Julie Finn
If you live in New York City, you’re in for a treat, because The Craftys will take place there on February 12, at 4pm in Engelman Recital Hall.
The Craftys is the awards ceremony that celebrates the best in DIY and craft across the United States. It’s free and open to the public with RSVP.
The Craftys awards span categories that range from the traditional, such as knitting, sewing, jewelry making, and baby crafts, to the contemporary, such as duct tape creations or geek crafts. Over 150 makers and bloggers are finalists, with the Best in Show winner receiving $1,000 and each category winner receiving $200. Entries include a pointillist painting created with thousands of small pieces of duct tape, a holiday wreath made out of hundreds of pistachio shells, and a quilt sewn in honor of David Bowie. This year’s judging panel includes HGTV host Laurie March, world champion skater Tai Babilonia, and singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb. The ceremony will be hosted by PBS crafting guru Mark Montano, author of The Big Ass Book of Crafts.
At The Craftys, you can not only watch the awards show, but also enjoy free tutorials and complimentary food and beverages. While there aren’t any specifically eco-friendly categories, many of the finalists have contributed creations made from natural or upcycled materials. The rings in the top image, for instance, are upcycled from old skateboards! There’s also a castle made from old book pages that I super wish was my very own.
If you’re not local to New York City, The Craftys will also be livestreamed, so you won’t miss a thing. To get inspired to up your own crafting game (or to check out some possible competition for next year!), you can get a closer look at the finalists in all of the crafting categories on The Craftys blog.
Image credit: Rings Made from Skateboards image via The Craftys
