My Daddy was thrown into fatherhood, a role he hadn't exactly put on his bucket list. His love for my mother was immeasurable, and she made no secret of wanting children. Daddy, on the other hand, wasn't quite sure what to do with a son like me.

I wasn't the tree-climbing, knee-scraping daredevil he might have expected. My younger brother would fill that role a few years later. I was perfectly happy in my room, surrounded by books on record, a chalkboard with pastel-colored chalk, and a little desk Daddy made so I could write my stories. My love for Star Wars began with a 33⅓ RPM record, complete with R2-D2's familiar beep telling me when to turn the page.

Then there were the Crayolas. Mama Willie bought me a fresh 64-count box nearly every week, often replacing the ones Mama had confiscated after my artistic ambitions expanded from paper to the bedroom walls. To this day, nothing beats the smell of a freshly opened box of Crayolas.

We didn't have tablets, smartphones, or video games competing for our attention. Television was about as sophisticated as electronic entertainment got, and I loved Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, The Electric Company, and later 3-2-1 Contact. Those shows encouraged curiosity about the world, but when the television went off, I was left to explore that curiosity on my own.

Empty cereal boxes became imaginary worlds. Construction paper became birthday and Christmas cards. I discovered that if I soaked a sheet of paper with water and let watercolor paint drip from my brush, gravity would take over and create something I couldn't have planned. It felt like nature itself was painting, with just a little direction from me.

As I grew older, I learned to work with yarn, cross-stitch, and sew by hand. Around eight years old, I stitched a flag for a fort we'd discovered in the woods behind Pettyjohn Street. I made Christmas ornaments, Easter eggs, knickknacks, and more than a few ashtrays. I could wrap a clothes hanger in yarn faster than Bugs Bunny could get through a cartoon.

Creating gave me something I didn't always find elsewhere: a little peace. When I was making something, the rest of the world could wait. I could concentrate on the next stitch, experiment with a new idea, or figure out how to fix something that hadn't turned out quite right. There were no expectations about what a boy was supposed to enjoy. I could simply be myself.

When Erin and I became foster parents, I couldn't wait to share that joy with the children who came into our lives.

Naturally, I started with LEGO. Unfortunately, my boys initially seemed far more interested in destroying things than building them. I thought Minecraft might encourage their imaginations, so I introduced them to a world where they could build almost anything. Instead, they spent hours arranging enormous fields of TNT, then summoned me to watch as they blew half the map to smithereens.

Some people just want to watch the world burn.

Still, we kept creating. Saturday mornings often meant trips to the comic book store and LEGO Store. Phillip graduated to increasingly complicated sets, while Carl began with Duplos. When Jonathan joined our family, he joined the tradition, too. Over time, the boys found their own interests in drawing, painting, and building. Phillip once made me a keepsake box at school that still sits in my cabinet. I get a little teary-eyed whenever I take it out.

Carl's journey was different.

Carl has always been a Daddy's boy. When the world became overwhelming, he looked to me for comfort. And because he wanted to do whatever Daddy was doing, he wanted to learn my hobbies, too.

But crafting didn't come easily to him. Because of his autism and other challenges, Carl struggled with patience, fine motor skills, and activities that required sustained attention. A project that took more than a couple of minutes could quickly become frustrating. I began to wonder if the very activities that had brought me so much peace as a child might someday do the same for him.

We started small. With LEGO, I gave him one page of visual instructions at a time. We'd work through that step together, and when he finished it, I'd praise his accomplishment before turning to the next page. The goal wasn't to finish the set as quickly as possible. It was to enjoy each little success along the way. Eventually, his completed creations earned places of honor beside my larger LEGO sets.

Then one day, Carl asked for a Paint by Sticker book featuring dogs. He loved it immediately. Placing the tiny stickers was difficult for him, but a pair of large tweezers made all the difference. Suddenly, he could manage the pieces himself, and the pictures began coming together.

Diamond Art came next, and that's when something wonderful happened.

By middle school, Carl was having an increasingly difficult time managing moments of overstimulation. We were working with him to recognize when things were becoming too much and to find ways to regain his composure. Diamond Art gave him something he could turn to on his own.

When he felt overwhelmed, he could retreat to his room, sit down with his project, and concentrate on placing one tiny diamond at a time. He didn't have to think about everything happening around him. He only had to think about the next little piece.

It became his refuge.

Over the years, Carl has added cross-stitch, embroidery, and crochet to the crafts he enjoys. He wants to learn knitting, too, although he's still recovering the use of one arm following an accident this past summer. That particular adventure will have to wait a little longer.

What makes me happiest, though, isn't simply that Carl enjoys creating. It's how eager he is to share that joy. He talks about his projects with friends and with people who visit Pisgah Needleworks. When he finds something he loves, he wants everyone else to experience it, too. His enthusiasm is infectious.

Erin and I spent decades teaching, and we've seen educational trends come and go. But our family's experiences have reinforced something we've always believed: children benefit from opportunities to create with their hands, work through challenges, and discover what they can accomplish.

