Have You Heard of Craft?

Within all of us is a little kid desperate to get crazy with a glue stick and tub of glitter. If not glue and glitter, then maybe a slab of wood and some paint, or sequins, or stamps. The list could go on, but the drive to create is at the heart of Craft. The studio debuted in East Austin a number of years ago but recently has been toying with how much or how little structure crafters like when crafting. Do people like to have a model or idea they work on and perhaps be guided through a craft, or do they like to explore and create on their own with no preconceived ideas or directions? Ultimately, it probably boils down to a crafter’s personality and prerogative, and Craft offers participants the ability to freestyle or follow a plan.

Photo: Facebook/Craft

When you enter Craft, you are confronted by a number of tables and chairs as well as two long rows of art supplies. A wall of color awaits where paints of all varieties are lined up. Paper, scraps, material, felt, beads, found objects, are all organized in various containers perfect for perusing or picking up and taking to a table. For $10 an hour crafters can have at any of the supplies and craft to their heart’s content.

Photo: Facebook/Craft

A couple of tables were filled with friends that had come in to gab while crafting together. Another table held a group that had come for a class on calligraphy, only one of the classes the studio offers. The vibe was decidedly hipster-esque as a typically mid-to-late twenties crowd worked on projects and chatted with friends. It was a relaxed space and a place where any art kind of art was acceptable. Staffers reminded participants to avoid editing or judging their work and to just create. A message that can either be refreshing or frightening depending on the audience.

Photo: Facebook/Craft

At some point in life, any of us begin to edit the small child that loves glue and glitter and we are consistently reminded by the adults in our lives to color in the lines. Craft invites people to come as they are and color without boundary.

More information can be found at madeatcraft.com