African Crafts to Make

There are a great many African crafts to make a huge range of wonderful items. You can make anything from a rain stick to batik printed clothing. The joy of many African arts is that they require little or specialist equipment as they have evolved from using just the natural products that were available. The crafts generally produced wonderful and brightly colored items which are both practical and useful. Patchworks can be made using the typically African fabrics which are now quite easy to get hold of and many items can be transformed using beadwork in the traditional African styles.

A great way of sourcing African crafts to make is through the internet. Now that the internet is available to the majority of us, it is easy to use a search engine to find websites that information regarding the local African crafts. Some are more detailed than others and will need some traditional materials, but many can be undertaken easily and inexpensively.

Batik dying is one of the really authentic African crafts to make. You will need to refer to either a website or a book for information on how to create the designs and achieve the effect. It involves the use of wax and dyes and the end results are colorful and vibrant textiles which can be used for any number of purposes. You could even transform a piece of clothing that you already own with a batik design. This is a great way to rejuvenate some of your wardrobe. As I mentioned, you will need to either read up on the process or perhaps you could find a class at your local college. Art colleges or groups may have a class that you could join to learn this wonderful African style of fabric painting.

You will also find that bead work and jewellery making features highly on the list of African crafts to make. Beads are easy to buy from your local craft stores and are usually inexpensive. Again you will need to do some research to find out what designs and styles of jewellery are traditional in Africa. You will be able to discover quite a lot on the internet but do not restrict your searches just to craft websites. Have a look at a range of African sites and also try to look at as many pictures as possible of African jewellery and how it is traditionally worn. You will then have an idea of what it is that makes a piece look African. Try to copy the designs that you see both in shapes and colours. This way you will be making pieces that are unique to yourself but have a huge African influence.

There are many African crafts to make at home and also in a craft circle. Far more than it is possible to mention here. Keep your eyes open for styles and designs and if at all possible make contact with an African artist or craft worker for some genuine traditional tips.

Jewelry Making Resources

DIY Beading Club - A membership site dedicated to jewelry making and beading.
More info here

Wire Crochet Tutorials - In these Ebook and Video Tutorials, you will find everything you need from the beginning, clearly explaining step by step, with pictures and graphics.
More info here