Crafts and making
Weaving, pottery, carving and other handed-down skills.
Crafts and making are the skills of hand and eye that are handed down in families and workshops: weaving, pottery, carving, metalwork, embroidery, dyeing, basketry, paper, leather and wood. A craft tradition is also a tradition of knowledge, about plants, clays, tools and patterns, and of values such as patience and care. Here they are listed by country, with notes on where the craft is practised and how makers keep it alive.
Skill passed on
Most crafts are learnt by watching a parent or master for years. A weaver in Bonwire, a potter in Oaxaca, a lacquer worker in Kyoto and a carpenter in Norway all learn by doing. Some crafts are kept within a family or a caste, others are open to anyone willing to learn. The tools are often simple and the techniques ancient, though the best makers experiment within the tradition.
Craft in a changing world
Mass production and cheap imports have put many crafts under pressure, but there is also a revival, with designers, schools, cooperatives and fair trade shops supporting makers. UNESCO and national bodies list living treasures and protect skills. Buyers can help by choosing handmade pieces and asking who made them. A craft survives when someone still wants the object and someone still wants to learn to make it.
About this page
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background on Crafts and making (kind of tradition). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
🇮🇪 Galway, Ireland and 1 moreBrigid's crossCros Bhríde
A cross of woven rushes or straw, made for Saint Brigid's Day on the first of FebruaryCraft
🇺🇦 Kyiv, UkraineBanduraБандура
A Ukrainian plucked string instrument played to accompany epic songs and folk balladsPerformance
🇮🇪 Ireland and 2 moreJack-o'-lantern
A carved pumpkin lantern lit with a candle to brighten and protect Halloween nightsFolklore
🇺🇦 Chernivtsi, Ukraine and 5 moreVyshyvanka DayДень вишиванки
An annual day for wearing traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts across the worldDress
🇩🇪 Nuremberg, Germany and 5 moreChristmas marketWeihnachtsmarkt
A seasonal street market held during Advent in German-speaking regions and beyond, featuring stalls, food, and crafts.Festival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇦🇹 Vienna, Austria and 4 moreLipizzanerLipicanec
A gray riding horse breed and centuries-old tradition of classical dressage kept by the Spanish Riding School.Performance
🇺🇦 Kyiv, Ukraine and 7 morePysankaписанка
A wax-resist egg decorating tradition kept by Slavic communities for Easter and spring renewal.Festival
🇵🇱 Kraków, PolandKraków szopkaszopka krakowska
Elaborate Christmas cribs modelled on historic Polish architecture in KrakówCraft
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreKiltfèileadh
A pleated knee-length skirt in tartan wool, worn as Scottish Highland dressDress
🇭🇷 CroatiaLacemaking in CroatiaČipkarstvo u Hrvatskoj
Hand-worked lace in three styles, kept in Croatian towns from the coast to the northCraft
🇷🇺 Khokhloma, RussiaKhokhlomaхохлома
Russian folk painting of red, black and gold flowers and berries on wooden tablewareCraft
🇩🇪 Saalfeld, Germany and 5 moreEaster egg treeOstereierbaum
A German springtime custom of dressing living trees and branches with blown eggsFestival
🇱🇺 Nospelt, LuxembourgEmaischen
An Easter Monday market in Luxembourg known for small bird-shaped clay whistlesFestival
🇱🇹 Vilnius, Lithuania and 3 moreSaint Casimir's FairKaziuko mugė
A spring craft market and folk celebration across the historic streets of VilniusCraft
🇳🇱 NetherlandsBloemencorso Bollenstreek
An annual mid-April parade of flower-covered floats across the Dutch bulb regionFestival
🇳🇱 Noordwijk, Netherlands and 1 moreBloemencorso
Annual parades of flower-covered floats and boats in the Netherlands and BelgiumFestival
🇷🇺 Pavlovsky Posad, RussiaPavlovo Posad shawlПавловопосадский платок
A woolen Russian shawl printed with flowers, made in the town of Pavlovsky PosadDress
🇷🇺 Dymkovo, RussiaDymkovo toysДымковская игрушка
Painted clay people, animals and whistles, shaped by women in Dymkovo near KirovCraft
🇮🇹 Naples, Italy and 5 moreNativity scene
A seasonal set of figures showing Jesus's birth, put up by Christians at ChristmasFestival
🇪🇸 Seville, Spain and 5 moreAzulejo
Painted, tin-glazed ceramic tiles that cover walls and floors across Portugal and SpainCraft
🇺🇦 Chernivtsi, Ukraine and 1 moreVyshyvankaвишиванка (Ukrainian), вышыванка (Belarusian)
An embroidered shirt of Ukraine and Belarus, its patterns marking region and familyDress
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreTopping out
A builders' rite for the day the last beam goes up, marked with a tree, a flag and a toastCraft
🇭🇷 Zagreb, Croatia and 1 moreLicitarlicitarska srca
A hand-painted honey biscuit given as a gift at weddings and on Valentine's DayCraft · Sweets given and shared
🇷🇺 Palekh, RussiaPalekh miniatureПалехская миниатюра
Tiny tempera paintings on lacquered papier-mâché, made in the Russian town of PalekhCraft
🇬🇧 United KingdomTartanbreacan
The checked woollen cloth of Scotland, woven from crossing stripes into named patternsDress
🇸🇪 Nusnäs, Sweden and 1 moreDala horseDalahäst
A carved painted wooden horse from Dalarna, a children's toy that became a national symbolCraft
🇪🇸 Valencia, SpainFallasFalles de València
Valencia's five-day March fiesta of giant paper figures and bonfiresFestival
🇺🇦 Kyiv, Ukraine and 1 moreUkrainian embroideryвишивка (vyshyvka)
A stitched folk art of Ukraine, worked into shirts, cloths and church furnishingsCraft
🇦🇱 Albania and 3 moreXhubleta
A rippling bell-shaped skirt made by Albanian women of the northern highlandsDress
🇸🇮 Idrija, SloveniaIdrija lace
A bobbin tape lace from the Slovenian mining town of Idrija, still taught there todayCraft
