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Arts and Crafts
The arts and crafts of any region or country have traditionally used the materials available in that area. Arts and crafts reflect the culture and heritage of a country. Country Craft can include beadwork, fabric and needlework, painting, candle making or even jewelry making. Kid craft or child craft is introduced in schools as an ideal leisure and play activity. Paper craft and woodcraft are extremely popular.
Kid Craft - Child Craft
Introducing a child to craft activities in the formative years serves the dual purpose of kindling their innate curiosity as well as keeping them occupied during holidays. Very young kid craft would begin with finger printing and using materials like egg cartons and milk cartons. Child craft for older kids can include paper craft, paper mache and preparing paper cards for different occasions. Child craft lessons would be the ideal setting to inculcate the love for nature by using natural products like flowers, leaves, shells and sand. A little kid can do craft work like making potpourri using pressed flowers. Kid craft activities can use nature related craft projects and patterns.
Country Craft
Every country and region has arts and craft that are special in their own way. The African crafts are now popularly used in home décor. African masks, spears, banana leaf art and fabric art are examples of the country art of Kenya. Oriental carpets have long been appreciated for their beauty. Carpets form part of the country craft industry in Persia as well as China. When talking of oriental country craft, can Chinese ceramic vases and bowls dating back to the Ming dynasty be far behind ? Country craft from India have always held pride of place. The country craft of India is epitomized by a riot of color be it the inlaid furniture, wooden and metal accessories, textiles, carved or terracotta figurines. Every country has its own craft specialty.
Native American Craft
Native American craft incorporated a variety of materials. Beadwork, clay and pottery, leather, porcupine quills and stonework have traditionally been used in Native American craft. Tailored moccasins date back to the Native American craft. Native Americans produced these tailored, soft-soled shoes. Basketmaking is the traditional Native American craft that has the most difficult problems of survival. Unlike beadwork, clothing or jewelry, baskets traditionally were not luxuries of dress and decoration, but tools of living. These relics of the Native American Craft are now used as occasional display articles or gifts.
Native country craft was a way of life that incorporated various items available in nature shaped into beautiful objects. Materials like clay, mud, metal and straw are used in quaint ways to create items of dress and decoration. Newer machine made products can never dilute the ethnic flavor and simplicity of paper craft and wood craft. In many countries, native craft forms have taken on the proportion of small industries that provide employment to many and keep alive the traditional craft items.
Paper Craft
The ancient form of Japanese paper craft is called Origami. The word Origami means "fold (oru) paper (kami)" in Japanese. Paper craft is usually introduced during kid craft at school. Interesting shapes bring paper to life for little kids during this child craft activity. In fact, paper craft is a highly specialized art that involves simple techniques of folding paper. Paper craft can also include paper mache. Decorative articles can be made with papier mache.
Wood Craft
Wood has been popularly used as a crafting medium in many regions of the world. Wood craft is still very popular the world over. Home utility items like spice racks, wall shelves and towel racks are examples of wood craft. Decorative articles are also crafted from wood, like doll furniture, curios and carvings of animals and figurines.
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