Thank you for a great year on the Crafts Dept. blog!  We’re so glad you enjoyed our Make It projects, Behind-the-Scenes moments, contests & giveaways, and posts about our inspirations/motivations. We would also like to thank all our guest bloggers for sharing their ideas, experiences, and projects. It’s so great to see the talent in …

Image courtesy of the New York Times. With the New Year around the corner, I thought it appropriate to discuss the main event—the New Year’s Eve ball. I’ve always wondered why people in New York choose to stand in Times Square in the freezing cold on New Year’s, surrounded by thousands of people, just to …

This Christmas I was most excited to give one gift in particular. For the newest member of the Graj family, I made a pillow out of an old shrunken cashmere sweater that belonged to his beloved Grandfather, whom he will never be able to meet. After seeing Julia Rothman’s free downloadable christmas tags, I was inspired to use …

Did you see Martha’s brunch in the December issue of Living? Take a look behind the scenes…

Need some last minute stocking stuffers? We’ve got some handmade ideas that are so quick and easy, you’ll be able to make something for everyone on your list. These Sequin Bauble Rings would be a hit at any holiday party. Twinkling Shoe Decorations can transform a simple dress shoe. Who wouldn’t love this little snowman? …

When Curbed invited us to participate in their decorating showdown, we took one look at the dollhouse and instantly thought, “gingerbread house!” Maybe it was the season. Maybe it was our love of candy. Either way, we decided on a confectionary submission: Here are some behind-the-scenes photos of our process: Operation Dollhouse? What a sweet …

For the Holiday Craft Fair, one of the things I made and sold were these spun-cotton mushrooms. I personally wanted more mushrooms for my tree and kept losing bids on eBay for glass ones. So to create the vintage feel I was looking for, I used another old-world technique to create these. They can be …

Congratulations, Krissy, Samantha (who received a snowflake glass platter), and wendy. You won our packaging giveaway!Please send your mailing addresses to thecraftsdept@marthastewart.com so we can get your prizes to you in time for the holidays. Thanks to everyone who commented!…