When many people think of crafts, they only consider a few like knitting or scrapbooking. But there are more than 100 different types of crafts that fall into ten core categories. We’ll explain each of those ten types to help you learn more about the world of crafting. You’re sure to find your favorites, but we hope you’ll also learn about new types of crafts that you’ve never heard of!
Ready to learn more about different types of crafts? Keep reading and discover your favorite.
Table of Contents
CERAMICS AND GLASS CRAFTS
Pots, dishes, sculptures, and other items made from clay hardened by heat are ceramics. Ceramics are often mixed with glass for both practicality and design. Crafters may use glass in practical ways. Adding a glass bottom to a ceramic piece makes the whole object more sturdy. They may also decorate ceramics with glass. Glazing the piece creates a unique effect as light bounces off of the glass.
Stained glass is the most common glasswork to combine with ceramic. In this art, the multitude of colors enhances the beauty of the ceramic piece. This is a cool way to give the appearance of precious stones. You might think you need a glass kiln to achieve this type of design, but that’s not true. Ceramic kilns are fine for ceramics that incorporate glassworks. The main concern is the volume of space inside the ceramic kiln as glass tends to expand when heated.
FIBER AND TEXTILE CRAFTS
Fiber and textile crafts involve the creation of an item by using fabric or textile. These ancient crafts were once done completely by hand. Today they’re more often created in mass-production factories.
Textile and fiber crafts include an array of crafting processes. Common examples include papermaking, basketry, needlework, weaving and more. Sometimes crafters must prepare the fiber or textile beforehand. Preparations include methods like spinning, bleaching, and finishing. The treated product is then combined with other processes to gain the desired look. This can include methods like screen printing or painting. Sometimes artists may treat the material with chemicals to make it last longer.
Fiber and textile arts have sustained their popularity across the ages. Clothing is a necessity for all and also a valuable means of self-expression. These days, we hold grand events like New York Fashion Week to celebrate our textile designs. Textiles are also used in our homes as bedding, rugs, and other decorative accents.
FLOWER CRAFTS
Flower crafting includes a variety of arts and crafts that incorporate flowers. This includes bouquet making, pressed flowers, ikebana, and more.
The art of flower crafting dates back to ancient Egypt. Flowers held spiritual importance as a symbol of rebirth. Ancient Egyptians used floral arrangements to decorate and perfume their homes. They also used flowers to create perfumed ointments. The oldest known book for flower-crafting was found in Japan and dates back to 1445.
Several types of beautiful flower crafting arts are still popular today. We still value the fragrance, importance, and beauty of flowers. Many use these creations during sacred events like weddings, funerals, and celebrations. They may also offer congratulations, well wishes, and to express love. Love flowers? Check out our sister site, Flower Glossary.
LEATHERWORKING
Leatherworking is an ancient process of creating items out of animal skins. During ancient times, hunters used the skins of the animals they hunted for clothing. The clothing would, unfortunately, stiffen and rot over time. To solve this problem, they created primitive techniques for crafting leather.
The most common animal skin used for leatherworking cow. First, the leatherworker must clean the skin. Then they remove the hair or fur. Next begins a process called tanning. This process helps to preserve the material. Finally, leatherworking may include decorative elements. Leather carving, stamping, boiling, painting, and dying are the most common techniques. Most leather is black or brown, but you can also dye it any color of the rainbow.
MIXED MEDIA CRAFTS
Mixed media involves the act of incorporating a variety of media to form a work of art. The two most common types of mixed media are assemblages and collages. Artists may use a variety of different materials in a mixed-media design. Elements that are most often incorporated are paper, cloth, plastic items, and wood.
An artist can achieve many impressive effects with mixed media. One popular technique is a three-dimensional effect. When a painter is creating a mixed media artwork, they must allow each design to dry. This prevents paint mixing between combined layers or pieces in the design.
Today we have digital mixed media too. This involves creating graphic designs with computer software. Digital, mixed media collages are common on social networks. Apps have made it even easier to create these designs.
