The Brooklyn Refinery's Crafting Resources
Free Crafting Resources Materials Source List Free ebook How-To's
Free Crafting Resources
We're happy to share with you the free resources we've found which will spark your imagination, help you in your crafting projects, and save you some money. You can download and print vintage graphics and maps for home decor, paper-crafting, or scrap-booking projects, find free knitting and crocheting patterns, and explore digitized crafting magazines. Or, take a free crafting course, explore museums online, and find a new craft to try out. Click on the title or graphics below to read about free resources that you might find useful for your crafting projects.
 Three American art museums - the Guggenheim, Met, and Getty Museums - have opened free access to their collections of art books. We can build our own online libraries of art books and exhibition catalogs, or just browse for ideas and inspiration. |  Convenient links to museum collections of quilts, textiles, folk art, fiber arts, contemporary crafts, handicrafts, weaving, wood works, ceramics, pottery, and glassworks, including the American Craft Council's list of museums which collect and show contemporary American crafted items. |  In the past few years, many museums, libraries, and corporate collections have uploaded photo libraries online and made them available to the public. Some have even made their images open to public domain use, with free downloads. Explore links for searching databases for art and craft images. |
 The Graphics Fairy offers free vintage stock images, antique graphics, illustrations, vintage printables, and old pictures that are in the public domain. You can search by themes such as children, advertising, wedding, flowers, postcards, travel, garden, animal, retro, maps, botanicals, natural history, and many more. (Image via The Graphics Fairy.) |  Click through to a site where you can search for magazines from 1800 to the present. Within an easily searchable site, you can find a Knitting Magazines section, where you can search for knitting, crocheting, and needlework patterns and related articles from 1800 through to 2018. (Editor's note: some of the magazines in the Internet Archive are NSFW!) |  We list 20+ websites offering free knitting and crocheting patterns. Some offer thousands of patterns. A few of these sites are connected to fiber arts stores or yarn manufacturing companies. They offer free patterns, but they also sell patterns, yarn, tools, and kits online. Some of the websites also have YouTube channels with free tutorials. How to Knit: A Guide for Absolute Beginners This free ebook covers the basics! |
 Karen, the amazing crafter behind the Graphics Fairy website, offers 5000+ free downloadable vintage images, sorted by category. Karen has written excellent tutorials for how to use these images in DIY projects, including transferring images onto glass, ceramics, fabric, leather, clay, and wood. (Image via The Graphics Fairy.) |  There are charities all over the world which are looking for knitted and sewn items to distribute to those in need – from birds needing a nest to families who are experiencing homelessness. Click through for an extensive list of charities and what sorts of crafted donations they’re looking for. Some of the programs have specific needs, and they’ll supply you with directions and free patterns. Some have yearly deadlines. Be sure to check for any particular instructions. |  It feels like a real gift when you find an online tutor who gives clear instructions with good videos and photos to support step-by-step explanations. In this case - knitting videos, covering the basics of what beginners need to learn through to the advanced-level tricky stitches that experienced knitters want to tackle. We point you to three of our favorite free knitting instruction sites. |
 American CraftspeopleThe half-hour shows are as much a series of insightful portraits of American craftspeople as they are about the processes that these crafters are involved in. The portraits show how deeply crafts define our American heritage. You'll need to sign up for a free Legacy Society account, and then you'll have access to Seasons 1, 2, and 3 online for free. Each season showcases 13 different craftspeople. |  If you love using vintage maps in projects, you’re in luck. The Lionel Pincus & Princess Firyal Map Division of the New York Public Library includes more than 20,000 cartographic works, and they’ve been made available as free high resolution downloads. You can view the maps through the New York Public Library’s Digital Collections page. To download the maps you’ll need to create an account, then click a map title and download it through the Map Warper. |  The California College of the Arts has a Comics Department. Matt Silady, an Eisner Award winner and current Chair of CCA's MFA in the Comics Program, is the instructor for an online Comics course that’s free – Comics: Art in Relationship. The adaptive course is made up of 5 sessions, with an estimated 10 hours of work per session, geared towards all levels of mastery in Comic-making. The course runs twice yearly. |
