Today, creating art and craft has become an excellent way for children and adults to express their creativity and a welcome distraction from our everyday life’s worries and stress. Are you ready for a new hobby and you’re interested in craft? Or, you’ve been crafting for some time now, and you’re looking for a new activity to spice things up a little?
Starting crafting may be overwhelming and intimidating for many people. There are so many options, ideas and needed supplies. If you’re feeling this way, know that crafting can be as easy as choosing a suitable activity and buying your art and craft supplies online. But first, why choose crafting as a hobby? Here are some of the main benefits.
Benefits of Crafting
Starting a craft activity can be a life-changing experience. It can be an excellent exercise for your brain, adding mindfulness to your daily routine. Learning a new crafting skill can:
- It’s a great way to become a part of a new, like-minded community. You can take online classes, go to a live workshop or consider learning alone at home. No matter the way, knowing that there’s a group of people in the world that does the same thing as you can provide you with a feeling of belonging. As social beings, we have this need to belong somewhere.
- It makes you happy and relaxed. When you concentrate on a task and its completion, it can satisfy you. Feeling satisfied with what you’re doing in a world of multitasking and deadlines can increase your personal growth.
- Brings you many mental health benefits. Engaging in an activity with repetitive patterns and movements can have the effect of meditation. It helps us clear our minds, pushing the worries and anxiety away. Being productive has helped many people cope with depression.
- Make you more mindful and boost your creativity levels. When you create in silence, we’re making space for the purposeful and engaging creativity to show up in clever ways. We also exercise being more patient, which can help us in our personal and professional lives.
- Chances for a new income. As your crafts are getting better and you’re feeling more confident in what you’re doing, many people will get interested in what you’re doing. You can turn your craft into a business opportunity and make an additional source of income for yourself.
How to Find a New Hobby
Choose an Activity
You may ask yourself: what craft hobby should I start? There are extensive lists of craft activities online. You can search through them to choose a craft hobby, or you can search for an arts and crafts project for a quick make. Trying out single projects can see if you like a particular activity or don’t and how good you are at it. You can also see how engaging in this activity’s process makes you feel.
Before you pick up an activity, you can ask yourself:
- What are you good at?
- What is the best way for you to relax? Do you enjoy snuggling in a blanket with a cup of cocoa, or do you enjoy taking a bath for some me-time?
- What kind of TV shows do you enjoy watching? Fashion shows, home décor projects or sitcoms?
Next, after you’ve determined your talents and interests, it’s time to examine them in the light of the activities. Look through some of the most popular craft hobbies to see what seems the most appealing to you. Some of the people’s favorites are:
- Papercraft and card making
- Calligraphy, or hand lettering
- Painting (with acrylic paint or watercolours)
- Drawing
- Knitting and crocheting
- Quilting
- Embroidery
- Sewing and dressmaking
- Cross stitching, punch needle and rag rugging
- Baking
- Scrapbooking
- Stencilling or shibori dying
- Macramé etc.
You don’t need to settle on a single activity if you like more than one. You can combine multiple activities as you work on one project or take several hands-on projects. Just decide on the time you have to spend on each one, as finishing a project is what brings the sense of completion and satisfaction.
Manage Your Supplies
Having the right supplies is vital for success when crafting—every project you can find online states in advance what you’ll need to complete it. You might already have some of the supplies for some activities at home. But for others, you must buy them from an arts and crafts store.
Many art supply stores offer a wide variety of art supplies. They’re usually organised by activity to manage them more easily. You don’t need much to start. You can start with an essential art supplies starter kit and upgrade it from time to time.
Buying your art and craft supplies online can make preparation less overwhelming for you. Taking time to browse different products will make it easier to see what you need. And many online supply stores offer you extra info on activities and projects and reviews of the different supplies they offer. Having your supplies delivered to your home address will save you some time you’ll need for other preparations, like organising your workspace.
Choose Your Learning Path
For many people, learning any new skill can be challenging. But as it is for other things in life, we have to start somewhere. With most craft activities, it would be best to start small and then take your time to master the basics. This way, you’ll avoid getting frustrated from all the problems caused by getting involved too deep at the start and enjoy the calming benefits of crafting.
Everyone’s different, which means there’s no one best way to learn a new craft hobby. What would be best for your friend may not be suitable for you, so you must find your learning path and pace. Some people decide to learn from books and online tutorials, while other find that attending group classes suit them better. If you choose the second option, look for local craft classes available. Check with your local schools and community centres, or check with craft stores to find out more.
To Summarise
Don’t let getting overwhelmed stop you from starting a new craft hobby. Simple steps like choosing the suitable activity and supplies are essential to start simple and work your way up. Only that way you can benefit from your craft hobby and level up your creativity and mindfulness.