The classic crafts I wish would come back into fashion

Remember the days when we would cover our coat hangers in crochet or tube beads? I still have a couple of these old school style coat hangers. My mother made some for me, and I only have two left. Despite their current state, I can’t bear to part with them!

I know I could buy the fancy coat hangers at Lincraft and other retailers, and I have occasionally seen the crocheted coat hangers. Yet, the tube bead woven ones appear to be a thing of the past.

I have hunted through op shops and gone to craft markets looking for them, but all to no avail. They must have died in popularity probably because they were time consuming to make.

I remember my dad had made a cutting device for the tubing. I would sit for an hour every day after school cutting it all up so that I could help Mum finish her orders.

My mother also made beaded purses, which were incredibly time consuming. She put her heart and soul into every single one giving them all different designs. She used the coloured tube beads. They were fully lined and they zipped shut and were popular as makeup purses. I wish I still had mine, but like a lot of things it has been lost in life’s journey.

When I was a child, Mum also spent a lot of time sending and receiving up to 100 Christmas cards. It was quite common back then. My relatives also kept their Christmas and birthday cards for Mum. She had very steady hands and would cut out the pictures she wanted and cover them with celluloid making them flexible. Then she would punch holes all around and crochet them together. They ended up as a hexagonal shaped box and the lid would have a small crochet handle.

She had cards for every occasion. If the box were for a child she would mainly use the birthday cards because the cards were beautiful back then and the boxes ended up so pretty and so detailed we use to keep handkerchiefs inside. Mum would even crochet around her white hankies.

Not many people use hankies anymore the younger generations seem to prefer tissues.I always carry a hankie though… I guess old habits die hard.

I wish I had been more careful with all the little treasures that I took for granted because so many of the old crafts are not done anymore.

Do you remember these classic crafts? Do you still have any of these items?

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