Strange gifts

We like to make things. A lot. Our society thrives on an unprecedented level of production.

It started almost purely out of necessity, a means of survival in some scenarios. Items to trade, vessels for transport and weapons to defeat foes.

Having a craft was an essential part of life. But, in a modern world focused on the output, how has this evolved?

In many ways, the answer lies in the move to a digital landscape. As we spend more time online, both at work and in our personal lives, our interest is piqued by opportunities to work with our hands once more.

There’s also the issue of origin. Nowadays, where things come from is largely out of sight and out of mind. If we craft them ourselves, the satisfaction derived from its provenance achieves a kind of wellbeing.

What we choose to make doesn’t have to be difficult. Far from it. Creators are opening up the world of craft by making everyday items in a fun, easy-to-follow videos.
Let’s explore the channels of 7 craft-focused YouTube Creators and see how they challenge their (and our) skills, at the crossroads of tradition and creativity.

YouTube Creator and handyman extraordinaire Gary Huston shares a disparate mix of practical helps. He personifies a new online movement; a satisfaction we get from merely watching a job well done, felt especially when we have little prior knowledge.

From fixing your oven door to shoeing a horse, he knows how to do it - and shares it with quite an audience. This video, for example, gathered more than 4 800 000 views and 10 000 comments, proving once more that nothing is too niche for the internet.

Now, if you’re up for making your own mug, learn how to with outdoorsman YouTube Creator Jacob Karhu.

But crafts is not just about ornaments and trinkets - how about making things you can consume?

The rise of craft beer has branched out into other old favourites, like mead. As part of a self-sufficient life, these German YouTube Creators show how to brew up your own.

Other Creators are taking the celebration of craft a step further, blending old and new techniques for entertainment. Guldies painstakingly took the time to design and build each and every part of this miniature set, before recording a stop-motion inspired animation.

Wondering about the tricks and techniques behind this video? The Creator behind Guldies, Alex, published a behind the scenes to answer all you questions (and yes, he definitely is a master of patience).

Like Alex’s, Jonna Jinton’s talents are at the crossings of art and craft.
With ancient northern cattle calling, your tool is your voice. Jonna found online fame through videos that put her command of Kulning into practice. It’s fascinating, haunting and often conveys a sense of sadness, due to the ‘blue tones’ associated with the region’s music.

That may seem a little impractical, but for many the joy comes in watching someone who is passionate about their craft. Their enthusiasm rubs off on us.

Few demonstrate that better than blacksmith Alec Steele. He forges all manner of metal objects in his workshop, from historically accurate replicas to Game of Thrones-inspired blades.

And if your thing is interior design , don’t miss Cristiana Felgueiras’ channel, Get Hands Dirty. Cristiana’s challenge: inspiring you to build good-looking, practical stuff with your own hands! From furniture to a sink, to wooden games and boxes.

For a smooth, musical introduction to her work, watch her make a Tongue Drum (and make the most it with talent).

The passing on of skills is integral to their very survival. In times past, they would have passed from father to son, mother to daughter, village to village, through word of mouth and graft at the coalface.

Online Creators are new kinds of passers. Whether experimented or beginners, they share crafts with an enthusiasm that resonates with the “maker” in each one us, wherever we are.

Now then, what will you make next?