Use your imagination! New Craft Activities to Try

Taking up a new craft pastime feels completely rejuvenating; it's a way to challenge your intellect, calm your spirit, and make a unique item that reflects the moment from your own point of view. It's also a constructive, tech-free way to enjoy downtime and re-establish a more physical connection with your point of view. After all, you could make your own soap instead of just posting on Instagram about how much you love a new one. There is always space for a fresh approach to practical artistic expression in a person's life, regardless of whether they have been committed to a particular skill since they were young or are a regular experimenter with new folk arts. Start a new creative project that piques your interest and could, who knows, turn into a lifelong love, like natural dyeing a fresh set of kitchen towels or arranging dried flowers for your upcoming dinner party.

Arranging Dried Flowers
Are you looking to make a natural decoration that will last longer than wilting fresh flowers or preserve a floral arrangement from a memorable day? You might enjoy arranging dried flowers as a craft next to your garden! Even though dried pampas grass **has been popular on the internet lately as the preferred decorative dried botanical, there are countless other grasses and flowers that can be tailored to your own taste, such as sunflowers and lavender. You can save money by trying your hand at dried flower arrangements instead of buying new ones, but perhaps best of all, you don't need to be a green thumb.

Paper with Marbling
Consider making your own marbled paper and perhaps wrapping gifts in it if you want to wow your family this holiday season with a handcrafted touch. Once you get the hang of it, the swirling, cloud-like colors and designs of uniquely you marbled paper will have you excited to make marble paper notebooks, lamp shades, and maybe even bookbinding covers! The list of materials for making marbled paper may sound a little scientific.

Embroidery
There is little doubt that the stitching style that is being adopted by a new generation of needlework aficionados is far different from its reputation as stale and musty. With a completely new flavor while remaining loyal to its cozy origins, embroidery's comeback to the spotlight features everything from personalized crewelwork loungewear to cheeky cross stitch hoops ideal for wink-and-a-nod decorating and gift giving.

Natural Dyeing
Although it's hard to deny that shibori and tie-dye have regained popularity among Gen Z and Online Ceramics enthusiasts, natural dyeing is a technique to make unique apparel that adopts a more muted, grounded style. You can learn how to make natural dyes from food leftovers and foraged materials with a variety of easily accessible and engaging wildcrafting books. In addition to abundance of Instagram inspiration, there are several easily readable and engrossing wildcrafting books that will teach you how to make natural dyes from food leftovers and foraged materials.

Making Soap
Making soap is not a novel technique, but while "self-care" frequently entails purchasing an ever-increasing amount of grooming items for a 25-step skincare routine, this easy, environmentally friendly bath craft is frequently overlooked. Once you understand the fundamentals of soap making—cold-process, hot-process, and hand milling are terminology you'll need to understand—you may create soaps with almost any combination of fragrances.

Crochet
As a new craft, crocheting is calling, so prepare to stock up on a rainbow's worth of yarn hues. Crochet is a stress-relieving, meditative craft that uses yarn and a hook to make loops that form into warm hats, cozy blankets, and cuddly stuffed animals. It is different from knitting in that it is always done by hand, uses a crochet hook rather than knitting needles, and produces a wide range of stitches.

Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a sort of concrete or clay that is speckled with pieces of vibrantly colored porcelain or natural stone. It is an old-fashioned Italian flooring design that has recently witnessed a Memphis-style renaissance everywhere from coffee mugs to backsplashes. Terrazzo coasters or planters are a great way to get started with terrazzo flooring, even though no one is expecting you to go all HGTV and do it yourself.