NEEDLEWORK
Needlework is any type of art form involving a needle to construct an item. Since this is such a broad category, there are a vast variety of techniques included. Some of the most popular methods are sewing, knitting, crocheting, quilting, and tatting.
Needleworking is also an ancient art form. Experts have dated a Peruvian cross-stitch sampler back to 200-500 AD. The materials used to create early needlework were most likely stems and grasses. Twisting short fibers to create yarns and string did not evolve as a technique until around 10,000 BC. Historians have discovered early examples. Some of these included half cross stitches and satin stitches into intricate designs.
Want to learn more about needlework crafting? Grab a craftsy coupon or read up on the top craft stores online. We’ve also got an incredibly useful list of free patterns for sewing, knitting, and crochet.
PAPER CRAFTS
Paper crafts are designs formed using paper. Some familiar paper crafting techniques are origami, paper marbling, decoupage, embossing, scrapbooking, quilting and more.
The word “paper” comes from the term “papyrus,” which is the material used by Egyptians for paperwork. This creation dates back to the third millennium BC. Paper as we know it today was invented in China around 105 AD. This advancement opened up a world of possibilities for creating with paper. The types of paper available and techniques for crafting have evolved over time.
Paper is one of the most common materials used for artistic expression. It is easy to find, easy to maneuver, and inexpensive. As children, most of us used paper as our material of choice for creative work. We cut snowflakes out of paper, colored it, glued it and more. As adults, there are almost endless options for papercrafting. If you’re into paper crafts, you may like our Cricut coupons.
WOOD CRAFTS
Works created primarily out of wood are wood crafts. Wood is actually one of the oldest materials man has used creatively. Archaeologists have found ancient woodworking tools dated back to the era of the Neanderthals. This art form is so enduring because we use wooden items for so many everyday, practical uses.
The most common wood crafts include furniture making, wood burning, cabinet making, carving, and carpentry. To become a master woodworker, you’ll need a great deal of expertise. This is because of the large variety in types of wood. Each kind of tree has its own set of unique properties, resulting in different strengths and uses.
STONE CRAFTS
Creative works made out of stone are stone crafts. The profession of stone crafting is stonemasonry. Masons create everyday items like monuments, buildings, bridges and so much more. You’re probably familiar with many of the most famous works constructed from stone. The Taj Mahal, the Moai Heads of Easter Island, Stonehenge, and the Egyptian Pyramids are excellent examples.
There are many types of stone used for masonry construction and stone sculpting. These include various sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. In masonry, the most common varieties used include limestone and sandstone. Sculptors of stone are more likely to work with alabaster or marble. Common tools used to shape stone include mallets, chisels, and metal straightedges. In modern times, power-tools may make the stone crafting process much easier.
METAL CRAFTS
Metal crafters construct objects out of materials derived from the ores of the earth. You may also hear these crafts referred to as metal arts or metallurgy. Popular types of metal crafting include smithing, casting, welding, and enameling.
Out of the 118 elements on the periodic table, 90 are metals. That’s a massive variety for metalworkers to choose from! Some of the most common metals used for crafting include silver, gold, bronze, steel, iron, and lead.
Some forms of metal crafting can trace their routes back to ancient times. We’ve found crafted copper artifacts in Northern Iraq dated to 8,700 BC. Around 4,500 BC, tin was first added to copper to create bronze. Archaeologists have found iron artifacts in Turkey from 2,500 BC. Sometime around 1,400 BC, steel working began in East Africa.
Metal crafts remain a high priority in our society today. We still recognize both the precious beauty and the usefulness of various metals. Crafters use metal in large, sturdy constructions like cars, buildings, and bridges. We also use it in small, delicate items such as jewelry, electronics, fasteners, and tools. In the modern world, metal crafts are all around us!
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading up on different kinds of crafts. Keep an eye on Crafts Glossary for more articles and ideas for crafts.
Additional reading:
https://www.countryliving.com/diy-crafts/
https://www.hgtv.com/design/topics/crafts
https://www.marthastewart.com/1502461/diy-projects-crafts
https://www.hobbylobby.com/DIY-Projects-Videos/Crafts/c/13-231
https://makezine.com/category/craft/