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5 Hard-core Crafters You Should Know

Emilie Sennebogen

“Erica Domesek of P.S. I Made This“Erica Domesek of P.S. I Made ThisJason Kempin/WireImage/Thinkstock

Crafting has become more than an activity to pass your leisure hours. For many women, crafting has become a lifestyle — a means to an end for decorating their homes, creating their wardrobes and making gifts for friends and family. So what constitutes a hard-core crafter? Some come from an art and design background, while others simply have the goods and developed the know-how. Some have been catapulted into celebrity status for their expertise, while some operate quietly out of their home studios. Though their areas of craft aptitude vary, these ladies have one thing in common: They’ve hit it big in the blogosphere based on their supreme knowledge of all things crafty. Here are five hard-core crafters that you should know.

Contents

  1. Erica Domesek of P.S. I Made This
  2. Jessica Jones of How About Orange
  3. Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made
  4. Dana Willard of Dana Made It
  5. Cathie Filian of Cathie and Steve Like to Make Things

5: Erica Domesek of P.S. I Made This

What started as an effort of a group of girlfriends to recreate an expensive necklace has turned into a career path for Erica Domesek of P.S. I Made This, that includes a book deal, guest spots on Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray and more magazine mentions than you can shake a stick at. Erica’s unique spin is crafty fashion, which means creating fun, wearable eye candy like floral patterned bangle bracelets and trendy totes designed with a marker pen and grommets. All of her projects include inspirational mood boards, step-by-step instructions, and in some cases, an instructional video accompaniment.

A Ray of Light

Rachael Ray started out as a host on the Food Network known for her no-nonsense, quirky personality. She has created a multi-million dollar empire that includes numerous cookbooks, a talk show, a magazine and various consumer lines that include tableware, bed linens and, most recently, a line of all-natural dog food.

4: Jessica Jones of How About Orange

Jessica Jones is a Chicago-based graphic designer by day who also runs a successful DIY crafty blog called How About Orange. Her popular blog started as a tool to promote her handmade wares on Etsy, until she realized that she enjoyed blogging more than she enjoyed making the same thing over and over to sell. Her blog is the perfect combination of how-to and inspiration, with a super helpful resources section that includes tutorials on graphic design and free, downloadable images. The step-by-step instructions for her DIY tutorials offer colorful pictures that help make the crafting process easy to follow, and the content includes lots of seasonal household decorations.

3.Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made

Cathe Holden started her career as an advertising agency art director and illustrator right out of high school. A move to San Francisco ultimately landed her in wine country, where she designed packaging for food and wine products. Three children later, her job as a stay-at-home mom mandated a thrifty lifestyle that started her creative juices flowing. Many of her crafts involve using found objects and scraps from other craft projects. Her DIY style falls into the realm of country craft but contains sophisticated design elements, no doubt influenced by her design background. Be sure to check out photos of her garage studio for absolute inspiration. You can see all of her work at Just Something I Made.

Paper vs. Wood

Woodworking and wood crafts have the highest sales in the craft industry, but drawing and scrapbooking have the highest numbers of households that participate in those particular crafts.

2: Dana Willard of Dana Made It

Sewing has found a legitimate place in the craft world and Dana Willard does it well. Dana’s grandmother taught her to sew at the age of 10, but it wasn’t until she had kids of her own that something clicked. She decided kid’s clothes were more fun to sew than women’s fashions because they were considerably less complicated, and her favorite projects were ones that could be completed during her kids’ naps. Dana Made It focuses on sewing tutorials that are easy to follow, as well as tips and tricks on making your own patterns and dyeing your own fabric. She also offers a good selection of home décor and holiday projects.

1: Cathie Filian of Cathie and Steve Like to Make Things

Cathie Filian is an Emmy-nominated TV host and lifestyle presenter who is well-regarded by many other crafters as one of the craftiest. Her HGTV show "Creative Juice" put her on the map, which led to book deals and appearances on the Rachael Ray show as a lifestyle expert. Her crafty knowledge runs the gamut from bath and body products to paper crafts and sewing as well as jewelry and home and garden. Her popular blog, Cathie and Steve Like to Make Things, offers easy to follow instructions for just about anything you might want to make. She and Steve also serve as producers of TLC’s "The Craft Wars," premiering June 26.

Crafty Monies

The craft and hobby industry in the United States is a $29 billion industry.

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