Table of Contents

Introduction Crafting for Calm Anointing Oils Biblical Herb Garden Spiritual Wisdom Wall Hanging Sacred Bath Salts Tabletop Meditation Fountain Crafting for Clarity Collage Treasure Map Visual Journal Personal Prayer Flag Blessing Basket Spiritual Toolbox Crafting for Comfort Portable Shrine Prayer Shawl Affirmation Blanket Prayer Cards Power Pouch Crafting for Contemplation Prayer Mat Tray Sand Garden Luminarias Rock Cairn Meditation Cushion Crafting for Creation Prayer Painting Intention Beads Inner Wisdom Doll Icon Messages in a Bottle Crafting for Community Talking Stick Prayer Ribbon Weaving Collage Mandala Group Prayer Beads Prayer Arrows Crafting for Connection with Others Thinking-of-You Candle Prayer Pillow Milagros Box Homemade Bread Meditation Prayer Rock Crafting for Connection with Spirit Prayer Outfit Finger Labyrinth Personal Holy Book Tabletop Altar Prayer Pot Conclusion Resource Section Interview Subjects Contributors Acknowledgments About the Author Index [TK]

About the Author

Rev. Maggie Oman Shannon, M.A., is an interfaith minister, spiritual director, workshop and retreat facilitator, and author of five books: Prayers for Healing (Conari Press, 1997); The Way We Pray: Prayer Practices from Around the World (Conari Press, 2001); A String and a Prayer: How to Make and Use Prayer Beads (co-author; Red Wheel/Weiser, 2002); One God, Shared Hope (Red Wheel/Weiser, 2003); and her latest, Prayers for Hope and Comfort (Conari Press, 2008). In 2000, Oman Shannon founded The New Story, a coaching and consulting business focused on helping people create deeper meaning in their lives. The former editor of three national magazines, including The Saturday Evening Post, Oman Shannon also served as Director of Marketing for the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Her writing has appeared in publications including Utne Reader and Beliefnet.com; and her work has been featured in publications ranging from the Miami Herald to Spirituality and Health magazine. She has taught workshops at venues including California Pacific Medical Center's Institute for Health and Healing and Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY. In addition to being a certified life coach, Oman Shannon completed the three-year training program of the Spiritual Directors Institute at Mercy Center in Burlingame, California. A graduate of Smith College, Oman Shannon also holds an M.A. degree in Culture and Spirituality from Holy Names University. She is an ordained interfaith minister who graduated from Manhattan's One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in 2010. Oman Shannon currently has the honor of serving as Spiritual Director of Unity Spiritual Center of San Francisco. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

"Whether you are Crafting for Calm, Clarity, Creation, Connection, or Contemplation, this book will certainly inspire you and allow you to truly relax. Crafting Calm is truly a DIY guide to peace of mind." --A Beautiful Little Life "No matter what kind of crafter you are, whatever your raw materials, the projects, quotes, and commentary in this book will inspire you. I found myself with a new and deeper appreciation not only for my crafts, but also for all crafts. It is indeed through this use of our creative energy to transform something common into something special, that we touch the universal creative spirit, that our craft becomes a divinely inspired spiritual practice." --About.com "The book is divided into 8 crafting sections to serve different intentions; calm, clarity, comfort, contemplation, creation, community, connection with others and connection with spirit. Author Reverend Maggie Oman Shannon's message is that we are inherently creative, and the book is permission to explore, play and discover your own creativity." --Examiner.com "If you are spiritual, seeking calm and looking for avenues to express your creativity, you should get Crafting Calm." --The Baby Spot "I firmly believe that crafting can be a great way to reduce stress, which is why I was immediately attracted to the idea of Crafting Calm. Written by Maggie Oman Shannon, this DIY guide showcases projects designed to help you achieve serenity and satisfaction." --Smart Mom Picks "An essential tool for mindfulness." --La Splash "Definitely a book that should be added to the library of any faith geek who loves to craft." --Faith Geeks "By immersing ourselves in a craft with intention and mindfulness, we can quiet those voices around us and in us." --Eco Child's Play "Maggie Oman Shannon will show you how to "put down the prozac and pick up the prayer beads!" Shannon's book, Crafting Calm, informs the reader of spiritual practices gathered from crafts communities around the world." --Life