• Pine Needles are Handy for Basket Weavingwhite pine needles image by Carbonbrain from Fotolia.com
  
  The southwestern United States is associated with a distinctive color palette and artistic style. Give your craft projects a Southwestern theme by incorporating images and colors reminiscent of the desert and traditional Native American motifs. Take inspiration from the techniques and art forms historically associated with the region.
  
  

Sand Painting

• Sand is used by the Navajo people for both temporary and permanent works of art. Use the traditional techniques of sand painting to make your own artwork. You need different colors of sand, paper or cardstock, and white glue. Simply draw the various elements of your design with glue, cover it with a layer of the appropriate colored sand, and brush or blow away the excess. Take your time to wait for the glue to dry as you work so that the different colors remain distinct. Use sand in conjunction with paint and other art supplies, or use it alone. Glitter makes a dazzling alternative to colored sand.
  
  

Basket Making

• You can construct a simple coiled basket using the same materials and techniques practiced by Native Americans in the Southwest for millennia. Collect a lot of pine needles, some raffia purchased from a craft store, and a large-eyed sewing needle. Start the coiled base of the basket by wrapping the ends of a bunch of pine needles securely with raffia, then wind the needles around the wrapped part in a spiral. They should be flexible enough to bend into shape without breaking. Work on a flat surface and wrap and stitch the pine needles together in a coil form, working out from the center until the base of your basket is big enough. Add new pine needles to the bunch one or two at a time as needed, securing them in place with stitching. To make the sides of the basket, coil the new needles above the previous round at an angle.
  
  

Rugs and Blankets

• While you may not have the large-scale loom traditionally used to weave rugs and blankets in the Southwest, you can take inspiration from their designs to create your own designs and craft projects. Gather some pictures of blankets and rugs from the Southwest that you like. There is a variety of ways to take inspiration from them: choose a similar color palette, copy the design for a quilt top, or replicate a motif or pattern. Your craft project doesn't necessarily need to be a quilt or even to use fabric. Consider incorporating the designs the rugs and blankets inspire into knitting projects, painting and decorating, and needlepoint designs.