The author made this using laser cutting and weaving. Can you top it?

The craft industry has been boomin’ in the last few years with throwbacks to crafts that your grandma probably did, but brands like Subversive Cross Stitch have been doing a good job of reinventing them with a sly wink and a dose of pop culture. TLC recently announced its new Craft Wars reality show, hosted by Tori Spelling, which is set to premiere on June 26. Spelling now also has her own line of craft products, and in May, my favorite DIY artist and overall designer extraordinaire Todd Oldham (anyone remember House Of Style?) drops his line of kid’s craft kits at Target.

But this is Brooklyn, and we don’t need Tori Spelling telling us how to make things. Etsy started in Dumbo and the Brooklyn Flea is filled with new talent every weekend. Whether you want to start your own Etsy shop or just make a Mother’s Day gift, Brooklyn is loaded with places to learn sewing, knitting, jewelry making, weaving, woodwork and more. Here they are; if we forgot yours, please pipe up in the comments! (more…)