Mastery Radio "Maggie Oman Shannon offers numerous creative exercises to ignite your spirituality and your craft." --Science of Mind "Important on that journey to truly live our purpose." --On Purpose Radio "Within these pages, countless crafts and projects -- from anointing oils and collage treasure maps to inner wisdom dolls and prayer pots -- jump off the page, just waiting to be brought into existence [...] Pick it up and get ready to refresh your soul." --Somerset Studio "Each of the eight chapters in this delightful book suggests five simple practices for calm, clarity, comfort, contemplation, creation, community, connection with others, and connection with spirit, including a tabletop meditation fountain, personal prayer flags, mandalas, and more." --Spirituality & Health "Crafts are more than just artistic creations ... Prayer beads, prayer journals, pastel mandalas and tiny tin shrines are just some of the soul-connecting projects Oman Shannon has guided in crafting workshops through the years." --Unity Magazine "This book walks you through ways to quiet your mind, and find a bit of peace through crafting. It was certainly an inspiration to turn off the TV, or the laptop, or cell phone, and do some crafting." --Emily Reviews "I found all sorts of peaceful ideas to make my world a better place to be." --My Journey with Candida "Crafting Calm is more powerful than a craft book. It's a spiritual guide, it's peace of mind, it's calming and exploring your creativity. Maggie gives idea's, history and quotes throughout the book. Crafting Calm brings together creativity, spiritual practice mixed together with the love of arts and crafts to bring calm into your life." --Peanut Butter and Whine "Creative projects that can bring peace and insight to busy lives." --American Craft Council "Oman Shannon (Prayers for Healing), a San Francisco--based interfaith minister, finds spiritual calm through creating, and this collection of stories, journal prompts, inspirational quotes, and craft projects is designed to help others find their own inner peace. The author's focus is on the Christian faith, but she includes anecdotes from crafters from other faith traditions, including Judaism and paganism. The projects are fairly simple, and all focus on bringing spirituality, prayer, or meditation into the mix. The intersection of crafts and spirituality is a popular topic, and Oman Shannon's exploration will inspire crafters of a variety of faiths." --Library Journal "With her latest book, Oman Shannon offers readers guidance for creating their own collage treasure map, along with more than three dozen other projects meant to provide serenity and satisfaction." --San Francisco Chronicle "This thoughtful book would interest anyone who enjoys working with their hands and is interested in mindfulness." --San Francisco Book Review "This is how good Crafting Calm by Maggie Oman Shannon is; I couldn't help but dive right in and create something after reading it! I hope to try more soon!" --The Magical Buffet "I strongly recommend this book, it would make an amazing addition to anyone's craft room." --Tanya Rudd "Crafts aren't a competition to get the most repins on Pinterest;) but rather a way for us to find ourselves, achieve serenity, and relax. Use [Crafting Calm] as your inspiration to jump off to a whole new creative world." --Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife "Never again will you have to run to the store to buy a quick gift because you'll have so much fun making these items that all your gifts will be special one-of-a-kind homemade ones. The author shows how to craft with intentions such as: calm, clarity, comfort, contemplation, connection with others, and connection with spirit. Use crafting as prayer and commune with the divine while making meaningful art. This is a terrific book you will use many times over." --New Spirit Journal "In Crafting Calm, find inspirational crafts and activities that promote a sacred stillness in a world filled with busyness and noise." --Mother Earth Living "In Crafting Calm, Oman Shannon shares a variety of creative activities, stories and resources that help readers relax, comfort ourselves, get clarity and connect with others. Ultimately, connecting to our creativity can help us connect to our spirituality. In other words, crafting can become a spiritual practice." -- Psych Central "Maggie Oman Shannon is an enthusiastic guide through all these project possibilities. She often shares about her personal attempts with different crafts, openly admitting that some things are just not for her. We were relieved by this ... and encouraged to try some new things anyway! Crafting Calm is a practical resource we're sure you will enjoy dipping into when you feel inspired or are