(Family Features) Each new season brings fresh trends in fashion and style. As you’re exploring new arts and crafts ideas this year, fall in love with new looks that celebrate luxurious coziness you can wear, and embrace the outdoors with nature-inspired gifts with a masculine flair with these project ideas from the crafting experts at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.

Soft hues, textures

Unplug from the world and relax with soft textures and soothing hues that provide peace and serenity with a Chunky Braided Scarf. Thick woven layers make the scarf practical and warm, while the yarn texture and colors let you show your fashion-forward style. To make your scarf extra trendy this season, choose unexpected fall colors, such as pastels, to make a statement.

Masculine looks

Though crafting is often geared toward feminine tastes, the more masculine looks that are in style this fall make it easy to explore a manly approach to arts and crafts. Wood and natural details provide a distinctly more macho look, as with the Classic Literature Bookmark, which not only reflects the season’s trend but also makes for a useful gift or trinket for the man in your life.

For more fashionable fall craft ideas, visit http://www.joann.com.

Chunky Braided Scarf

Project Courtesy of http://www.GirlLovesGlam.com for Jo-Ann

Crafting Time: 3-5 hours

Skill Level: No Experience Necessary

Supplies and Tools:

2 different colors of Wool-Ease Thick & Quick yarn

Scissors

Measuring tape

Rubber bands

Skirt hanger

Suede cord

1. Cut one color of yarn into 24 60-inch pieces. Rubber band eight pieces of yarn together to create a section.

2. Clip three sections to skirt hanger and braid together.

3. Cut second color of yarn into 24 60-inch pieces. Rubber band eight pieces of yarn together to create a section.

4. Clip three sections to skirt hanger next to previous braid. Braid new braid together, pulling one side of new braid through loops of first braid so they start connecting.

5. Repeat steps until this has been done with five braids total, making braids on end a different color than middle three braids.

6. Tie off ends of braids with suede cord and trim down to be same length.

Classic Literature Bookmark

Project Courtesy of http://www.simplesimonandco.com for Jo-Ann

Crafting Time: Under 1 hour

Skill Level: Some Experience Necessary

Supplies and Tools:

• Bag of leather scraps
• Leather cutting tool
• Pencil
• Wooden tags
• Wood burning tool
• Sharp tool to punch through leather
• Twine

1. Cut leather scrap to desired size rectangle for book mark.

2. Sketch a pattern onto leather with pencil.

3. Sketch image of choice onto wooden tag.

4. Using wood burning tool, burn leather pattern and wood image.

5. Punch hole through top of leather strip.

6. Thread twine through leather and wooden tag and tie off.

Suggestion: Practice using the wood burning tool on some scrap leather and extra wooden tags before attempting final project to get a feel for how it handles on each material.