Arts & Crafts Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Arts & Crafts facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is 'sgraffito' as a decorative technique in pottery? → Scratching through a layer of slip or glaze to reveal the clay beneath
2. Which Chicago-based magazine, founded in 1896, brought Arts & Crafts interior design ideas to middle-class American homeowners? → House Beautiful
3. What is the purpose of a 'sizing' agent applied to canvas before painting? → To seal and protect the canvas surface
4. What is the primary purpose of a bone folder in paper crafts and bookbinding? → Scoring and creasing paper cleanly
5. Which German region is historically associated with the tradition of hand-carved wooden Christmas ornaments and nutcrackers? → The Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) region of Saxony
6. What art education concept describes the way elements like lines, shapes, or colors repeat to create visual rhythm in an artwork? → Pattern and repetition
7. What is 'scale' as a design principle? → The relative size of elements in relation to each other and the overall composition
8. What is the purpose of a 'pickle' solution in the jewelry making process? → To remove oxidation and flux residue after soldering
9. In the context of children's crafts, what is 'tie-dye'? → A technique where fabric is tied or folded before dyeing to create patterns
10. Which tool is used to score and cut mat board cleanly for picture framing and craft projects? → X-Acto knife with a steel ruler
11. Who wrote 'The Stones of Venice' (1851-1853), a work that profoundly influenced the Arts & Crafts Movement's philosophy? → John Ruskin
12. In letterpress printing, what material was traditionally used to make the raised type that receives ink and transfers it to paper? → Lead alloy (movable metal type)
13. True or False: Making things with your hands is a part of creative arts and crafts. → True
14. In bookbinding, what is the cloth or paper tape used to reinforce the spine hinge between the cover boards and the book block called? → Mull
15. What bookbinding technique, revived during the Arts & Crafts Movement, involves sewing folded pages together without glue for a durable, flexible spine? → Coptic stitch binding
16. Which natural material is the basis of traditional gesso used to prime wooden panels for painting? → Chalk or whiting bound with rabbit-skin glue
17. What is the weaving term for the lengthwise threads held under tension on a loom? → Warp
18. What does 'electroforming' produce in jewelry making? → Metal forms built up through electrochemical deposition of metal ions
19. What material is traditionally used to make a 'brayer' in printmaking and craft? → Hard or soft rubber roller
20. In macramé, what is the most basic knot from which most patterns are built? → Square knot
21. What is the purpose of a 'resist' technique in children's art, such as drawing with crayon before painting with watercolor? → The crayon wax repels the watercolor, creating a textural contrast
22. What simple craft involves pressing real leaves, flowers, or plants under heavy books to dry them flat for use in artwork? → Botanical pressing
23. Which fiber is obtained from the flax plant? → Linen
24. What craft technique transfers a photographic image onto a wood, fabric, or paper surface using gel medium or acetone? → Image transfer
25. The American Arts & Crafts Movement drew primary inspiration from which country's reform movement? → England
26. What paper craft technique involves rolling narrow strips of paper into coils and arranging them to create decorative designs? → Quilling (paper filigree)
27. What is 'felting' in fiber arts? → Matting fibers together using heat, moisture, and friction
28. What was the name of William Morris's private press, founded in 1891, that revolutionized book design and typography? → Kelmscott Press
29. Which design element describes the path created by a point moving through space? → Line
30. Which publication system spread Arts & Crafts house plans to middle-class American homeowners in the 1910s? → Pattern books and mail-order plan books