 Vogue's Stitchionary is a great collection of complex stitch how-to's that can be created with knitting or crocheting. A visual chart shows the stitch patterns for 5 different categories: Knit & Purl, Cables, Colorwork, Edgings, and Crochet. Click on a category for photos of the stitches. Then, click on the stitch name for step-by-step knitting or crocheting instructions.  Artist Opportunity List
|  Get links to 6 sites which offer free paper printables - including origami, paper toys, snowflakes, scrapbooking printouts, paper dolls, stickers, gift tags, board games, Chibi dolls, greeting cards, paper masks, play money, vintage graphics, and free templates to make 3D printables for coloring, games, toys, puppets, animals, fruit, treehouses, holiday-themed crafts, and scrapbooking items. |  Organizations and Publications Visit The American Craft Council site for information on Craft Museums in the United States, National and Regional Craft Organizations, Schools with Craft Workshops and Courses, State Arts and Crafts Councils, American Craft magazine, Emerging Artist Program, and the ACC Awards/College of Fellows. Ravelry is a free community for crafters who share information, patterns, and projects. Members can also sell their patterns through the site. |
Collections
We've curated collections of books, kits, and playscapes to help jump-start your next projects and get your creative juices flowing. We like kits and playscapes that bring year-round, hands-on fun to kids who like creative play, story-telling, and making things. We want kids to enjoy arts and crafts, and to discover ways to express themselves.
And, don't miss our free resources which includes papercrafts for kids, listed above on this page!
 We've put together a list of wonderful knitting books that will be a great addition to any knitter's library, or make a perfect gift. It includes b30ooks with patterns for sweaters, hats, scarves, shawls, gloves, mittens, and more. Books also cover Japanese Stitching, Ganseys, Sequence Knitting, Brioche, Entrelac, and Double-, Mosaic-, Form-, Scribble Lace-, Swirl-, Sculptural-, Virtual-, Cellular Automaton-, and Labyrinth-Knitting. There are books which cover basics, and an Encyclopedia of yarns. |  We love playscapes that spark the imagination and can be used as backdrops for creative play. The best tree houses bring adventures inside, and create memories that last a lifetime. Tree houses - whether they're made from branches, finished wood, or durable plastic - are awesome settings and backdrops for creating stories - from a Minecraft-based set to Calico Critters' tree house, to an Engineer's tree house...and more. There's a tree house for every young adventurer, animal-lover, young scientist, builder, storyteller, and Elf/Fairy enthusiast. |
 We love crafting, and we want the next generations to enjoy making things by hand. What's a great way to share your love of crafting with your kids? Show them how much fun it can be to turn ideas into unique items! Sometimes you can just set up your pre-teen or teen with the basics and watch them take off. Other times it's nice to provide them with a kit that comes with instructions written specifically for a beginner. We hope you'll find a kit, supplies, or a book from our curated kits that will spark your daughter/son to create something handmade. |  Dollhouses are great indoor playscapes for year-round creative play. A classic wooden dollhouse can be decorated from top to bottom for a favorite doll, figurine, or animal. A fully-furnished dollhouse comes ready-to-go for creating a space for story-telling and adventure. A fold-and-play portable house allows you to take your creative play with you. Some are ready-to-go right outside the box, and some have to be assembled. These dollhouses are ready for hands-on creative play that sparks the imagination. |
The Brooklyn Refinery How-To's
We love to feature creative makers of all sorts - quilters, sewists, craftivists, yarn bombers, paper crafters, printmakers, extreme knitters, ceramicists, weavers, basket-makers, glass-blowers, and textile artists. And, we write articles that include how-to's, covering how to: knit, quilt, upcycle fabric, use vintage graphics, make a pinhole camera, make comics, and more. Below are snippets of some of our how-to's. Click on a title to read the entire article, or to our HOME page to see more of our articles and resources. And follow us on Pinterest and Facebook to join us in our crafting explorations!
