It has been a difficult year as most of us have been living under the threat of COVID-19 and have had to quarantine in our homes. However, spending time at home can be a good thing as you can use the time to learn a new skill or improve upon ones you already have. If you enjoy making things, here are some ideas on how to get creative and crafty during COVID.
Super Sewing
One of the most popular crafts is sewing. Sewing is relatively easy to learn and you can achieve wonderful things in a short space of time. Beginners can make simple things such as placemats, pencil cases and simple toys by hand sewing pieces of cotton fabric or felt together. You can even try to learn different types of hand sewing stitches for decoration and effect. If you are more confident or would like to progress your hobby, consider investing in a sewing machine. Look for portable sewing machines at a local hobby shop or online as they are useful if you want to move them from room to room and do not have a room dedicated solely to sewing.
Once you are confident at using a sewing machine (find lessons and tutorials in books or online) you can start making clothes for you and all of the family, make soft furnishings and projects such as fabric home decor pieces.
Fabulous Felting
Wool is a very versatile medium to work with. One of the easiest forms of wool craft is needle felting. You can manipulate roving wool into firm shapes by stabbing it with special needles that compact the wool. The easiest way to start is to get a piece of fluffy wool and stab it into a ball with your needle. When you have mastered this technique it is quite easy to join pieces together by stabbing and making different shapes. For large three-dimensional structures, you can construct an armature from wire or pipe cleaners and attach the wool to it. Many felters enjoy making life like animal structures and effigies of their pets.
Passionate About Papercraft
Making things out of paper is a great hobby for all ages and is inexpensive and easy to do. There is a wonderful variety of coloured papers and cards to buy. You can purchase metallic, rainbow, iridescent and recycled paper to make anything you heart desires. A popular thing to make is a greeting card such as for a birthday or Christmas.
Various machines and gadgets are available to do different things with paper. You can get manual or automatic die-cutting machines that will cut out intricate shapes using metal dies and squashing them between two layers of plastic board. These shapes can be used to embellish cards or to make decorations. To cut out a broader range of shapes, you may want to consider purchasing a Brother Scan N Cut machine that will cut various shapes from computer files. It can also cut shapes from fabric, foam and thin wood.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
Speak Your Mind