Arts and crafts is the new hobby for students on Cabrini’s campus. Students who enjoy this particular hobby make necklaces out of beads and bracelets of gimp, thread or hemp. Another popular hobby is coloring.
Laura Capper, junior special education and elementary education major, really began loving arts and crafts through her summer job at a day camp. “We would create paper bag puppets with construction paper,” Capper said. “It was a relaxing project and all the kids seem to enjoy it.”
Age groups are no limit in this hobby though. Maria Small, administrative assistant in the education department, spoke on how art class was always the highlight of her day, giving her something to look forward to.
“Regardless of age,” Small said, “everyone likes to be creative.”
Small points out that being creative can be done at any time and in any place. A college student can take a study break and make bracelets, necklaces or anything to de-stress. It is that simple.
Capper does just that. “When I’m stressed I like to make different key chains with gimp,” Capper said. “It is very time consuming and they look pretty cool when they are finished.”
The creations you make while you are trying to de-stress do not just have to be petty items. Lindsay Runyen, junior history and secondary education major, also enjoys beading and making necklaces.
Runyen takes pleasure in stretching her creative ability. “I think it is fun to make stuff for outfits,” Runyen said laughing. “And it’s cheaper, too!”
Getting started on an arts and crafts hobby is not hard to do either. There are three major suppliers within five miles from Cabrini’s campus. A.C. Moore, located in Broomall is about five miles; JoAnn fabric and craft store, located on east Swedesford Road is about two miles; Michaels, located in King of Prussia is about three miles.
A.C. Moore, JoAnn’s and Michaels all have similar products at affordable prices. The crafts these stores provide range from markers to thread, from beads to paintable decorations and even pictures that can be framed right in the store.
Another popular craft that these stores promote is scrap booking. If one desires to creatively store memories, all the stores offer various styles of scrapbooks, stickers and lots more to make the book unique.
These stores do not just provide items for arts and crafts. Each store has a wide variety of decorations for the holidays and a large selection of affordable candles, among many other items.
Caitlin Friel, junior communication major, recently journeyed to Michaels. Friel, who loves to decorate for the holidays, grew very excited about the vast selection the craft store offers.
“I bought all my Halloween decorations from Michaels,” Friel said. “The prices were unbelievably affordable, which is great with the economy’s current state. Now, when someone walks into my room, it’s like they’re walking into a Halloween haunted house!”
