, organic effects with this vibrant transparent medium.

  • Get an overview of essential materials, substrates, and finishes.
  • Explore techniques for applying alcohol inks, such as pouring, creating texture, lifting, masking, adding embellishments, and more.
  • Learn helpful troubleshooting tips and tricks.
  • Use what you’ve learned to create one-of-a-kind artworks and stylish projects

COSMOS catalog (physical books)

Watercolor Success in Four Steps by Marina Bakasova

Grab your practice book and paint brushes and discover the beautiful art of watercolor–no experience required! Watercolor Success in Four Steps will show you how to easily paint 150 animals and objects, from flamingos and penguins to cakes and donuts. Every four-step project offers a completed sketch and a selection of colors to get you started, as well as step-by-step visual instructions with concise captions on how to paint each design. Once you’ve filled your practice book with watercolor paintings of butterflies, trees, ice cream, feathers, and so much more, you’ll be equipped with all the skills and inspiration you need to create your own original works of art.

20 Minute Whittling Projects: Fun Things to Carve From Wood by Tom Hindes

Learn the fast and simple way to whittle in this fun introduction to woodcarving.  One of the joys of whittling with a pocket knife is that you can do it just about anywhere. You don’t need any fancy equipment and you don’t even need much spare time. Author Tom Hindes demonstrates his easy-to-learn, quick-cut method for whittling expressive little figures from wood in just 20 minutes or less. With his friendly instructions and step-by-step photos, you’ll learn to carve an endless array of charming wizards, gnomes, gargoyles, ornaments, dogs, leprechauns, and more. These super-short projects are perfect for learning basic caricature carving skills. They also make wonderful little gifts for random acts of kindness. Leave one along with your tip at the local restaurant, or give one to your favorite cashier.

Polymer Clay for Beginners: Inspiration, Techniques, and Simple Step-by-Step Projects for Making Art With Polymer Clay by Emily Chen

Polymer Clay for Beginners introduces artists, art hobbyists, and polymer clay enthusiasts to this versatile, accessible medium. Because polymer clay does not require the use of a kiln and needs only baking in the oven, it is an easy, approachable art form for even the most inexperienced artist to learn.

Crumb Quilts: Scrap Quilting the Zero Waste Way by Emily Bailey

Tiny fabric scraps or ‘crumbs’ don’t have to end up in the bin – now you can learn how to use these crumbs to create 15 beautiful quilts and quilted projects to bust your stash. Author, Emily Bailey shows you how to quickly piece together small scraps to create larger pieces of ‘crumb fabric’ using chain piecing to build up the fabric. All of the instructions are accompanied with step photography so you see exactly how to create your own scrappy fabrics. There are also instructions for all the quilting techniques you will need to sandwich, baste and bind your quilts and projects.

As well as the step-by-step instructions and photography for how to make the crumb fabric Emily also shares her tips and tricks for how to group fabric colors and prints in order to get the best results. In addition to the instructions for how to create background crumb fabric, crumb blocks and crumb applique there are also step-by-step instructions for 15 stunning quilted projects including full-size bed quilts and smaller projects including a pillow and pin cushion.

Programs

To see our upcoming crafty programs, please check out our Events Calendar.  You can use the Event Type filter at the top and select Arts & Crafts.

Happy crafting, everyone!