Meet Crafting Expert Dawn Lewis

It’s our pleasure to introduce Dawn Lewis: a professional crafter, business owner, podcaster, and vlogger from Australia. Dawn’s mission is to make crafting achievable, affordable, and accessible for everyone through fun tutorials that use free and low-cost online tools. She is a great believer that using those fun craft purchases is more important than hoarding them, so read on to find out how Dawn is helping crafters get from file to fabulous finished craft project.

How did you begin your crafting journey?

My Mum is a super creative person, so I grew up with craft being a normal part of our household. I didn’t realise until I was in high school that this was not usual for other people. I began working professionally in the Australian craft industry over a decade ago, when a company asked me to demonstrate their new acrylic paint range, and have enjoyed some serious craft adventures ever since!

What kind of crafts do you do and what’s your most favorite crafting activity?

I enjoy a variety of crafts … stamping, card making, embroidery, crochet, cross-stitch, sewing, doll making, quilting, and painting. I have to admit … I rarely get to sit down and paint, but when I do I always remember how much I love it, and wonder why I don’t do it more often!

Do you remember the first crafting project you made? Could you please tell us about it?

The first I remember was an orange macrame purse. I made it as a birthday gift for a friend at school.

Tik Tok has become one of the most popular social media platforms for sharing crafts, and you are one of the crafters who makes use of this platform to show your projects. Why do you think Tik Tok has been so popular among crafters, and why have you decided to make Tik Tok one of your main social media platforms?

I’ve been on TikTok for just over a year, now, and I absolutely love it! I think part of the appeal is the short format videos because sometimes we just don’t have time for a 25-minute tutorial. It’s still fascinating to me how much you can learn in under a minute. TikTok is one of my main socials now because of the amazing sense of community, diversity and from a creator’s point of view, it’s a real time saver. To make a 5-15 minute tutorial for YouTube would take 1-2 days, whereas I can create a TikTok video from start to finish within 15 minutes. That allows me more time for my business, family, community, and personal crafting.

Do you have any tips on creating fun and engaging Tik Tok crafting posts?

Be very clear about what the video is about within the first 3 seconds, share quick tips, techniques, or product reviews. Be concise and be 100% yourself! TikTok is all about authenticity. Oh … and reply to comments (TikTok will show your video to more people).

What type of craft do you want to learn next? 

Good question! Honestly, I’ve done almost every craft there is, but one day I might give wool felting a go.