The art of craft

Hand knitted record pillow. Photo / Babiche Martens

Craft: it feels like everyone's at it doesn't it? Even Paris Hilton is getting crafty, with apparent plans to release a craft set for children. But please, don't let that put you off. Craft is cool - and sensible - whether it be knitting, crocheting, stitching, sewing, scrapbooking, patchworking or quilting. But, of course, not all of us can be as craftily talented as the likes of Paris Hilton. If you're a little bit useless in the DIY department, and couldn't sew a button to save yourself, handmade items made by far more talented artisans are probably a safer, less stressful way to bring some craftiness into your home.

Craft has always been around of course - our mothers and grandmothers knitted and crocheted and made things themselves, often out of necessity - but it started to become a little bit 'trendy' in the early noughties when celebrities like Julia Roberts, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Moss began knitting. Do-it-yourself magazine ReadyMade launched in 2001, and book Stitch 'n Bitch was released in 2003, sparking the craze for knitting groups, parties, craft fairs and websites. Etsy.com is probably the biggest online craft store, with the tagline "your place to buy and sell all things handmade". Want some crocheted bunny egg warmers? Or a handmade wooden lock and key? A gorgeous Rob Ryan papercut? It's all on Etsy.

The American website, which launched in 2005, is a bit like Ebay but without all the designer rip-offs. Locally there are quite a few crafty webstores, including Felt.co.nz, Endemicworld.com and Toggle.co.nz. Esther Lamb set up Toggle with Shelley Simpson in 2006; the site sells everything from hand-sewn crocheted record cushions by Ask Alice to Trixie Delicious' vandalised vintage crockery. Lamb credits the growing popularity with craft to increased consumer awareness. "People really are turning away from mass-produced consumer products and are more conscious about where the product comes from and how it was produced. People want to support local makers, and buyers want something that is well made, original and unique."

Local artists Ani O'Neill, Jacquelyn Greenbank and Megan Hansen-Knarhoi use crochet and craft as a medium to create unique pieces with a sense of whimsy. Greenbank's works have included detailed knitted and crocheted barbecues, royal carriages, bonsai trees and bicycles. O'Neill works with traditional South Pacific Island handcraft skills, including tivaevae (quilt making), embroidery, sewing and crochet. Hansen-Knarhoi, whose "Jesus" work is made up of French knitting, nails and embroidery, says that she loves that "threads and yarns are so versatile, have such a wide range of beautiful colours and can be manipulated in so many and varied ways".

But it's not just artists and celebrities who are getting crafty - a recent issue of style bible i-D was dedicated to DIY and being resourceful, and several designers have recently created crafty type necklaces made from beads and yarn, from Marni to Lanvin to Marc by Marc Jacobs. Crocheted pieces - cardigans, tops and even shoes - have also appeared in collections from Preen, Rachel Comey and Nina Ricci. And The Observer recently published a fantastic designer craft series where high-end designers gave step-by-step instructions on how to make a special one-off design.

Think a Giles Deacon laser- cut ruff T-shirt, a Stephen Jones hat, a Paul Smith shirt, Martin Margiela waistcoat made out of newspaper strips and a Vivienne Westwood stretch dress. Westwood even gave her own "eco style" tips, including making a rain coat out of plastic sheeting, making a necklace out of safety pins (so punk) and wearing old favourites. "There is status in wearing your favourites over and over until they grow old or fall apart."

It also has to be said that having the skills to make something from scratch seems particularly pertinent right now. It's relatively cheap and it appeals to the increasing popularity of ethical fashion - if you make it yourself, you know that a 3-year-old in a Chinese sweatshop wasn't exploited in the process.

There's also the rather superficial aspect: you can make something unique and not run the risk of turning up at a party in the same outfit as the host. Toggle's Lamb says another attraction to the art of craft is the "element of nostalgia and a growing appreciation of the skill that has been passed down from generation to generation". She's right: my late grandmother crocheted an afghan blanket that was recently passed down to me by my mother. Twenty years later it's still in one piece; I will treasure it forever.

Lilly Brown creates similar old-fashioned crocheted afghan blankets from her Albany based studio. Louise Cuckow is also inspired by the handcraft traditions of the past, with her hand made creations for her Sweetpea Home range. She makes adorable patch work caterpillars, mice and apple cushions, and has collaborated with Karen Walker for several seasons to create special edition pieces made from Karen Walker fabrics.

A Sweetpea Home for Karen Walker owl appears in Bret and Jermaine's flat in the new season of Flight of the Conchords - and in recent interviews the pair have noted their fans' special type of craftiness, having received everything from a ceramic bust of their lips to Flight of the Conchords dolls. And while ceramic lips and dolls may not be to everyone's liking, there are handmade crafty options for every taste - from hand-stitched pillows with swans on them to cuddly hand-woven mohair blankets to Lonely Hearts' grungy hand-knitted cardigan to Who Is Dead Martin's hand stitched necklace.

Or you could actually go ahead and do-it-yourself, with the multitude of sew/stitch/make-your-own sets available. Just not Paris Hilton's please.