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 7 moreEgg decorating
Decorating eggs with dye, wax and carving, kept at Easter, Nowruz and springCraft
🇵🇱 Poland and 3 morePodłaźniczka
A decorated evergreen branch hung over the Christmas Eve table in Poland and SlovakiaFestival
🇬🇧 Skye, United KingdomFairy FlagA' Bhratach Shìth
A tattered silk square kept by Clan MacLeod on Skye, said to hold magical powers for the clan.Folklore
🇪🇸 Valencia, Spain and 2 morePeineta
A curved decorative comb worn by women beneath a lace mantilla in the Hispanic worldDress
🇷🇺 Vladimir, RussiaRozhokрожок
A traditional Russian wooden trumpet played solo and in pastoral horn ensemblesPerformance
🇧🇬 Chiprovtsi, Bulgaria and 1 moreChiprovtsi kilimЧипровски килим
Handmade flatwoven rugs with identical sides, crafted in a Bulgarian town since the 17th century.Craft
🇱🇹 LithuaniaLithuanian cross craftingLietuvos kryždirbystė
A Lithuanian folk art of carving wooden crosses that blend Christian faith with ancient Baltic symbols.Craft
🇮🇹 Pantelleria, ItalyVite ad alberello of Pantelleria
A traditional low-bush vine training system kept on the Italian island of Pantelleria for thousands of years.Craft
🇧🇦 Konjic, Bosnia and HerzegovinaKonjic woodcarvingKonjičko drvorezbarstvo
A traditional hand-carving craft shaping furniture and home ornaments in KonjicCraft
🇷🇺 RussiaPodvorotnichokподворотничок
A detachable white fabric strip sewn inside military uniform collars for hygieneDress
🇨🇭 Zurich, SwitzerlandSwiss traditional costumeSchweizer Trachten
Distinct regional festive dress worn across the cantons of SwitzerlandDress
🇬🇷 GreeceHimationἱμάτιον
A wool or linen wrap worn across ancient Greece, later taken up in Rome and ByzantiumDress
🇳🇱 Amsterdam, NetherlandsKoningsmantel
The Dutch royal cloak of red velvet and ermine, brought out when a monarch is sworn inDress
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreBliaut
A fitted medieval overgarment with trailing sleeves, worn in France and nearby landsDress
🇺🇦 Kyiv, Ukraine and 2 moreOchipokочіпок
The embroidered cap a Ukrainian bride put on at her wedding and kept afterwardsDress
🇷🇺 Mstyora, RussiaMstyora miniatureМстёрская миниатюра
Tempera miniature painting on lacquered papier-mâché, made in Mstyora, RussiaCraft
🇬🇷 Sparta, GreeceChitonχιτών
A draped tunic of wool or linen worn across ancient Greece and RomeDress
🇧🇪 Oostduinkerke, BelgiumShrimp fishing on horseback in Oostduinkerke
Fishers ride draft horses into the sea at Oostduinkerke to net brown shrimpCraft
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Jack-o'-lantern: Toby Ord, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Bandura: Julianhayda, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chiprovtsi kilim: Edal Anton Lefterov, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Imbolc: Culnacreann, CC BY 3.0, source
- Lacemaking in Croatia: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 hr, source
- Swiss traditional costume: Robertuswiki, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pysanka: Lubap, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kraków szopka: user:cancre, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Khokhloma: Dmfff, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Easter egg tree: Frank schubert, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Emaischen: Christian Ries, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Saint Casimir's Fair: Sirex at Lithuanian Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Bloemencorso Bollenstreek: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bloemencorso: Dekraaie, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vite ad alberello of Pantelleria: Luca Volpi, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Lithuanian cross crafting: Vilensija, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vyshyvanka Day: Vladimir Yaitskiy, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Christmas market: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pavlovo Posad shawl: Svetlov Artem, CC0, source
- Dymkovo toys: Georg Pik, Public domain, source
- Kilt: Georg Cöler, Public domain, source
- Himation: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nativity scene: Yvonne Bentele, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Azulejo: Dr. Thomas Liptak, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vyshyvanka: Vasily Andreevich Tropinin, Public domain, source
- Topping out: PKS at Danish Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Licitar: Seanpu1, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Shrimp fishing on horseback in Oostduinkerke: Roosde, CC BY 4.0, source
- Palekh miniature: Ivan Ivanovich Golikov, Public domain, source
- Tartan: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fairy Flag: Otter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Rushnyk: Pavlo Boyko, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Dala horse: User:Mysid, Public domain, source
- Fallas: Goodnighmoon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Xhubleta: Albinfo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Idrija lace: Lace: Pavla Podobnik Photograph: Ines Zgonc, Public domain, source
- Egg decorating: L.Kenzel, CC BY 3.0, source
- Podłaźniczka: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Konjic woodcarving: LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Koningsmantel: Thérèse Schwartze, Public domain, source
- Bliaut: Edmund Blair Leighton, Public domain, source
- Ochipok: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Mstyora miniature: Bin im Garten, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chiton: Berlin Painter, CC BY 2.5, source
- Peineta: Hiart, CC0, source
- Rozhok: Obakeneko, CC BY 3.0, source
- Lipizzaner: Srdjan Živulovič, Attribution, source