 How to Knit - Yarn and Knitting Basics Learn how to knit! Let's walk through what it takes to become a knitter, one step at a time. We'll explore how to pick the right needles and yarn for any given project, how to check the gauge of a project, and how to read a yarn label. We'll show you how to crack the knitting codes - defining the knitting abbreviations you'll see in a pattern, and deciphering some sample directions, so you'll understand the short-hand notations that are used in instructions. And, you'll see over-the-shoulder videos of knitting in action, from simple to advanced stitches. |  How to Knit - Beginner Knitting Video Tutorials Once you've learned the basics outlined in our article How to Knit - Yarn and Knitting Basics, you'll be ready to dive in and start knitting. We've curated a series of video tutorials from some of our favorite sites that give clear instructions on how to knit. The tutorials will show you the basics of knit and purl stitches, how to get your first row started, and go over terms that were covered in Yarn and Knitting Basics. We link to tutorials for simple projects, and share knitting tips and tricks. |  How to Knit - Beginner to Advanced Knitting Video Tutorials It feels like a real gift when you find an online tutor who gives clear instructions with good videos and photos to support step-by-step explanations. In this case - knitting videos, covering the basics of what beginners need to learn through to the advanced-level tricky stitches that experienced knitters want to tackle. Watch our curated video tutorials of instructors who we love. |
 Learn how to Nalbind. Have you ever come across a pair of mittens that looked different, but you couldn't put your finger on why? You may have come across Nalbinding, a fabric-making technique which originated in Scandinavia and pre-dates knitting. Nalbound items are made with a single needle, using short pieces of yarn which are pulled through previous stitches. This technique creates dense and warm items which don't unravel the way knitted items do. (See some Nalbinding items on our Nalbinding Pinterest Board.) |  The textiles of blankets, quilts, embroidered pieces, and clothing can benefit from certain positive environmental conditions while in storage. You can take steps to avoid certain negative environmental conditions so your textiles will last well into the future. In addition to general wear, textiles are vulnerable to deterioration due to pests, light, temperature, humidity, mold, mildew, improper repairs, and stressful handling. Find out what you can do to help your fabric pieces stay as intact as possible. |  Textiles can be compromised by folding, exposure to sun, and other environmental conditions which cause wear and tear. By their very nature, many quilts are made up of pieces of fabric that were already compromised and worn, even before they were used to make a potential heirloom. Some fabrics are more fragile or brittle by nature than others. Knowing how to care for textiles will help preserve fabric stashes, family keepsakes, and heirlooms for the next generations.
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 Learn how to sew a simple quilt. Cutting up and then reconstructing patches of differently colored and patterned fabric into something new is a satisfying creative endeavor. You get to play around with contrasting and complimentary colors, patterns, and themes. Then, you get to organize your patches into simple grids or complex patterns - it can be as bold or subtle as you want. It’s time to indulge yourself, and combine your favorite fabrics together into a simple block quilt that will hopefully be your first of many. |  How to Make a Quilt from Fabric Scraps Laura Ann Coia from Sew Very Easy is a wonderful tutor, covering all sorts of topics for sewing and quilting projects. Below many of her instructional videos are links to free patterns. In the video in this article, she guides us through making good use of scrap fabric, including how to cut strips for a scrappy quilt (using a rotary cutter, ruler, and a self-healing mat). She explains how to choose and position the strips for creating blocks, and how to combine the blocks into a basket weave pattern. | 
Learn how to add Sashiko stitches to your sewing and quilting projects. Sashiko (pronounced shash-ko) is a Japanese technique of needlework quilting stitchery which has endured through the centuries, beginning in the Edo Era (early modern Feudal Society) of 1615-1868. The stitching technique is an artful way to decorate and sustain fabric which needs to be repaired in order to continue to be useful. Sashiko, meaning ‘pierce, or stab,’ are simple, beautiful running stitches made using undyed threads. |