looking for inspiration." --Spirituality & Practice "Crafting Calm is an inspirational book that will help get your ideas and feelings in order. It includes places to look for crafting inspiration and idea that will bring a smile to your face." --Networking Witches "Anyone who has crafted, has probably experienced good things as a result of their creative labor. The author takes it a step further which can really help you get the most from this beneficial and practical hobby." --Valerie Mitchell "Crafting Calm was a revelation to me! Over the years I have enjoyed many of the crafting activities highlighted in Maggie Oman Shannon's wonderful book. However, it was only after reading Crafting Calm that I understood the connection between creativity and the divine. Oman Shannon's book helped me see that what I previously viewed as fun and satisfying, actually provides spiritual nourishment for my soul." --June Cotner, author of the bestselling Graces "The genius of this book is that it provides a practical and inspirational way of accessing two universal essential forces that sustain the human spirit: contemplation and creativity. A timeless and invaluable resource for anyone!" -- Angeles Arrien, author of The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates to Wisdom "Awaken and illuminate your creative and spiritual connections with Crafting Calm: Projects and Practices for Creativity and Contemplation. Nourish yourself and others with this practical, elegant, deeply inspiring book. The title alone will uplift your spirits!" --SARK, author, artist, Succulent Wild Woman PlanetSARK.com "One of the central challenges of any spiritual path is the need to weave the moments of insight that come from inner practice into the fabric of everyday life. Maggie Oman Shannon's new book Crafting Calm draws on time-honored handicraft traditions to do exactly this, providing a rich toolkit of approaches for the modern spiritual seeker." -- John Michael Greer, Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America and author of Apocalypse Not: Everything You Know About 2012, Nostradamus, and the Rapture is Wrong "As a lifelong artist, I am intimately familiar with the profound connections to spirit that are available to us when we engage in creative acts. Despite already knowing this deep in my heart, mind and body, I relish the opportunity to learn the way my artistic tools, techniques and mediums can open up specific spiritual channels and encourage an array of mindful, prayerful practices. I look forward to adding Crafting Calm to my bookshelf and sharing it with my artistic and spiritual sisters." -- Christine Mason Miller, Artist and Author of Ordinary Sparkling Moments: Reflections on Success and Contentment "In Crafting Calm, Rev. Maggie Oman Shannon gently reminds that we are by our very nature, both spiritual and creative beings. She inspires us to create as a way of self-exploration and spiritual growth and guides us through fun and illuminating projects. From anointing oils to visual journals and prayer paintings to messages in bottles Oman Shannon shows us how crafting can be part of our spiritual journey and a powerful way to connect to our very essence -- the creative spirit within all of us. This book will inspire, uplift and illuminate your spiritual path in a unique and important way -- and you'll also discover how much fun you can have when creating from spirit." --Polly Campbell, Author of Imperfect Spirituality: Extraordinary Enlightenment for Ordinary People "During these tumultuous times it is more important than ever to cultivate our calm. Maggie Oman's Crafting Calm is a balm of a book that teaches us this subtlest of lessons." -- Phil Cousineau, author of Wordcatcher and The Painted Word "Crafting Calm is the perfect gift for anyone who has ever had the urge to create. Maggie Oman Shannon's writing is engaging and accessible, making her the ideal guide for those interested in embracing calm, deepening self-awareness, and renewing faith in the power of creativity." -Kate Hopper, author of Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers and Ready for Air: A Journey Through Premature Motherhood "I still have pictures in my head of my Mom sitting and knitting in the pre-television days of my youth. It was a peacefulness scene seeing her take a meditative moment out of her household responsibilities. Today, in our non-stop world of ever-present text messages and emails, it is nice to have a book like this to help us both quiet our mind and enrich our life, as the simple art of knitting did for my Mom. So, put down your cell phone, pick up this wonderful book, and begin creating your own comforting handiwork from Crafting Calm." -Allen Klein, author of The Art of Living Joyfully and Words of Love