Plastic canvas is a lightweight, rigid version of needlepoint canvas. And it’s likely that you just shuddered a little, reading that last sentence, as you envisioned a grannylike tissue-box cover.

But bear with me for a minute! Plastic canvas has hidden superpowers, and it deserves some creative exploration by modern crafty minds.

The first thing I want to show you is this: not all plastic canvas is created equal. It’s made in three sizes: 7-count, 10-count, and 14-count. The count refers to the number of squares in an inch. And as you can see, this makes a huge difference in the appearance of the finished product. The larger squares can be stitched with worsted weight yarn or crewel wool, and result in a fuzzier, more homespun appearance.

10-count or 14-count canvas, on the other hand, can even be stitched with perle cotton embroidery floss, and yields a much finer-looking result.

You can use plastic canvas to construct just about any 3D shape, and that makes it useful for so much more than hiding tissue boxes. (There’s a great tutorial for cutting out plastic canvas shapes here.)

To get your creative juices flowing, for example, consider business card holders . . . and iPod cases . . . and glasses cases. One of the great things about using plastic canvas to make cases for your valuables is: the canvas, covered with yarn stitching, creates a nice shield that absorbs impact. I’ve had my iPod sheathed in a plastic canvas sleeve for two years, and it still looks brand-new.

You may have seen plastic canvas employed to make gift or jewelry boxes as well. And while the stuff does make great boxes, I’m more excited about its potential for making organizers of all kinds. You can construct boxes to hold your spools of yarn, or a multi-chambered pencil holder to organize your pens and paintbrushes. You can build your own set of stackable in-boxes. You can even construct a cube-shaped unit with a pull-out drawer, a la IKEA, to hold your ribbons and trims.

The greatest part of all these fabrications is, of course, that they’ll be covered with stitching. Now, many of us envision needlepoint as those tiny, slanted stitches. This is known as the Continental Stitch, and it’s only the tip of the needlepoint iceberg. There are dozens of interesting needlepoint stitches to try — and many of them work up much faster then Continental. In fact, you can explore more of these here and here.

…Not to mention, you can cover any plastic canvas surface with Continental stitch, and then embroider a design on the top of that. You can also applique fabric to plastic canvas. And you can stitch with your craziest novelty yarns to create outlandish textures. There’s way more to your needlepoint life than Continental Stitch.

I think there’s also jewelry potential in plastic canvas. A nice square, covered in interesting stitching, backed with felt, would make a great pendant or pin. Join a bunch of them together into a bracelet. (Incidentally, a sheet of plastic canvas makes a dandy earring-organizer.)

Plastic canvas is also a natural for book and journal covers. You can make a snazzy cover for your drugstore spiral notebook in no time, or you can construct one for your day-planner.

And then there’s toy-making! Imagine constructing a finger-puppet theater. Or a rocket-ship. Or a train. Or a nice, fenced corral for toy horses. Plastic canvas is so kid-friendly — the stitching is done with big, blunt needles — so you can easily involve kids in the stitching and assembly.

Seriously! Go get some plastic canvas, and explore the possibilities. Nobody will laugh at you, I promise.