These craft ideas are not only only a great way to keep yourself occupied on a quiet night in, but could bring so much more to your home life. Be it knitting something to wear, upcycling a piece of furniture to decorate your home on a budget, or learning to make soap that you can give to friends – crafting is perfect for personalising a space or gift.
And even if you are a well accomplished baker, knitter, crocheter or gardener, we have loads of extra ideas to add to your crafter-maker arsenal. Staying in and crafting is the new going out after all.
Check out our favourite craft ideas below and while away the hours indoors or even out in the garden. These easy crafts will let you up your crafting game, take your resourcefulness to the next level and hopefully, each will leave you feeling positive and productive too.
If you are after more craft tips and inspiration, make sure you check out our hub page.
1. Use washi tape to transform furniture
This HAS to be the easiest craft project to try EVER. Use these washi tape ideas for tons of ideas an easy instructions – but it's all just about working out your design, picking your colour scheme and transforming plain furniture and even walls with tape you can easily remove if you don't like/bore of the result.
2. Learn how to cross stitch
Yep cross stitch is cool now. And you can get some really lovely kits from places like Etsy and Not on the High Street. It's relativity easy to learn too and really relaxing once you get into. We love this little spring pattern, it would look so cute wall-mounted once you have finished.
3. Start your own sourdough culture
Not sure this would technically count as a craft but we've seen loads of people getting into bread making over the last few months. How wholesome. So if you want to jump on the bandwagon might we suggest starting a sourdough culture. It's really easy.
Find a clean empty jar and pour in 75g of flour, it can be plain flour, wholewheat flour, rye, whatever you fancy. Then pour in 75ml of warm water. Stir it and leave in a warm place. Each day add 75g of flour and 75ml of water. After a few days you will start to see bubbles. You can use it as soon as this happens but the flavour won't be as strong. After a week is good, you can move it to the fridge now too until you want to add it to your baking.
Try these bakes, too:
4. Try bead work to totally relax
If you have never tried beading before, let us tell you, it is the most relaxing craft. You can make some really lovely jewellery too that you might actually want to wear. Again Etsy have loads of kits to get you started. You can buy beads on Amazon too once you feel confident enough to start making your own creations.
5. Crochet or knit some cute clothes
Imagine when we are out of all this and you can swan outside wearing a cute crochet jumper and everyone is like 'Oooooh where did you get that?' 'I made it my friends, I made it.' Wool and the Gang have loads of great kits that result in very stylish, not at all grannyish clothes.
6. Or knit a stylish chunky blanket
Chunky knit blankets are still a massive trend and you can really easily knit your own. Ever heard of arm knitting? It's really quick to learn and you don't need any needles, just some chunky wool and well... your arm. You can have a blanket finished in just three hours too – check out our guide to how to knit a chunky blanket to get started.
7. Jump on the macrame trend
Macrame has been taking Instagram by storm over the last year or so. You can't scroll through without seeing some cool retro living room complete with macrame wall hanging and plant pot holder. It's a really easy craft to master too, far easier than knitting, just head to our guide to how to macrame to get started.
8. Try painting by numbers
Yes, painting by numbers can be an adult activity too! There are loads of lovely books available that are filled with prints that would be great to frame after you have finished. Painting is such a relaxed way to spend your time and take your mind off everything that is going on in the world. We love this kit from Etsy, easy to do and very chic.
9. Upcycle old furniture by painting it
Learning how to paint furniture is easy – but you can use your guide for expert tips if you're a beginner. Preparation is key to ensure the paintwork stays in good nick, as is using the right type of paint – find the best furniture paints in our guide. The beauty of this type of craft is that you can really let your imagination run wild – choose a muted, plain finish if that's your thing, or try free-hand or stencilled decorations to give each piece a unique look. Be inspired by these projects:
- How to paint wooden furniture: upcycle a sideboard or shelving in a day
- How to upcycle furniture for a vintage look
- How to stencil: upcycle furniture for a Mid-century look
- How to use furniture paint to pimp a rolltop bath
10. Make a terrarium
Such an easy, calming, rewarding craft idea – perfect for this time of year but one you can try at any time. Find out how to make a terrarium in our dedicated guide, but know that you need very few basic bits of kit to create a simple, pretty display that can sit on a dining or kitchen table, the hall table, in a bedroom or bathroom. Love it!
11. Learn how to tie dye
This craft idea has really taken over the internet, it would seem everyone is desperate to return to their hippy roots and tie dye everything in sight. Of course we are fully on board, anything that kills an hour or two and upcycles all your white t-shirts sounds good to us. Just head to our guide to how to tie dye to get started.
12. Get creative with leftover paint
If you want to give your rooms a quick update but struggling to get your hands on paint, go and have a look in the shed or the loft or wherever you keep your half used cans of paint and see what you can put to use. Over on their Instagram, Dulux have loads of fab easy to follow videos, including how to mix your leftover paint to create colours you love.
We have loads of paint ideas over on our paint hub page too so be sure to check that out.
13. Plant up a herb garden
Does gardening count as a craft? We are saying sure, especially if you are planting herbs in a mason jar. All you need to create a blooming herb garden that's small enough to keep in your kitchen or on a windowsill is some old jars, top soil and either herb seeds or starter plants. Head it our guide to how to plant a herb garden for more tips and advice.
14. Decorate your home (and garden) with homemade bunting
Good old bunting. It just lifts your mood doesn't it, gives your home and garden a sense of occasion, makes a space feel more lovely and homey instantly. And now you might have a bit more time on your hands why not learn how to make bunting yourself? It's really easy and you can make it with fabric scraps you can find around your home.
Just head to our guide to how to make bunting for all the steps.
15. Make some nice soap
Making washing your hands every two seconds more enjoyable by making your own soap at home. You will see exactly what goes into it so you know what you are putting on your skin, plus guaranteed whatever soap you make at home will smell amazing. You can buy soap making kits from Amazon and Etsy. The Little Soap Kitchen is a great place to check out too you can also get bath bomb making kits over on their site.
16. Brew your own beer
Is this a craft idea? Well they call it craft beer so.... we are going with yes. Beer Hawk make homebrew kits that come with everything you need to live out your hipster dreams. And if you fancy just drinking beer while you get on with your other crafts, check out their fab mixed cases and treat yourself to brews made by the pros.
Read more:
- Arm knitting: 10 simple steps to make a chunky knit blanket
- DIY projects: 8 easy ways to update your home
- 10 Mason jar DIY ideas