Welcome to healthy water themed crafts part 2! This series is all about crafts that encourage us to drink more water and that help us appreciate clean rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Update 2020: This post and it’s predecessors were published back in 2014, so many of the links and photos may not go to active blogs anymore. To see all of the photos, I suggest you look at my Pinterest board for Water Themed Crafts to see more!

Part 1 covered crochet, woodworking, quilling, lace and tatting, weaving and tapestry, and mosaic tile. Today is the second of my six posts covering everything from leatherwork to baking, beadwork to soapmaking and everything in between…

Water Themed Crafts in Polymer Clay

First up is a tutorial by ClayLessons on how to make this pretty mermaid trinket box. As the interest here is more on the lovely polymer clay technique, I think this box would look great either with or without the mermaid charm.Here is another example from MandarinMoonArt of a water scene, this time done as a tile. Once again, this would be pretty with or without the metal trinkets embedded in the clay.

This switch plate cover reminds me of reflections in water waves. The tutorial by Johnnie at SavedbyLoveCreations is more about how to cover the switch plate, however there is a link within this post to further instructions on the striking “mokume gane” technique it uses.This pendant by Lorraine Vogel via JewleryMakingJournal is another beautiful use of the mokume gane technique.These amazing beads by Laura Timmins could represent the sea, the shore, and even some of the stars of a night ocean scene. Her website has information about her process, and her Flickr photostream has more images of her other beautiful creations with the same technique.

Then there is this stunning credenza with doors covered in this wave pattern made completely from polymer clay as seen on RainyDayDestinations. I only wish there were some better close-ups to see the technique used on the clay!

Water Themed Crafts in Embroidery

Here’s a cute wave pattern available on StitchetyStich’s Etsy shop,

and there is actually an embroidery stitch called a wave stitch. The fourth item down on this page on ArtsandDesigns has lots of info on this stitch.

This hilarious embroidered tweet from Kanye West by supervelma could be used as a funny reminder to drink more water. This article on GeekOSystem has more info on this series of embroideries.MuseumTextiles has info on some of the symbols embroidered on this Chinese silk jifu robe. The waves alone are incredible,

as is this modern commercial hand embroidery by SuEmbroidery. Stunning!I enjoy the colors and the use of couching in this piece entitled “Night Wave” by Shirley at StitchesandLife.

Water Themed Crafts in Scrapbooking

There are a million wave, water, ocean, sea, beach, lake, and river themed scrapbook layouts – it’s just overwhelming. Instead of featuring just a few, I’ll share this beautifully curated Pinterest page by Melanie Walker full of watery scrapbooking inspiration:

One product I did find attractive and interesting is this set of wavy scrapbook templates by Libby Pritchett via SweetShoppeDesigns.

 

 

Water Themed Crafts in Metalwork

There’s some beautiful inspiration with water and wave forms in metal crafts. This is a piece offered by InspiringArt in their Etsy shop,

and here’s another piece of similar construction, this time by Jon Allen via Ebay.This wave piece by Loren Senge via Sculptor.org is colorful and unique,

and this fire screen from FunktionalSteelArt would be lovely in a house with beach or water décor.

Water Themed Crafts in Ceramics and Pottery

When it comes to healthy water a simple Google search on “ceramic water filters” brings up extensive results. However for third world countries, these FilterPure ceramic filters are an intriguing solution. This non-profit organization is working to train potters to build these water filtration systems worldwide. According to their website, adding some colloidal silver to the clay improves the anti-bacterial properties of the filters.and the second is this wave rim bowl on Gallery4Collectors.

This is a more modern piece by Betul Aydiner,and these tiles from EarthSongTiles would look lovely as a border in a kitchen or around a mirror.

Water Themed Crafts in Stained Glass

There is so much beautiful inspiration for water forms in stained glass! A simple Google image search on “stained glass wave” brings up beautiful results:

 

A few favorites include this mosaic mandala by David Chidgey via ArtGlassMosaics,

this striking and modern piece at AtmosphericGlass,

and this stunning and almost photorealistic piece by Graham Mace via HangsUponNothing. This one made my jaw drop.

Also beautiful is a Google Image Search on “stained glass river.”

 

Highlights include this gorgeous river landscape from StainedGlassbyJini,

and some of the pieces from the PandyMillGallery. This one is called “River Flow.”

As for available patterns, PanedExpressions has some great water scenes available through their Nature’s Bounty – I collection. Of the water-related scenes, I must say I’m partial to their Big Wave and their Four Seasons.

That lovely note finishes this healthy water themed crafts part 2, covering polymer clay, embroidery, scrapbooking, metalworking, ceramics, and stained glass. Is there anything in these crafty categories that you would like to add to the comments?

Make sure you have checked out Part 1 of this series which featured crochet, woodworking, quilling, lace and tatting, weaving and tapestry, and mosaic tile. Stay tuned for the next FOUR installments in this series, featuring knitting, jewelry, gardening, glass work, candlemaking, chainmaille, basket weaving, and a whole lot more!

[Update: Here are Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6 in the series!]