Looking For Something To Do With Your Hands? Check Out Jo-Ann For iPad For Ideas

For those who don’t know, Jo-Ann is a popular chain store for crafters. The big box retailer offers all kinds of notions, materials and patterns for all your crafting needs. The iPad app comes with project ideas, how-to videos and even detailed instructions for some great crafts to work on this summer.

When users visit the “Idea Center” they will see a list of projects, including patterns and instructions for each, as well as inspirational ideas for those that just need a jumpstart on a new project. There are also videos that teach you how to do things like tie-dye a shirt or decorate a cake. Projects can be organized by such categories as fabric, sewing, scrapbooking, and crochet.

To see what is on sale this week at Jo-Ann, visit the “Weekly Ad” section to see a digital version of the company’s newspaper and direct mail ads as well as the listing of classes, “We Teach.”

Users can also jot down what to pick up the next time they are in a Jo-Ann store by accessing the “Shopping List” feature. If you see a cute sewing project, add the needed materials to your list and send it to yourself in an email.

If you don’t already know where your nearest Jo-Ann store is, or if you are out of town and desperately need to craft, you can look up locations from the “Find a Store” feature within the app. Not only will you see the closest store to you and how far away it is, you will also see stores within a 40-mile radius.

This app is free and a great way to find ideas for projects. Modern crafters may find the content to be somewhat outdated (there are no patterns for Nintendo-themed iPad covers or Jackalope wall hangers), but there are some fun projects to try with the kids. If you are really creative, you can take some ideas from the app and modernize them yourself. Just put a bird on it, right?