CRAFTS

artisan
a person who does skilled work with his or her hands

arts and crafts plural noun

the skills of making objects, such as decorations, furniture and pottery (= objects made from clay),
by hand

basketwork noun
the making of baskets and other objects by weaving together thin bendable strips of wood

batik noun
a method of printing patterns on cloth, in which wax is put on the cloth before it is put in the dye (=
substance for changing the colour of cloth), or the cloth itself

collage noun
(the art of making) a picture in which various materials or objects, for example paper, cloth or
photographs, are stuck onto a larger surface:
The children made a collage of postcards.
Compare assemblage.

craft (SKILL)
a job or activity needing skill and experience, especially in relation to making objects:
the craft of furniture making/boat building/glass blowing
political/literary craft
rural/ancient/traditional crafts
craft workers (= skilled workers)

craft verb (often passive)

These bracelets were crafted by native Americans.
a beautifully crafted silver brooch

craftsman
a person who is skilled in a particular craft:
The plates are hand painted by our finest craftsmen.

craftsmanship noun
skill at making things:
The jewellery showed exquisite craftsmanship.

emboss verb
to decorate an object, especially with letters, using special tools which make a raised mark on its
surface:
She handed me a business card with her name neatly embossed on it.

enamel noun
a glass-like substance used for decoration or protection which is melted onto clay, metal and glass
objects and then left to cool and harden, or an object covered with this substance

enamel verb -ll-

to cover something with enamel
engrave verb
to cut words, pictures or patterns into the surface of metal, stone, etc:
The jeweller skillfully engraved the initials on the ring.
The bracelet was engraved with his name and date of birth.

engraver noun
a person whose job is to engrave things

etch verb
to cut a pattern, picture, etc. into a smooth surface, especially on metal or glass, using acid or
sometimes a sharp instrument:
He etched his name on a piece of glass.

flower arranging noun

the skill or activity of arranging flowers in an attractive or artistic way:
flower-arranging classes

fretwork noun
decorative open patterns especially cut out of wood or metal or made in embroidery

handicraft noun - usually plural

a skilled activity in which something is made in a traditional way with the hands rather than being
produced by machines in a factory, or an object made by such an activity

handiwork noun
work done skilfully with the hands:
Susannah put down the paintbrush and stood back to admire her handiwork.

macrame noun
the art of weaving pieces of string together in knots to form a decorative pattern, or something made
this way:
a macrame wall-hanging

mobile (DECORATION) noun

a decoration or work of art which has many parts that move freely in the air, for example hanging
from threads

mosaic noun
a pattern or picture made using many small pieces of coloured stone or glass:
a beautiful 10th century mosaic

papier-mache noun
pieces of paper mixed with glue or with flour and water and used to make decorative objects or
models

raffia noun
long narrow pieces of pale-yellow dried leaf, especially from a type of palm tree, used as string or
for making hats, containers, etc.

screen printing noun

a method of printing by forcing ink through a pattern cut into a piece of cloth stretched across a
frame
silk screen (printing) noun
a method of printing by forcing ink through a pattern cut into silk or other similar cloth, stretched
across a frame

straw (DRIED STEMS) noun

the dried yellow stems of crops such as wheat, used as food for animals or as a layer on the ground
for animals to lie on, and for making traditional objects:
a bale of straw
a straw basket/hat
straw-coloured hair

taxidermist noun
a person whose job is taxidermy

weave (TWIST) verb wove or US ALSO weaved, woven or US ALSO weaved

to twist long objects together, or to make something by doing this:
We were shown how to roughly weave ferns and grass together to make a temporary shelter.
It takes great skill to weave a basket from/out of rushes.

weaver noun
basket weavers

wicker adjective
made of very thin pieces of wood twisted together:
a wicker basket/chair

wickerwork noun
The chairs are either wickerwork (= made of thin pieces of wood) or pine.