Folk art can be a loosely used term referring to items made by self-taught artists, as opposed to people trained in the finer arts and handicrafts. When I think of folk art, visions of yo-yo quilts, carved doo-dads like walking sticks, and decorated bird houses come to mind.
This one-of-a-kind folk art frame is on sale at the Antiques Market of Williamston:
Now I've started collecting two things that may or may not be considered folk-arty enough to have examples in the Smithsonian Institute, but I'm predicting that maybe in the future these two art forms will get the recognition they deserve. I've recently started a collection of little baskets made from beads threaded onto safety pins. You've probably seen these before:
We used to laugh at these little baskets, thinking that they were the epitome of tackiness, almost as tacky as the hats made from crocheted cut up Budweiser cans. And what complements these baskets better than sequin covered styrofoam fruit, another craft that's received it's share of snickers?
I piled my fruit into a milk glass urn, and along with my little baskets I think I've got a head start on holiday sparkle!
Check out this amazing pair of slacks made for a man using scraps of fabric. This is truly a one-of-a-kind creation, probably made during the depression by a talented housewife for her husband:
I'm sure this wasn't easy to do. The craftsmanship of these pants is amazing!
Here's another example of obscure folk art. Crocheted hangers. Who has time to do something like this anymore? I like the one below that's purple and green. I think the maker of these hangers was just trying to use up leftover yarn, which is admirable:
Do you have any quirky collections of under-appreciated "folk art"? I'd love to see some of your examples!
