The Playful Parent by Julia Deering

Author:Julia Deering
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2014-05-03T00:00:00+00:00

Make and Take

Crafting noun. The activity or hobby of making decorative articles by hand: crafting has emerged as a fashionable form of self-expression.

Before I had children I didn’t have much time for crafting or, to use a better-known expression, making things. My job was full-time and incredibly full on, and I was lucky enough to often be helping children make things as part of my working day, so I got my crafting fix, as it were. As a result, I didn’t prioritise, say, baking my own biscuits, or designing birthday cards even though doing this kind of thing always made me happy on the rare occasions I made time to do so. However, it’s recently become very fashionable to actually make time to make things. The crafty principle of ‘Don’t buy it, make it!’ seems to be all the rage nowadays – even for busy people in full-time work. A friend of mine runs a ridiculously cool monthly social event in London’s hip Hoxton called The Make Escape. Here, sophisticated grown ups meet and make stuff together of an evening. Apparently, wine is available during these crafting soirees – which make them sound like pretty perfect nights out to me. I should really get a babysitter and go along . . .

The numerous benefits for adults who make things are well documented. Professor John Benyon at the Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Leicester, talks of participation in such activities increasing the happiness and well-being of those involved. It’s said to aid relaxation, encourage self-expression, it can take away stress, promote a sense of pride in learning a new skill, and there’s the enjoyment and satisfaction of seeing those finally-finished projects being displayed, used, or, as is deemed acceptable and desirable these days, given as gifts to friends and family. And with more people than ever before openly proclaiming their love of making decorative articles – whether it’s through sewing, pottery, baking, painting, knitting, jewellery-making, paper-crafting or wood-carving – it seems set to stay as a popular and sociable pastime for the foreseeable future.

With the recent explosion of eye-candy websites like Pinterest, there is plenty of inspiration out there; all we need do is go online and take a look at literally thousands of images of wonderful and downright cool things people have cleverly made which usually link to websites and blogs, some with very useful online tutorials. Since having children of my own, my love of making things has definitely been rekindled – it’s actually one of the few things for which I’ve made more time since becoming a parent. I’ve certainly used my little ones as an excuse to get in the kitchen more to bake, to buy lovely craft supplies and to collect random objects for my children not only to freely explore but also for us to intentionally make things together.

I love my art-and-craft store shelves at home – which have only really come into existence since having children – and get a little over-excited at the sight of the fantastic walk-in resource cupboards in the museums where I work.

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