Renee Harris sees embroidery as a drawing tool in her small wall hangings. “Water Rising,” $850, incorporates silk fibers and hand-felted wool. Her work is available at Positive Images Art & Gallery in Austin, Texas, and the Gallery at Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Ore.

On a bright spring day, Marilynn Gelfman Karp found herself in a very familiar setting, a secondhand shop. A collector of many “unloved” items—shopping lists, Dixie ice cream lids, pencil sharpeners—as well as more traditional, and more lucrative, assemblages—American patchwork quilts, salt-glazed stoneware, Art Deco figures—she is always looking for her “Holy Grail.” That day, she thought she might find it in a box of picture postcards. Thumbing through the collection, she came across one depicting a man frozen in midair, hurtling from one dangerously high rock pile to another. From the looks of things, he had misjudged the distance.

Take advantage of the last warm days of summer at “Flora: Growing Inspirations,” at the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., through Oct. 12. The exhibition, co-organized with the Washington Sculptors Group, features contemporary plant-inspired sculpture on display in outdoor garden rooms.

Following a national competition, a jury selected pieces by 34 artists based on how well they symbolize the role of plants in culture.“The symbolism of plant images in art, such as the olive branch, has extended across the millennia,” says Holly Shimizu, executive director of the Botanic Garden.

Joh Ricci knots hand-dyed nylon to put a colorful twist on the traditional basket form. “Lily,” measuring 2×4 inches, is $765. Ricci is represented by Snyderman-Works Galleries in Philadelphia, Pa., and Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, N.M.

Found maps, postage stamps and antique currency are the makings of Virginia Rose Kane’s delicate paper collages. “Easter Orchid” is priced at $750; Kane’s work can be found at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center in Frederick, Md.

Philip Weber’s wood boxes are both functional and decorative, and are created using time-honored joinery techniques. Pieces like “Inspector,” $790, will be shown at the Washington Craft Show in Washington, D.C., and the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show.

Frederick G. Yost likes to use fruits as the subject of his still lifes because “they are inexpensive, sit still, and can be consumed afterwards.” His pastel “Lone Pear” is priced at $350. Yost is represented by Mariposa Gallery in Albuquerque, N.M., and Corrales Bosque Gallery in Corrales, N.M.

One of the hardest things about assembling a collection is knowing where to start. It often helps to choose a particular area of focus. “It’s about defining personal domains, choosing one’s own precincts of concentration,” says lifelong collector Marilynn Gelfman Karp.

Are you ready to become more involved with a museum or take a few classes to learn a medium firsthand? We’ve compiled a sampling of young collectors organizations and schools across the country to help you get started.

Young collectors groups usually tailor their programming to professionals between the ages of 21 and 49. The craft-centric schools listed below offer an array of classes and programs year round for every age group.

Books and Internet resources are great ways to educate yourself about a medium, but there’s nothing quite like interacting with others who share your passion. Below, we’ve compiled some of the best associations and organizations for every collector.