Magickal Crafting

Arts and crafts and other similar hobbies are a great way to employ your creative spirit. It’s a popular pastime for pagans, and you will find many of us partaking in these activities. There are so many varieties of crafts to choose from: knitting, cross stitch, sewing, beading, scrapbooking, leatherworking, and woodworking to name just a few. I am an avid crocheter and love nothing more than to spend an evening in front of the television with a steaming cup of peppermint tea and my yarn & needles.

Crafting can be fun and rewarding, but did you know crafts and the Craft – as in Witchcraft – are not mutually exclusive? As an aware pagan practitioner, you can easily combine them to make your creations not only works of art, but Spirit gifts as well. There are several ways you can imbue your creations with your own personal energy and intent, which in turn gives them great power and blessings to share with others.

I often say a prayer or recite a chant while making a baby blanket. You can tailor what you say and how you say it depending on the energy you want to put into the piece. In one of the original Sleeping Beauty stories out of Germany, there were 13 fairies/wise women/Goddess-mothers who attended the christening of the princess (only 7 were in the French version). Each of these Goddess-Mothers gave the baby girl a special gift – one gave the gift of music, of health, of beauty, etc. When you are making something for a child, you get to be the fairy Goddess-Mother/Father! Infuse the item with wishes of protection, happiness, courage, wisdom, art and health. Or choose the energies you feel are most appropriate for the child.

But wait…these well wishes are not reserved only for the kids! Energies can be sent to all kinds of people for all kinds of situations!

For example, if you are making something for an elder, you can draw in peace, health and strength for them. When it comes to close friends and family, communication and support are important qualities. And if you’re stumped as to what energies to attract to your piece, love is a universally welcome energy.

And what if you’re making something for yourself? Well, you can focus on what you want that item to bring to you! For example, are you making a purse? Try focusing your intent and chants on abundance and wealth, include an adventurine into a hidden pocket, or dab the inside of the piece with some High John the Conqueror oil. Making a snuggly blanket for the TV room? Attract energies of peace, warmth and comfort into your working by singing a lullaby as you’re putting it all together. If you’re making a travel journal, saturate the book with energies for safe travel and clear memories. Focus your energies on having fun, celebrating life & attracting wonderful new friends if you’re making a special something for going out on the town. Are you a jewelry maker? Find a chant which enhances beauty and self-confidence to give those ornaments an extra sparkle. If you’re making something for sacred rites, you can call upon a favorite God or Goddess to bless the item.

One of the most popular ways to permeate an item with energy is to repeat a chant while you are doing your work. The power of the chant pushes your intent and energy into the piece you are working on and continues sharing that energy long after you’ve completed your project. There are many chants you can find on the web or in books that can fit your style, or you can create one of your own to say. Chanting doesn’t have to be a constant litany, but the more times you repeat the chant, the more you reinforce that intent and energy. I’ve actually seen people making items for a particular person, and sitting in a circle, chanting in unison together. It’s a very powerful thing! But don’t worry…you don’t have to chant aloud for this to work; chants can be said in your mind and heart and have the same effect.

Here are some other ways you can make sure your crafted items carry with them the energies you want. Keep your materials and tools in a safe and protected place so you know precisely what energies they are exposed to. You can create a prayer to say over your materials, smudge your tools with sage, or sprinkle them with sacred water (Florida water is also a good choice). I put a very small clear quartz crystal in the case that holds my crochet needles. If you choose to use specific herbs or sea salt to cleanse your tools, be careful, as this can get messy! Large tools and items which are hard to move, such as sewing machines or looms, can always benefit from a light smudging between projects. If you wish to imbue a finished project with Moon or Goddess energies, you can leave it by a window to soak up the power of the Full Moon.

You can also do some light candle magick while crafting a piece, which is something I’ve found very useful. One of the best choices for this is a candle in a tall glass enclosure. These are often called seven day candles and your local pagan shop will happily direct you to their supply. Choose a color which best corresponds to the energy you want to work with. Before you begin the project, visualize the person you are making the project for (even if it’s for yourself) and what you want them to have. Focus that visualization into the candle. You can carve the person’s name and the intent into the candle or write it on the outside of the glass if you so wish. Bless the candle and ask for the Gods’ blessing on your work. When you start the project, light the candle and as long as you work on the piece, keep the candle lit. Even if you finish the project before the candle is out, let the candle burn until it is spent.

Other ways to include energies into your crafts are by incorporating energy items in the piece. I know a seamstress who collects tiny crushed bits of gemstones for a bargain. She then sprinkles a pinch of the appropriate crystal dust into the hem of the item she’s creating right before she sews the hems closed. You will want to be careful about incorporating organic material such as herbs or oils into pieces which have a good chance of getting wet – these additions can rot or become rancid after washings! Also have a care if you choose to include metals into your pieces because they can have dangerous points and leech toxins if the item is worn close to the skin – not to mention, rust stains are pretty ugly. You can use herbs, metals, and most other magickal items in non-wearable crafts, however. Scrapbooks, photo albums/frames, and decorative pieces do well with almost any kind of item that doesn’t degrade easily! Just make sure to do your homework and understand what they bring to the magickal party.

You have the power to turn your beautifully created items into a magickal treasure. All it takes is a bit of imagination, some focused intent and a whole lot of fun. Your recipients will receive much more than a pretty piece; they will receive a gift of love and positive energy too. You can’t buy those at your local hobby shop! I hope this sparks your inspiration to include energy work and magick into your crafts!