 Learn how to make a Boro Bag with Sashiko Stitches. Boro is Yuyo-no-Bi, or the Beauty of Practicality, found in the traditional Japanese patchwork technique of piecing together and mending fabric. Boro pieces were created from years-worth, even generations-worth, of repairs being made to a jacket or bedcover. Sashiko stitches are long, decorative reinforced threads that top-stitch together Boro pieces. |  Learn how to make batik, a wax-resistant fabric-making process. In order to get a multi-colored end result, the fabric will go through a series of dye baths, with wax drawing or stamping done in between the different colored baths. Batik fabricators need to plan out the colors they're going to use, and begin with the lightest color. Each color is preserved from the next dye bath by drawing on the fabric with melted, liquid wax. |  In Papua New Guinea, bilum bags are an everyday, useful item with deep cultural roots. Bilum is traditionally made from local plant materials, such as reeds, fibre from tree bark, sisal, and vine. It can also be made using alternatives like string and yarn, opening up the possibilities in colors that can be incorporated into bilum items. Like any looped fabric, bilum items can vary by patterns, colors, materials used, and size. Find out how to make this amazing looped fabric. |
 How to Make a Pinhole Camera and Use Negative Photo Paper Find out how you can make a pinhole camera, and then learn how to make a negative for the pinhole camera using photo paper instead of film. You'll learn how to develop the paper using items you’d find in the kitchen: water, dried mint, baking soda, Vitamin C tablets, and lemon juice. Finally, explore links for the developing process from The Royal Institution’s Young Scientist Centre. |  Like Kilim, Soumak is a flat woven tapestry rug-making technique. Its ancient origins are with weaving cultures in the Caucasus – from the Eastern Mediterranean and the adjacent areas of the Caucasus Mountains and Southwestern Turkmenistan. Learn about this technique, which involves wrapping colored weft threads over and under the warp threads, allowing you to work on vertical, horizontal, or diagonal sections at any one time. |  How to Make a Linoleum Block Print Learn the step-by-step processes of making a linoleum block print, including how to transfer a drawing to a linoleum block using carbon paper, and how to transfer a drawing via an inkjet printer. You'll find out exactly what materials you’ll need to make a lino print, including hard and soft linoleum (mounted and unmounted), cutting tools, paper, brayer rollers, a bench plate, and ink (oil- or water- based). |
 The great thing about making a rag rug is that you can create a gorgeous functional handcrafted item that will last many years – and may be a cherished family heirloom – for very little money. You can use sheets or cotton from clothes that you were going to toss or donate. Or, if you’re looking for certain colors or patterns to incorporate into your rug, you could head out and do some thrifting to find fabric on the cheap. Learn from some wonderful crafters how to repurpose fabric into a gorgeous heirloom. |  A really great recycling project is to make a toothbrush rag rug. You don’t actually need a toothbrush…it’s just a left-over term from half a century ago. You can make a rug that’s the size and colors you want from old sheets and cotton that no longer serve their original purposes. It requires ripping, making small cuts, and doing lots of threading loops and pulling them tight using a large needle-like tool. There's no sewing required to make this traditional homemade crafted item. |  How to Make a Braid-In Rag Rug Learn how to make a braid-in rag rug from strips of stretchy fabric, such as old t-shirts and other jersey material. To make these rugs, you’ll need lots of fabric strips, and either a safety pin, tapestry needle, or yarn needle. You’re going to be working with 4 strands of t-shirt 'yarn,' and each strand will have a ‘needle’ for working the strand into the rug in its turn. You’ll learn how to create gorgeous handmade rugs through detailed step-by-step instructions from Erin Halvorsen, a talented rug-maker with YouTube video instructions. |
