It’s National Craft Month: Get Inspired, Try Something New & Boost Your Creativity

Posted on March 7, 2024 at 6:00 am

By Abra Cole

March is a wonderful time to learn a new skill or fall back in love with an old favorite.

To inspire your crafting muse, visit your library to see an art show! Each of our libraries have a display of art from local artists on the theme of “Through a Window” that can be viewed through the end of March. Some of these pieces are also available to view online on our Art Show web page.

Music also falls into the realm of the muses. You can see and hear two Irish music groups at our libraries to help fuel your creativity in March: Floating Crowbar and Arvid Lundin & Deep Roots. Each group performs at different libraries, giving you a chance to experience the fast fiddling and rhythmic sounds of these fantastic musicians.

Creative Workshops & Programs

While you’re at the library, I encourage you to pick up your copy of Engage, our programs & events guide (you can also browse the digital version).

Inside Engage are dates and times for creative programs for adults, teens, tweens, and kids. Here are a few that you can stop in or sign up for:

• Maker Open Hours in The Lab (adults): North Spokane Library on Fridays, 10am–1pm & 2–5pm
• Making a Leprechaun Trap (kids in grades 2–5 & their families): Various locations, in March
• Audio-Visual Group Discussion (adults): The STCU Studio at Spokane Valley Library on Saturdays, 4:30–5:30pm
• Designing Temporary Tattoos (teens): Various locations, in March–May
• Making a Claymation Video (ages 10+): The STCU Studio at Spokane Valley Library on Wednesday, March 20, 3:30–5:30pm
• Reading & Art: They All Saw a Cat (kids in grades K–5 & their families): Cheney Library on Monday, April 1, 1–2pm

Digital Resources

Our Digital Library offers several online resources to help you on your crafting journey. You do need an in-district library card (those that do not begin with 609) to access our digital resources.

My favorite is Creativebug.

Once you’ve set up your account with your email and you’re logged in, you can search by project type, instructor, or even by material. So, if you find yourself looking at a pile of leftover fabric scraps from your last project, doing a quick search for fabric projects in Creativebug brings up 341 results for potential project inspiration!

Even if you don’t think you have a creative bone in your body, I encourage you to browse through the Creativebug collection. They offer projects for beginners to experts! As their tagline says, “You’re more creative than you think!”

You’ll find a goldmine of creativity with Flipster.

Flipster is your source for digital magazines that you can read on your tablet or computer. There are magazines for all ages, interests, and skills. You can find several crafting and inspirational magazines, including:

• Architectural Digest and House Beautiful
• Crochet World, Interweave Knits, and Quilter’s World
• Family Handyman, Fine Gardening, and This Old House
• Wood Magazine and Popular Woodworking
• For Kids: Highlights, Ask, Cricket, and Faces

Items to Check Out

The library offers a vast selection of skill-building options in the form of books and videos with topics on woodworking, rock painting, needle felting, and everything in between. The crafting section is quite large (find it in the Dewey decimal 700 section), so be sure to use the catalog or stop by the service desk for help to get to the exact subject you’re looking for.

Here are a few of my favorite go-to titles when I’m in need of a little extra inspiration:

• Art on the Rocks: More Than 35 Colorful & Contemporary Rock-Painting Projects, Tips, and Techniques to Inspire Your Creativity, by F. Sehnaz Bac
• Crochet Impkins: Over a Million Possible Combinations! Yes, Really!, by Megan Lapp
• Pie School: Lessons in Fruit, Flour and Butter, by Kate Lebo
• The Artful Parent: Simple Ways to Fill Your Family’s Life with Art and Creativity, by Jean Van’t Hul
• Collage Workshop for Kids: Rip, Snip, Cut, and Create with Inspiration from the Eric Carle Museum, by Shannon Merenstein

The possibilities don’t end there. Once you’ve selected your craft of choice, you can make use of several items in our Library of Things collection. Most of these items can be checked out for one week.

• Sewing machine and accessories
• Upholstery accessories kit
• AceList bottle cutter kit
• DIY Zine making kit
• Nikon DSLR camera

The library’s collection also includes the Family Museum Pass to the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. You can visit their website to check out upcoming exhibits to help plan your visit to explore and get inspired by the exhibits.  

Whatever your craft of choice, or, if it’s all new to you, I encourage you to try your hand at something creative this month and see where it takes you.

Maybe it won’t suit you, or maybe you’ll find something that is fulfilling and amazing. I look forward to hearing all about your crafting adventures!

Abra Cole works as a Public Services Specialist for Spokane County Library District. She enjoys engaging with library customers, including hearing about their favorite books, learning how their gardens are growing, and helping them solve technology troubles with personal mobile devices and the library’s 3D printer. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, expanding her fiber-arts skills, and hanging out in the woods with her family.

Tags: adults, art, community, crafting, creativebug, creativity, Flipster, hobbies, kids, parents, reading, teens, tweens