Deven Blackwell: Old Techniques – Modern Context

Meet Deven Blackwell, the creative force behind House of Blackwell, a gathering of her limitless artistic endeavors.  Some of her current offerings are spooky decor, tutorials, and patterns. Her diverse set of experience includes graphic design, art, writing, hair styling, and sewing. 

Deven is especially known for her spooky cornhusk creations. She loves to create phobia-inducing creatures such as bats and spiders. While she learned cornhusk crafting as a child in Texas, her talent remained dormant until 2020. Bored and unable to celebrate Halloween in the traditional way, Deven fashioned a witch out of cornhusks. Soon she was hooked and creating non-traditional works out of an age-old medium. Her mission is to dedicate herself to innovation while honoring traditional techniques.  

Deven also shares her best costuming tip, why she loves her 100 century-old sewing machine, how costumes are communication tools, and introduces us to her studio assistant, Nugget.  

“I noticed that a lot of my work has to do with taking old techniques and reapplying them in modern contexts. Sometimes new things are not better. Sometimes older things can be the right fit for people and their needs.” - Deven Blackwell 

Mention: Etsy’s Gone Gothic Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/etsysgonegothic 

Visit Deven online: https://www.thehouseofblackwell.com