Technology and nature are often positioned as opposed. Our research explores their synergies using art-based approaches.

Asimina Vasalou

Professor of Interaction Design

Hybrid Nature Crafts

This project explores if and ho`w hybrid crafting – involving natural and digital materials – can trigger children’s and young people’s attention and creativity toward their local natural environment. We have prototyped and tested eight different craft types exploring the combination and synergies of a range of materials e.g. paper, glass, wood.

To date, we carried out two workshop series spanning multiple sessions in the South of Oxford exploring this direction based in a community centre and a local school. Fifteen children took part aged 9-12 and at the end of their participation, their work was exhibited in a local museum or in an art exhibit in their school.

Key insights:

Our research shows that crafting helps children notice nature differently. During guided nature walks, children paid close attention to plants, insects, textures, smells, and colours because they were thinking ahead to how these materials might work in their craft.
Many children experienced moments of surprise when natural materials behaved in unexpected ways—for example: the way light shone through a leaf, the texture produced when a flower was pressed in clay, colours mixing unpredictably during printing. These material surprises created moments of wonder and emotional connection. Children learned that nature and craft materials don’t always behave predictably—mirroring nature’s own spontaneity.
Overall, the repeated, extended crafting sessions helped many children build confidence in expressing themselves creatively. Their crafted pieces provided a gateway to express their understandings and meanings of nature. This included literal representations (forests, flowers, weather patterns), symbolic meanings (e.g., seasonality, the realities of non-pristine nature), personal stories and reflections about their favourite places or experiences outdoors.

Together, these findings emphasise how hybrid nature crafts gives children richer, meaningful ways to connect with the natural world at a time when nurturing those relationships is increasingly urgent.

Research Impact and Sector Influence

Engagement with community and cultural institutions
Children's artwork was exhibited at the Abingdon County Hall Museum over a period of two weeks in 2025.
Learning materials
Our research has produced a series of storyboards supporting hobbyists, learners and educators to engage in this type of crafting. Accompanying lesson plans have been designed to align these crafts with US and UK curricula. These materials can be accessed below.