Written by History
- William Morris founded the arts and crafts movement in the middle of the 19th century after being tired of mass produced products. He wanted a return to products that were both beautiful and useful.
- In 1908 the Sears and Roebuck catalogue brought arts and crafts style into most homes in the USA.
- Leonardo da Vinci spent 12 years painting the Mona Lisa’s lips.
- The first pencil was invented in England in 1565.
- The first artists used ashes from fire, red clay or natural pigments.
- From 1912-1948, the Olympic Games awarded medals for artworks inspired by sport.
- The sewing machine was invented in 1790 by Thomas Saint.
- Women began forming sewing societies in the 1860’s where they would gather together and make quilts to sell at church bazaars.
- Modern scrapbooking first emerged during the 1800s when photography was invented.
- The most ancient candles are from China and Japan and were made of whale fat.
- The first scented candles in the American colonies was bayberry, but it took a huge amount of bayberry leaves to produce a single candle.
Statistics
- 56% of US households craft at least once a year
- The size of the creative industry in the United States was a staggering $44 billion in 2016, up from $30.1 billion in 2011.
- The average household uses 14.3 meters of sellotape each year. Only 3.2 meters is used for wrapping presents.
- Students who study art are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
- 92% of paper crafters create cards more than any other type of project
- In 2010, an American study found that there were 21 million quilters in the USA.
Random
- A small amount of super glue is strong enough to lift a 2-ton jeep off the ground. (Don’t try this at home!)
- The two tiny holes drilled in every BIC pen is to ensure that the air pressure is the same both inside and outside the pen, which helps the ink flow to the tip.
- “The whole nine yards,” a common phrase, came from the fabric that was needed to make the fanciest coat for a man of fashion.