the crafts that made us
Childhood crafts aren’t always fleeting experiences. Sometimes, they pave the way for passions that come to define your life.
Written and designed by Payton Wilkins
Beads. String. Rubber bands. Colored pencils. Sketchbook. Origami paper. Knitting needles. Crochet hooks. Yarn.
Each year, my Christmas and birthday wish lists were filled with art supplies, crafting materials and kits that would teach me new artistic skills.
Don’t get me wrong — I still had fun playing Barbies with my cousins, Hot Wheels with my brother and My Little Pony in my room all the time. But what I enjoyed more than anything was making things with my hands.
Before elementary school I didn’t know how to make much, but I knew I wanted to create. I scribbled in coloring books, finger-painted on canvases and covered construction paper with any sticker I could find.
Once I reached elementary school, I gained the coordination to make more refined pieces of art.
My favorite of our weekly “specials” — short classes outside of the normal curriculum like P.E., technology, music and library — was art. I loved learning about perspectives and different mediums, shaping clay and yarn into tactile pieces or using paints and pencils to create new works I could share with my family. During normal classes, I’d secretly pull out scraps of paper from my desk and fill them with doodles when the teacher wasn’t looking.
When I was nine years old, I took a jewelry-making class at a local community college with my mom. I loved experimenting with different color combinations and showing off the jewelry I’d made at school. As time went on, I grew interested in fiber arts: knitting, loom knitting and embroidery. My grandma sensed my budding passion and gave me a crochet kit for Christmas right before I turned 10 years old.
That one box would come to
define a lifelong passion.
Enamored with the idea that I could turn string into scarves, hats and blankets, I slowly taught myself to crochet. I carefully followed the instructions in the box and watched dozens of YouTube tutorials for beginners. The yarn from the kit was quickly used up making countless lopsided chains and squares, and I had no intention of stopping.
My mom bought me more yarn and I decided I felt confident enough to make a hat. Looking back, it’s probably the worst hat I’ve ever seen in my life, but to me it was beautiful because it had come from my own two hands.
I soon fell even more in love with crochet when I learned you could make stuffed animals. Soon, they were all I cared about making.
So, in January 2022, I decided to take a leap of faith and open an Etsy shop. I was scared people wouldn’t like my work or that I wouldn’t make any sales. But slowly, the sales started coming in, and I received kind reviews. My art was now making other people happy, too.
As I prepared to go to college, I decided I didn’t want to be embarrassed about my love of crafting anymore. I started looking for art-related organizations and found Student-Made UNC, an organization that supports student crafters and entrepreneurs by providing online and inperson platforms to sell their handmade art.
“Slowly, the sales started coming in, and I received kind reviews. My art was now making other people happy, too.”
Over the next few years, I continued to crochet but was scared to tell others because I didn’t want to be perceived as weird. At home, though, stuffed animals piled on the couch until there was hardly any room for my family to sit.
In 2021, my mom told me something had to change. I’d been crocheting more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to keep busy and feel productive while stuck at home, and my house just didn’t have room to store as many things as I’d been making.
I tried to solve the problem by giving my creations away, but people only need so many stuffed animals before they get tired of them. My friends had enough, and while my family enjoyed receiving them, their homes were filling up too.
After participating for a year as a creator, I felt that I knew the organization inside and out. It gave me a sense of community and helped me make lasting friendships during the turbulent transition from high school to college and the move from kid to adult.
I decided I wanted to get even more involved and took on a leadership role as community engagement manager, planning events and helping other students feel welcomed into the community just as I had been. In 2025, two semesters before my graduation, I became campus manager — a role that oversees the other managers and helps shape the organization’s direction.
Now, three and a half years later, I know joining Student-Made was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I found a community where I could be myself and connect with others over a shared love of
how to make a classic fishtail bracelet
Want to remember the fun of making a rainbow loom bracelet but don’t have a loom?
Follow the steps below to learn how to make a bracelet without one!
Wrap a band around two fingers in a figure-eight shape.
Add two more bands on top of the first one.
Move the two bottom loops over your fingers and into the center.
You’ll need three colors of bands and a c-clip.
Add another band on top, then move the bottom loops to the center.
Repeat the previous step until long enough. Attach the ends to the c-clip.
of crafting, while also gaining the skills and confidence I needed to turn my passion into a successful business.
At the same time I worked with StudentMade, I prepared to continue my crochet business beyond college by designing and printing marketing materials, establishing myself as a vendor at local craft fairs and planning how to grow my brand after graduation.
With graduation approaching faster than ever, I’m excited to have more time to dedicate to my business outside of a nine-tofive career. I want to attend more downtown markets in my hometown and surrounding counties, increase my stock and launch my own website. I’m nervous but excited for the independence and responsibility that lies ahead.
It’s been nearly a decade since my 10-year-old self fell in love with all things crochet, and even longer since I spent hours crafting as a little kid. I can’t help but think that younger me would be proud of how far
I’ve come.
I’ve gone from shy and embarrassed about my love of making things to finding confidence and community through it. I don’t worry anymore about whether people think my crafting is unusual, instead focusing on how my art can bring other people joy. I still try new crafts whenever I can. I recently learned to knit, and I’m hoping to learn to use a sewing machine soon so I can add fabric to my crocheted items.
I don’t think I’ll ever stop creating. Crafting has been a constant thread through every stage of my life. From coloring books to craft kits to my business today, creating gives me a way to de-stress and disconnect from everyday chaos — to focus instead on the simple act of creating. After more than a decade of crafting, what I’ve learned is this: never be afraid to try new things. Don’t hesitate to share your art with the world. And most importantly, never forget the little kid inside you who just wanted to make something cool.
icymi: crafts you may have missed
rainbow loom:
Use small, colorful rubber bands and a plastic loom to create your own bracelets, charms and keychains. Loop and link bands together in endless color combinations to create wearable art of your own.
pixos:
Make pixel art designs with these tiny, colorful beads!
Everyone had their own favorite crafts as kids, but what about the ones you never got to experience?
Check out some of the crafts you might have missed in this guide.
bendaroos:
These colorful building sticks are made of sturdy string coated with wax, creating a crafting material that bends, molds and sticks to itself to make anything you can imagine.
weaving loom:
spirograph:
Create intricate spiral designs with precision using colorful pens and interlocking gears. Move the gears inside a ring and trace to draw intricate patterns that
Weave together loops of fabric on a plastic frame to create colorful potholders and patterns. Layer colors to make stripes, squares, and more as you pull loops under and over using a crochet hook.
sand art:
Layer vibrant colors of sand into clear plastic molds to create eyecatching designs and patterns. Mix and pour different shades to make oneof-a-kind creations that are fun to shake, make and display.