When we opened Pisgah Needleworks in historic downtown Elkin, we wanted to create a place where people could discover new crafts, share what they're making, and get help when they need it. We also wanted Carl to have opportunities to learn and grow in a place where people appreciate him for who he is. He hopes to run the store himself someday, and I hope with all my heart that he gets that chance.

One of my favorite parts of owning the shop is meeting people who want to introduce the children in their lives to crafting. Some are looking for an activity they can enjoy together, while others want to help a child discover a new interest or spend a little time away from screens.

With the holidays approaching, I thought I'd share four of Carl's favorite creative activities. They're approachable for beginners, don't require a fortune in supplies, and offer children the chance to discover the simple joy of making something themselves.

Diamond Art: Finding Joy One Little Diamond at a Time

If you ask Carl which craft he loves most, Diamond Art will almost certainly be his answer. He loves watching a picture emerge as he places each sparkling diamond, one tiny piece at a time.

Diamond Art, sometimes called diamond painting, uses small resin gems placed onto a printed, adhesive surface. Each color corresponds to a symbol, making it easy to follow the design. Children can work on a small section, see their progress, and return to the project whenever they're ready.

It's a wonderful introduction to crafting because the technique is simple and the results are colorful. Children practice concentration, hand-eye coordination, and attention to detail while watching their picture gradually come together.

For younger beginners, I recommend small projects with larger gems or fewer colors. Familiar characters and animals can make the experience even more appealing. And don't underestimate the pleasure of sitting beside a child and working on a project together. Sometimes the best conversations happen when everyone's hands are busy.

Paint by Sticker: A Picture Without the Mess

Paint by Sticker is similar to painting by number, except children use colorful stickers instead of paint. Each sticker fits into a numbered space, gradually forming a picture with a wonderful mosaic-like appearance.

It's an especially appealing activity for children who enjoy puzzles, matching games, and working with their hands. There's very little setup, no paint to spill, and almost nothing to clean afterward. That makes it a practical choice for classrooms, childcare settings, travel, or a quiet afternoon with grandparents.

The stickers can be small, so placing them accurately takes practice. Children learn to match shapes and numbers, pay attention to details, and make adjustments when something doesn't quite fit. If little fingers have trouble positioning the stickers, try a pair of tweezers. That's the simple trick that helped Carl discover how much he loved the activity.

And because the picture is already outlined, children don't have to worry about what to draw. They can simply begin creating.

Cross-Stitch: Learning a Skill That Can Last a Lifetime

Cross-stitch was one of my favorite childhood crafts, and I still enjoy watching a picture emerge from a series of little X-shaped stitches.

The basic idea is simple. Children follow a pattern, using colored embroidery floss to make stitches through evenly spaced holes in fabric. Each stitch becomes a tiny part of the finished picture.

Cross-stitch introduces children to following instructions, counting, planning, and developing hand-eye coordination. It requires a little more patience than Diamond Art or Paint by Sticker, particularly when learning to thread a needle and keep track of stitches, but those challenges are part of the experience.

I recommend beginning with a small, colorful design that doesn't require too many different stitches or colors. An adult can help with the first few steps, then gradually let the child take over.

And there's something especially meaningful about a handmade gift. A little cross-stitched ornament or picture can become a keepsake that someone treasures for years.

Crochet: Turning a Ball of Yarn Into Something Wonderful

There's something almost magical about taking a length of yarn, making a series of loops with a hook, and watching those loops become something you can actually hold.

Crochet takes a little practice at first. Learning to hold the yarn, make a chain, and work basic stitches can feel awkward, but that's part of learning something new. Children discover that mistakes aren't disasters and that a little persistence can make all the difference.

That's one reason I particularly like the beginner crochet kits we've chosen for Pisgah Needleworks. They use acrylic yarn that's easy to unravel when a stitch goes wrong, so children can pull out their mistakes and try again. The projects are also small enough to finish relatively quickly, giving young makers the satisfaction of completing something without spending weeks on it.

Many of these projects become little animals or other creations children can display, give as gifts, or keep as reminders of what they've accomplished.

For adults helping a child learn, patience matters more than perfection. Demonstrate a stitch, offer encouragement, and resist the temptation to take over when things get difficult. The finished project may not be perfect, but the pride a child feels in making it themselves is worth far more.

A Little Creativity Can Go a Long Way

I sometimes wonder if Daddy knew what he was giving me when he built that little desk, or if Mama Willie imagined that all those boxes of Crayolas would help shape the person I'd become. I doubt either gave it much thought. They simply encouraged something I loved, and more than fifty years later, I'm still grateful.

That's what I hope you'll take away from our family's story. You don't have to be an artist or an experienced crafter to introduce a child to the joy of making things. You just have to give them the opportunity, encourage their curiosity, and let them discover what they can accomplish.

That's also the spirit behind Pisgah Needleworks. We want our shop to be a place where people share ideas, learn new skills, and encourage one another. Carl is often here, and there's nothing he enjoys more than talking with visitors about the projects he's working on. If you're ever in historic downtown Elkin, North Carolina, we'd love for you to come upstairs, meet our family, and explore the possibilities together.

And if you can't visit in person, you're always welcome to explore our Creative Kids collection and discover more about crafting through our website.

Above all, I hope you'll give a child in your life the chance to create something. You never know where that first little project might lead.