Holiday Crafting with Help from the Library

Get crafty or learn a new hobby this holiday season.

Regardless of which winter holiday you celebrate, there’s likely a craft project that could help you enjoy it—if you know how to do that particular craft (knitting, crocheting, stitching, paper crafting, fashion, decorative art, functional crafts, etc.). Bonus: Not only might you enjoy the holiday season even more, but working on crafts can be relaxing and a good antidote to busy days. What’s more, crafts come in all experience levels and age-appropriate forms. You might be able to enjoy time with your children or grands, working on children’s holiday crafts together.

But if you’ve never done that type of craft, starting from scratch can feel intimidating. No surprise, though—libraries to the rescue! Libraries around the country have bolstered up their books and digital content with how-tos and are offering classes (in-person or online) for those wanting more guidance.

Some libraries offer public groups that can meet without a teacher where participants can enjoy getting to know others with similar interests and ask for help from more experienced crafters. Whether you want to pursue easy winter holiday crafts or stretch your current know-how with more sophisticated holiday crafts for adults, your library can help.

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Crafting Databases

Many libraries offer free access to the following crafting databases, which are packed with tutorials, suggestions, step-by-step instructions, and helpful hints:

• Creativebug. This database has thousands of online crafting classes, including knitting, crocheting, quilting, sewing, needlework, jewelry making, paper crafting, bookmaking, art and design, and children’s and teens’ projects. Creativebug has detailed classes as well as short videos called Daily Practice, which are designed for people who have only a few minutes to spare most days but still want to start crafting. Another area called Learning Journeys has curated content on different types of crafts, with several hours of videos collected on specific crafting topics.
• Hobbies & Crafts Source. This database includes many of the crafts in Creativebug but also offers collecting, cooking and baking, home and garden, indoor and outdoor recreation, and science and technology. It contains several hundred how-to videos, full text of more than 1,800 craft books and magazines, and nearly 14,000 recipes.
• Craft & Hobby. This large database includes videos and classes on knitting, crocheting, cake designing, woodworking, painting and drawing, sewing and quilting, photography, and fitness. Some classes and videos may be available to stream on your TV at home. Classes also offer closed-caption subtitles.
• Flipster Digital Magazines. This database is an enormous repository of online magazines of myriad types. The Hobbies, Interests & DIY category offers publications covering cake decorating, gardening, yarn crafts and needlework, cooking, and woodworking. There’s also an Art & Design section as well as coloring books for adults and children.

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Library Craft Programs

Libraries offer a wealth of crafting resources beyond databases, books, and videos. These are just a few examples of what’s available to library patrons:

• Crafternoon. The Hopkins branch of Hennepin County Library in Minnesota offers adults the opportunity to craft whatever they like with like-minded people on Tuesday afternoons.
• Way Public Library Adult Crafts. This Ohio library offers in-person classes focused on a different craft project each month, from making birdseed ornaments to sheet music roses to paper bag snowflakes. A $10 fee and reservation are required for the in-person class, but project instructions and supply lists are posted online for people to do them at home for free.
• Fargo Public Library in North Dakota’s Ongoing Casual Crafters Sessions. The casual part is that it’s open to anyone interested in crafting with other people, whether folks who will bring a project with them or those who are interested in learning a new craft, in which case the library supplies some items to get them started. For December 2024, there is also a one-session class on making mini book ornaments themed around the Best Books of 2024.
• Scarsdale Public Library in New York’s Makerspace. Not only does the library offer its patrons Craft & Hobby, but it also has a makerspace on-site where people can get hands-on experience in a number of creative activities, including using sewing, quilting, and embroidery machines or creating holiday cards with a Cricut machine.
• Craft Programs at Florida’s Broward County Library. The library system has a robust calendar of craft activities and classes, many of which are themed to the season (decorate a mitten craft). Others are public gatherings for people to bring their craft projects to work on in good company.
• Woodland Public Library in California’s Square One Series. This series offers craft training for adults and teens. Advance registration is required, but the necessary supplies are provided to make things like cork Christmas trees or crepe paper poinsettias. Most classes offer either ASL interpretation or Spanish translation.
• Art Programs at the Garcia Library in Corpus Christi, Texas. The library offers regular classes for children and teens for all kinds of arts and crafts, including STEAM activities and craft kits available for kids at the front desk. Some events require preregistration.

Libraries are the places you’d suspect would have books and magazines about crafts. But today’s libraries take that a step further and give people of all ages a safe space to learn or advance their crafting skills. Check your local library to see what new craft ideas they might have for you!

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