8 Crafty Examples of Urban Beautification

Urban beautification can have meanings big and small. These are some of my favorite craftivist projects focused on making urban spaces a little kinder.

The projects below run the gamut from adding some softness or green to urban spaces to brightening the day of a single person. No matter how you slice it, though, these urban beautification projects add some love and whimsy to city life!

8 Crafty Examples of Urban Beautification

8 Crafty Examples of Urban Beautification

1. NCAA Net Works – New Craft Artists in Action is replacing broken basketball hoops in urban areas with handmade, colorful nets that work. Want to get involved? They’re always looking for new participants! [photos via NCAA]

8 Crafty Examples of Urban Beautification

2. Inceptigram – I’ll be honest with you guys: this is not the only yarn-bomb on this list. Inceptigram is London Kaye Crochet’s recent installation on the Brooklyn Bridge, and it’s hilarious and powerful all at once. [photo via London Kaye Crochet]

8 Crafty Examples of Urban Beautification

3. Seed Bombs – Crafters all over the world are mixing up seed bombs using native seeds and tossing them into abandoned lots or other blighted urban corners. [flower image via Shutterstock]

8 Crafty Examples of Urban Beautification

4. Knit Graffiti – Yarn bombing is sort of the classic example of crafty urban beautification. Boring bike racks, telephone poles, and street signs get a pop of color. [photo by Rhonda Winter]

8 Crafty Examples of Urban Beautification

5. Crochet Playgrounds – Artist Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam creates gorgeous crochet installations where kids can play. [photo via Colossal]

8 Crafty Examples of Urban Beautification

6. Lionel Stitchie – Artist Molly Evans turned  end-of-semester waste into something meaningful and whimsical by adding Lionel Ritchie lyrics to abandoned furniture. [photo by Molly Evans]

8 Crafty Examples of Urban Beautification

7. Guerrilla Kindness Project – Sayraphim Lothian is a craftivism superstar, and her Guerrilla Kindness project is bringing beauty to city streets, one little installation at a time. Her newest project is called Lucky Street, and it debut this June in Sydney. [photo by Sayraphim Lothian]

8 Crafty Examples of Urban Beautification

8. For You Stranger – This is another of Lothian’s projects, and it’s all about bringing a little kindness into someone’s day. She leaves faux cupcakes with a gift tag on them that reads, “For you, stranger.” [photo by Sayraphim Lothian]

Written by Becky Striepe

My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”), and I am a crafts and food writer from Atlanta, Georgia with a passion for making our planet a healthier, happier, and more compassionate place to live. My mission is to make vegan food and crafts accessible to everyone!. If you like my work, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, and .

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