I’ve always found crafts to be such a soothing and mindful activity, and if you have a creative spirit, and love making things with your hands, it can be such a satisfying hobby. It’s a a great way to express creativity, explore new materials, and make something beautiful and useful for yourself, or someone you love! If you don’t know where to start, but have always wanted to dip your toes into the world of arts and crafts, these tips will get you started.
Know Your Options
There are so many options it can be hard to know where to start! But let’s start by understanding what’s available. We can divide arts and crafts into two categories — fine art and craft art. Fine art includes painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, performance art, installation art, video art, sound art—basically anything that involves traditional and contemporary artistic practices. Craft art includes activities such as pottery making, woodworking, jewelry making, quilting and textile work such as crochet and knitting), paper crafting like card making, doll-making or action figures, or diorama building—the list goes on. Generally speaking though if it involves using your hands to create something tangible then it qualifies as craft art.
Gather Supplies
Once you know what type of arts or crafts you want to do it’s time to gather supplies. The best way to find out what materials you need is by researching online or by asking a local expert at an arts and crafts store. Many supplies can be found at dollar stores or large discount retailers, but you might want to find specialists like The Sydney Canvas Company instead. This is because if you plan on doing more advanced projects eventually, you will want to invest in higher-quality materials. Once you know what you need, gather the basics. You can then add more to your list over time — particularly when you know you want to commit to the craft.
Practice Makes Perfect
Now comes the fun part — actually creating something. Start with simple projects that don’t require too many tools or materials so that you can focus on perfecting the basics before moving on to more complex projects. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by big projects right off the bat. Take one step at a time until you feel comfortable enough with your skillset to move on to bigger challenges. And don’t forget — practice makes perfect. The more time and effort you put into honing your skills the better your finished products will be. Before you know it, you’ll be improving your craft, as well as expressing your creativity.
Getting Your Creative Juices Flowing
Arts and crafts are great for people of all ages because they foster creativity while also providing an outlet for self-expression. Whether you choose fine art or craft art there are plenty of ways for beginners to jump in without feeling overwhelmed by complexity or cost. With some research and practice anyone can become an expert artist. So why not give it a try? Who knows — you may just discover a hidden talent along the way.
*This is a collaborative post