Some say that handicrafts are like adult pretend-play, but I believe they are more like a soothing balm for the soul. When your hands touch soft cotton, warm clay, or delicate paper, it feels as if the entire world has quieted down. With calming music playing and a cup of tea in hand, you can truly appreciate the tranquility of life through every brushstroke, carve, and stitch. In pottery, stress is kneaded into the clay, transforming into unique shapes that evoke wonder at the material’s versatility.
In painting, emotions flow freely through colors, revealing the captivating charm of hues. These seemingly simple activities become a form of spiritual practice, allowing us to rediscover inner peace and strength through creation. Sometimes, the process isn’t just about finishing pieces—it’s about self-discovery and healing. I love handicrafts for the serenity and focus they bring. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flower Made of Tongcao ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tongcao paper flowers are an intangible cultural heritage of Yangzhou, crafted from tongcao paper—thin slices made from the pith of the Tetrapanax papyrifer plant. This purely natural material is lightweight, soft, and easy to shape, enabling the creation of delicate, layered floral designs. While tongcao paper is malleable, it is also fragile, requiring precise control over moisture levels during shaping. Through molding, dyeing, and assembly, artisans produce lifelike flowers that can be mistaken for real ones. The process is engaging due to the paper’s versatility in hand-shaping. These beautiful flowers can be made into hairpins, earrings, brooches, and more. Osmanthus flowers are relatively easy to create: petals are cut with a tool, individually shaped and dyed, then assembled into arrangements or accessories that retain their color indefinitely. Phalaenopsis orchids, with their large petals and natural textures, are well-suited to tongcao paper. I used pigment powder for gradient dyeing on orchid petals, achieving a smooth transition. A phalaenopsis consists of only three parts, making it beginner-friendly. With numerous varieties available, you can experiment with different shapes and colors. Once you master the material’s properties and techniques, you can expand to crafting flowers like pomegranate blossoms, chrysanthemums, and begonias, achieving such realism that the results are a visual delight. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stone Clay ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stone clay is another material I favor. It is a special mineral-based crafting clay that is eco-friendly and non-toxic. A key advantage is that it requires no firing and can be combined with wood clay. The finished pieces exhibit a rustic, artistic quality.After the clay embryo dries, coloring can be applied. Due to the unique texture of stone clay, using transparent pigments allows the texture to show through, creating a distinct handmade feel.
I used a wooden frame to create a painting, shaping a sofa and a small dog from clay, along with a flowerpot and a small tree on the left side. The tree branches were collected from my neighborhood. The carpet was painted with pigments. I own a large toolbox with various pigments, and I rarely use single-material pigments, often mixing them according to my needs. The combination of the wooden background and stone clay provides a rough, natural material feel, blending together harmoniously. Inspired by how well wood and stone clay complement each other, I found a pure wooden frame to create another clay decorative painting. This piece combined clay sculpting and painting techniques. The process was highly enjoyable, and it gave new life to a frame I had considered discarding, effectively upcycling it. For another project, I used a wooden disc coated with white acrylic as a base, creating small stone clay houses. After they dried completely, I painted patterns on them. I prefer not to use completely opaque pigments, as they would obscure the inherent texture of the clay, making it lose its rustic and artistic quality, which is a crucial characteristic of stone clay. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ceramic ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have always had a fondness for ceramics. Born in the renowned Jun Porcelain capital, I have been exposed to various types of porcelain since childhood. Due to my interest in painting, I often wish to design and paint my own ceramic pieces. However, not having a kiln limits my experimentation. Drawing directly on ceramic objects with ceramic pens is a more feasible approach. The type I use can be baked in a household oven, though the adhesion is only superficial, unlike underglaze colors that fuse completely into the ceramic. Painting on pure fabric is another interesting experiment. Specialized fabric paints are available, but since I rarely wash this type of bag, I used acrylic paint directly instead of fabric-specific pigments. In addition to paints, I like using acrylic markers to enhance line definition. While the painting may appear simple, executing it on fabric is challenging due to the uneven, textured surface. Achieving the right paint consistency is crucial—too thin and it bleeds, too thick and it becomes difficult to apply evenly and time-consuming for large areas. Multiple attempts are often needed to find the optimal paint state. Despite the challenges, carrying a unique bag painted according to my own design is highly meaningful. Watching the colors gradually emerge and seeing the bag exude unique charm through the patterns is a truly enjoyable experience.Ultra-light clay is likely familiar to everyone, as it is extremely easy to handle and shape. Households with children certainly never lack this material. Watching children knead and shape it often inspires the urge to join in. Personally, I was not particularly fond of ultra-light clay initially, but I later discovered that it can be used to create many beautiful and interesting items. The key lies in one’s mindset. Do you think items made from it appear rough? In fact, it can be used to craft very delicate objects, with some clay flowers being so realistic they can almost pass as real. Due to my background in illustration, I always enjoy incorporating illustrative elements into clay creations. I also use markers to add details on the clay, enhancing its richness.
The following section describes items at home that I have transformed. Perhaps because I work in the artistic industry, I have an unstoppable passion for beautifying living spaces. My child often returns from school to find that something has been redesigned by me. I love gardening, flower arranging, handicrafts, and all things beautiful. I tirelessly change home decorations and layouts, and I eagerly modify items I believe can be improved. My dream is to have a large workshop equipped with various tools, allowing me to freely create and experiment… Every touch of the fingers with the material is a dialogue with beauty. Handicraft is not merely the presentation of skill but also a reflection of the inner world and the distillation of aesthetic taste. Even when using the same materials and techniques, the resulting beauty can be entirely different due to variations in the creator’s mood, emotions, and understanding. Aesthetic sense is the foundation, representing each person’s perception of beauty. Every handmade piece carries the unique thoughts and expressions of its creator, embodying an irreplicable warmth.