2022 is the year from new hobbies and you heard it here first. You’re back at work, the days are cold and dark and you’re fumbling around wondering what to do with your weekends and evenings. January is the perfect time to pick up a new hobby! Crafting is proven to be beneficial for your mental health and will be sure to give you that little pick-me-up you’re needing. If you’re racking your brains to come up with something that suits you and that lights up your senses, we’ve made it a bit easier for you by compiling our favourite crafty hobbies together.
Whether you’ve never crafted before or you’re a bit of a novice we should have covered all grounds so you can find a creative hobby that suits you best.
We love to see your creations so make sure you tag us on Instagram or Facebook if you’ve made something! After all, sharing your creations helps inspire others. Let's get these creative juices flowing people….
Needle punching
This is one of our faves. It’s super easy to do and comes with a very addictive warning! This form of embroidery is related to rug hooking and goes back thousands of years. Instead of stitching through the fabric, your punch needle pushes thread or yarn into the fabric, while keeping the needle on the surface. The result is a lovely, fluffy and highly textured design. Once you get going you can’t stop and the design can be done super quickly. If this one sounds like it’ll tickle your fancy, visit our store to see an array of punch needling kits from Hooked By Design!
Resin Art
You’ll need a few more supplies for this so make sure you’re committed before starting! If you fancy creating your own coasters, trinkets, designs for your wall and more then resin is a great place to start. You can choose your own design, get creative with colours, glitter, dried flowers and make fun keepsakes for your friends and family. This article will talk you through the basics and what you’ll need to start, it’s super easy and addictive, just pick your most preferred mold and go wild!
Knitting
I think we all saw this one coming! One of the most popular crafts around, whether you’re a beginner or a novice knitting it is always here for you. Perfect to do in front of the TV in the evening and ideal for unwinding. Check out our range of knitting kits or our guide on starting knitting. If you’ve never knitted before we recommend starting with something like a scarf to get you used to the simple knit stitch. We also sell yarn so have a browse or pop in-store to see what colours and yarns you fancy starting with. Knitting is great for relaxing and focusing on something else other than your busy daily tasks. It’s an amazing form of self-care, basically like meditation and predictably it gets a 10/10 from us, obviously!
Crochet
A huge 2021 trend, crocheting is still on the rise and is a very exciting hobby to start you off in the world of crafting. We’ve compiled some videos together, check them out if you need extra help with starting! Otherwise, why not join one of our how to crochet workshop? If you can’t attend that we also have some Stitch Crochet Kits to help kick start your crochet journey. There are so many cool things you can make, from hats, gloves, bags and even wash cloths, let yourself get carried away! Here’s a little video to help you get inspired
Macrame
We’re a little obsessed with macrame at Stitch. It looks so amazing in your house and if you love the boho interior look then this one is for you. You can make amazing plant holders, cute wall hangings, little decorations and even keyrings. It works by making knots using macrame cords. Have a read of this article if you fancy getting started. If you need some inspo take a look at Ionwen’s work - a member of the Stitch time and an avid Macrame artist!
Painting
This may seem like an obvious one but painting is the world's most renowned form of self care. Once you have a nice space to start your painting and the right tools you can let you mind loose and paint whatever you fancy. Don’t worry if you’ve never painted before or you think you’re awful at it, there’s no such thing as being bad at painting!
Bev has been working on her latest creation for the Ginger and Pickles flat in Carbis Bay! She wanted to channel the sandy beaches and dunes in Cornwall, to do so Bev used a mixture of stencils, spray paint and acrylic paint. Get creative and use a range of mixed media like watercolours, different textures using scrunched up paper, acrylic paints, biros, pencils and whatever you’ve got handy around the house. If you’re happy with your latest painting you can pop it up on your wall and be proud of it for years to come, what’s not to love?
Photography
Fancy making the most out of the beautiful things you see from day to day? Even if you’ve not got a camera, your phone will do! Capture the pretty things you see and save them to an album. It may seem like an obvious thing to do but it really does make you appreciate and romanticise the mundane things you see in everyday life.
If you fancy branching out a little, we suggest popping to your local charity shops to find a point and shoot film camera, they’re usually pretty cheap! Order some film for it and get snapping. You can develop your pictures using this website, simply send off your roll of film and you’ll get your pictures back in a matter of days. It's the old fashioned way but it means you can keep your pictures forever. You might even have an old digital or film camera knocking about in your house so why not go for a walk and take it with you. What are you waiting for!?
We hope we've helped to inspire you with some fresh creative ideas! Don’t forget to tag us in anything you’ve made, we love seeing your creations. If you’re searching for more inspo pop into our Tarporley Store and have a browse at our kits and tools to help you get started. If you’re not local, have a look online at our kits and get yourself started from the comfort of your own home. Crafting is an amazing form of therapy and is great for your mental health. January can be tough on your brain so it’s important to look after yourself and take some time to do the things that you love most!
Happy crafting!
Love, the Stitch team x