 PLARN is "yarn" made from plastic bags. It's yarn in the sense that it can be made into a continuous piece of usable thread which can be knitted or crocheted into a piece of fabric. Plarn has a strength and durability which is useful when turned into items like reusable shopping bags. It's also lightweight and bug resistant, making it a good material to use for making sleeping mats. Learn how to repurpose thin, flimsy plastic bags into a super-strong shopping tote, carry all, or mat. |  How to Felt a Wool Sweater For Projects Learn how to give old sweaters a new life by felting them and cutting them apart. Wool that's been agitated in hot water changes its characteristic stretchiness, as the fibers tighten and become matted together. The resulting dense felted fabric is no longer a sweater that can unravel. It's felted wool that can be cut and sewn together without fear of fraying. It’s got a new life as a stronger, more durable and warmer fabric that's now ready to be turned into mittens, scarves, hats, skirts, slippers, ponchos, capes, shawls, and quilted bedcovers. |  How to Give Back with Crafting Upcycling, recycling, repurposing, and creating new items for charity is one way crafters spread their love. Crafters of all levels can give back and give a boost to those in need. Knitting, crocheting, and sewing for charity is a great way to put your creative juices and handiwork talents to work for a good cause. There are all sorts of organizations, both local and across the globe, which look for donated pieces from crafters to distribute to those in need – from birds needing a nest to families who are experiencing homelessness. |
 Find out how to make a slime concoction that gets pulled towards a magnet, using Elmer’s Glue, water, Borax powder (or, you can substitute a laundry detergent or liquid starch that contains Borax), and iron filings. If you'd like to make a ceramic sculpture using a magnetic clay mixture that will dry out, check out ceramic artist Jólan van der Wiel. He uses a mixture of slip (a combination of clay and water) and iron filings to create a material which he can manipulate using super magnets. |  Learn to Knit: An Absolute Beginner's Guide Learn about the basics to get you started with knitting. This free ebook will help you understand how to choose the right yarn and needles for each project. You'll learn how to read a pattern. We've also included links to some of our favorite free online knitting teachers. |
The Brooklyn Refinery Materials Source List
We shop for crafting supplies online, and we like to support other crafters. We collect crafting supplies, materials, tools, and gifts from many sources. We especially like to see what's new in fabric designs, and what's on sale. Below are links to online stores which offer a wide range of materials for a variety of crafting projects, including items for sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, papercraft-making, origami, graphic arts, drawing and painting, home decor-making, fiber crafts, needle-felting, ceramics and pottery, transfer processes, printmaking, and more.
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Amazon is the internet's superstore, offering just about everything you need for craft-making and hobbies. You can find best-selling crafting books and crafting supplies. If you're a member of Amazon Prime, you can get free delivery on many items. Savings on shipping adds up! Looking for where to start? Look at best selling quilting books, crocheting books, sewing books, and embroidery books. If you'd like to support crafters and artisans who sell through Amazon, you can search through Amazon's Handmade section. |  Blick has a wide variety of art and craft supplies, including paint, watercolors, paper, canvas, printmaking supplies and tools, papercrafting supplies, brushes, framing supplies, and ceramics tools and supplies. I buy a lot of my art supplies from a Blick brick and mortar store near me. I love their selections, especially for paint, paper, brushes, notebooks, and printmaking supplies. Their online store is easy to navigate and offers the same wonderful selection of arts and craft items as they have in their B&M stores. |  Bluprint has 1,500+ in-depth online classes in more than 20 categories, including quilting, knitting, crocheting, jewelry-making, sewing, drawing, embroidering, painting, woodworking, art-making, and photography. Classes are a great way to learn more detailed instructions for a craft you're already exploring, or to try out a new craft. Learn from 600+ experts in a community of like-minded makers, seekers, DIYers, and creators. |
