WELCOME!

I’m Carrie Smith, founder of Our Crafty World.

Would you believe it if I told you that everything in my heart and soul that led to the creation of my world culture art and enrichment program for kids started with a SHOEBOX?

Yes, a shoebox!

I was working at a restaurant after graduating from college when I met a co-worker who was saving money to take a trip around the world.

Every day he took his tips and stuffed them into a shoebox, keeping meticulous track of daily, weekly and monthly totals in order to accomplish his goal.

It was such a straightforward plan!

So…I kissed my social life goodbye and worked double shifts, seven days a week. Week after week after week.

I became one with my tips, and my shoebox, and in 7 months time, I was off to Fiji, the jumping off point for my first trip around the world!

My favorite country, hands-down, was India where among many other things, I took a three-day camel safari through the Thar Desert.

HOW THAT ONE TRIP LEAD TO A LIFETIME OF TRAVELING

After accomplishing one of the biggest goals I had ever set – to take that trip – I just had to do it one more time.

I returned home, quickly set back to work, created another shoebox, and months later left for a six month trip to Central America.

During this trip, I studied Spanish and taught English in the northern region of Petén in Guatemala. Petén is home to the incredible Mayan ruin site of Tikal. (Everybody, make a mental note: GO SEE TIKAL!)

Fast forward a few years, when my husband and I quit our jobs soon after getting married, sold our house, and took an 11-month journey around the world.

That trip started with a 1,400-mile road trip through Europe (in an RV!) and continued with travels throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

In short, travel had become a permanent part of my life plan.

FROM TRAVELER TO TEACHER, JUST LIKE THAT

When my son was in 2nd grade (he is in 8th grade now), I went to the beach with a group of friends on the last day of school.

As we sat chatting, we shared with each other what dream job we would choose if we could do anything at all.

My answer came very quickly and very assuredly.

I wanted to start a world culture art and enrichment program for children.

Having already traveled the world a few times over (by then I had traveled to 43 countries), I was bursting with ideas that I had spent way too much time thinking about, and not DOING.

My friends told me to go home, pick a start date, and enroll their children – pronto.

I did just that, and before I knew it, my classes were FULL…and growing and thriving.

My true passion was born and I was on a path to one of the most fulfilling careers I have ever known thanks to the encouraging push my friends gave me that day on the beach.

That was in 2010, and since then my world culture program has grown quickly to include after-school classes, homeschool classes, school enrichment programs, summer camps, themed birthday parties, and more.

Am I a certified art teacher?

No! It’s just that one day, my creative genes burst out of me and mixed quite nicely with my personal travel experiences – and it has just plain worked ever since then!

Now let me tell you, I did not teach in a fancy classroom with all the resources at my fingertips. I taught from a classroom I created with mother-in-law in my garage.

I made a magical worldly place that my students loved to be in.

I displayed trinkets that I had collected from my travels and shared stories to go with them.

I left spilled paint drops on the floor as a reminder of the projects we created together.

I had a coveted glue gun with remnants from almost every class glued to its sides – feathers from Carnival mask making in Brazil class, black yarn from Aboriginal Doll making in Australia class, and sand from the Great Wall of China we built.

That glue gun was a source of many great conversations and memory sharing with my students over the years.

HOW TEACHING IN MY GARAGE LEAD TO THE LAUNCH OF OUR CRAFTY WORLD

Our family has moved twice in the last year, so I had to leave my classroom behind and put teaching on hold. Not to mention, circle back to be more present for my most important asset – my family.

But things happen for a reason and I credit that lull in teaching (which afforded me much time to think and reflect) for my idea to start Our Crafty World.

You see, teaching and spreading world culture is such a passion of mine that I simply cannot have a life without it. I started Our Crafty World in hopes of inspiring others – children, parents, teachers, homeschoolers – to offer their children a chance to travel and learn about the world without ever having to leave home.

I am so excited about this next chapter in my life and am literally boiling over with tried and true world culture craft and activity ideas, recipes, tips for traveling with kids, and so much more.

To get the most from Our Crafty World, sign up for our newsletter, then visit our Blog to read about what we are up to in our classes and what is on the horizon!