Mary Lyons

A seasoned journalist with a degree in studio art, Mary Lyon is chock full of many wonderful craft ideas ranging from recycling household items to making beautiful holiday keepsakes, with an emphasis on crafts that parents can do with their children. "For years I've wallowed in crafts ranging from beading and personal adornment to fabric arts, gourds, basketry, drawing, painting, sculpting, papier maché, mosaics, decoupage, wood-burning, most of the scrapbooking arts and outdoor crafts," says Lyon. "My art studio is renowned with all the kids we know as 'Craft Central.' We've indulged in projects involving kids from kindergarten to 8th grade and older, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and American Girl groups, pre-schoolers, birthday parties and kids of all economic strata."