 Craft Stash (UK) is a Paper Craft store with a Best Price Guarantee. You can browse items by sections: Christmas, Essentials, Die Cutting, Stamping, Planners and Journaling, Magazines, Brands, and Bargains. You can also learn from their craft tutorials. |  Creativebug has really great arts and crafts video classes in sewing, knitting, crocheting, art, quilting, jewelry-making, and more. Their classes are taught by top designers and crafters - including Lisa Congdon, Anna Maria Horner, Edie Eckman, Emily Katz, and many more. You can sign up for a risk-free trial to see if their classes are a good fit for you. If you sign up for a membership, you'll have unlimited access to all their classes. |  Cricut smart cutting machines and apps allow you to design your own projects, and to get ideas from Cricut’s Design Space. You’ll be able to create projects using everything from leather to pleather, felt to foil, scrap denim to spare chipboard. You'll even be able to cut quilt blocks with Cricut Maker. Cricut machines use professional cutting technology, and offer instructional videos for each skill and technique. |
 Shopping or sourcing crafting supplies on Etsy.com is a great way to support other crafters from around the world who are making handmade items. Shop by categories: Jewelry and Accessories, Clothing and Shoes, Home and Living, Wedding and Party, Toys and Entertainment, Art and Collectibles, Craft Supplies, Vintage, and Gift Guides. |  Fabric.com is a great online store for all your sewing, knitting, crocheting, and crafting needs. They also have home decor fabric and quilting fabric. Their site's left-hand side sorting tables will help you find what you want - by categories, fabric type, color, patterns, brands, theme, usage, fiber content, features, weight, price, and current discounts. Be sure to check out their helpful sewing video tutorials, and their special sales page. Lots to explore! |  Joann offers a wide range of just about everything you'd need for any crafting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, papercraft, or art project, and you can order items online. Through Joann's special myfabric system, you can create custom fabrics for your projects. Don't forget to check out their Weekly Ads and Coupons. And, if you live near a Joann store, you can take on-site classes in knitting, sewing, quilting, jewelry-making, and more. |
 When I began sewing projects like skirts and quilts, I became obsessed with marimelkko's big, bold floral prints. The fabric is well made, and the colors hold up through many washes. I especially love the way their fabric designers combine hot colors in one pattern - with bold shades of pink, red, and orange. You can shop for marimekko's amazing fabric designs online. Enjoy! |  The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC is one of the best museums in the world, home to vast permanent collections, temporary shows, and The Costume Institute. The Met's Store offers a wonderful selection of books, as well as jewelry and other items which they commission to be made for their store. You can browse the store online and purchase books, jewelry, cards, calendars, etc. |  The Royal Academy of Arts "...is a unique institution, an independent charity with a mission to be a clear, strong voice for art and artists, where art is made, exhibited and debated." The RA Shop has an amazing selection of art books, homeware, fashion, stationery, and wonderful kid's crafting items and art-inspired books and toys. You can shop at the RA Store online. |
 Stampmaker is a woman-owned, highly rated rubber stamp company based in Michigan. Stampmaker manufactures specialty-designed stamps for personal and business use, as well as stock rubber stamps, inks and pads, and embossers. Be sure to check out their Guides page, How-To page, Customer Showcase page, Blog, and YouTube Channel.  Utrecht is a great online store specializing in arts and crafts supplies, including: paint, canvas, brushes, paper drawing, drafting, presentation, printmaking, sculpture, spray paint, and studio easels, desks, storage, chairs, lighting, cleaning supplies, and tables. You can search by category, brand, and price range, deals, and free offers. | Target is a great place to source for arts and crafts supplies, including papercraft items, crayons, markers, easels and art tables, and craft kits for kids, including: calligraphy, jewelry-making, string art, beading, bracelets, mini-looms, fashion design, art, painting, drawing, sticker art, pottery wheel, and more. For online browsing and shopping, you can easily sort what you need by category, price, brand, age, rating, color, and deals. For savings, you can check out their online weekly ad brochure. |  If you love lush, gorgeous books about art, artists, graphic design, movies, specialty clothes collections, music, fashion, photography, Pop culture, architects and architecture, then you'll be happy to browse through Taschen's online book store. You can browse by categories, themes, limited editions, and print editions. |
