Crafts are hobbies that have been around since the beginning of time. People have always whiled away the hours doing something that meets their interests and they enjoy. Plus, at one time, crafts were not necessarily for fun, but rather for necessity.
For example in the Victorian years when families would use plants for natural dyes in order to color ribbons for their Christmas presents.
Mittens, scarves, sweaters, tea cozies and so many other knitted items were made simply because that is how people did things. You didn’t go to the store to buy items of necessity.
And while lots of people still make lovely items as gifts and for their own use, crafting has taken on a whole other dimension. In fact, it has seen a resurgence in popularity. When many thought it was boring and old, now it has become a much more social sport.
Quilting bees were always a way for the ladies to get together and have tea or gossip, but now that function has gone one step further. Today, craft parties and craft cruises are hugely fashionable for many occasions.
If you type craft party into any search engine, you’ll find thousands of results for every kind of party imaginable including baby showers, children’s birthday parties, bridal showers and get-together nights. In fact, parties have sprung an industry where many individuals now run businesses to cater to these social events.
Not only do the organizers provide the supplies and help with the finished crafts, but they often join up with other vendors to offer refreshments such as nice cakes and lovely drinks. Depending on what you order, pricing is usually per person.
The beauty of a craft party is that everyone gets to take home a favor of their liking. They can choose their own colors, their own design, and make something that is most likely practical. For children, the craft helps them keep busy and again they have a nice memento which they can say they made. It is so much more interesting than a goodie bag.
Also, there have been parties where the participants got together to make something special for the bride-to-be or the new baby on the way. It is an amazing social outlet and gives everyone a chance to catch up with family and friends, do something fun together, and have a nice cup of tea with tarts and cookies.
Craft cruises have really taken off in the last few years. They started out with knitting cruises and now have expanded into crochet, embroidery, scrapbooking, stamping, needlepoint, beading, jewelry making, and card making. Just think how wonderful it would be to do your favorite hobby overlooking your favorite destination!
Cruises sail to Alaska, the Caribbean, Austria and even Fiji. Depending on how far the ship is traveling, the craft vacation might only be three days or as long as two weeks. Day trips offer beer craft cruises for enthusiasts that enjoy micro-brewing or home brewing. Craft beers have become a real cottage industry both professionally and also for dabblers.
And while ballroom dancing is not a craft, it is certainly a fun hobby. Plenty of tour operators offer beautiful all-inclusive vacations with on-board lessons. Would you like to try your feet at the Samba or the Waltz?
One trend for craft vacations is to mix history with the craft itself. For example, art and the ruins in Mexico. Being able to see some of the real old artwork and then making your own rendition is probably very exciting.
Regardless of what activity you enjoy, theme cruises are only gaining in popularity. If enough people want to sail and create, that is a great combination.
So, we have only looked at two new trends for crafts, but both craft parties and craft cruises are on the real upswing. The biggest decision you’ll have is which craft to choose and which event to celebrate.
Here’s some great ideas for kids and crafts…
To finish, here’s a lady really enjoying herself knitting in the nice warm sun.
What Suggestions Do You Have?
Pop them in the comment box below.