Craft Away the Weekend!

April 23, 2020

These strange times may have you doing things you never did (or even thought you would do). Washing your hands 20 times a day. Piling up your grocery cart with a week’s worth of groceries. Binge-watching every Netflix show you never had time for. 

Now that entertainment has been relegated to your home, why not try another novel activity: making crafts! Even if you’re the non-crafty type, you may find rolling up your sleeves and making something artsy is a great weekend diversion.

Which Craft to Choose?

If crafts never appealed to you because you cringe at the thought of displaying the results, maybe you’re just thinking about the wrong craft. The Spruce Crafts details 10 types worthy of consideration, including the sophisticated crafts of pottery and woodworking, as well as simpler pursuits like paper-crafting or embroidery.

A great beginner craft is beadwork, since it requires so few materials: beads, thread, and beading needles, which you can easily purchase online. Beautiful Native American-style daisy chains are simple to make, and the results are something you’d be proud to wear or give as a gift!

One of the most satisfying crafts is soap-making, since the result is so good for you and smells so wonderful! Making it from scratch is a rather time-consuming chemical process, but Practical Self-Reliance describes how you can buy melt-and-pour soap base, then add your own personal touches like oatmeal, essential oil, and even flower petals. Just pour into a silicone soap mold and you’ll have natural fragrant soaps you’ll be delighted to use or give away. Perfect for Mother’s Day gifts!

Etsy-Worthy Crafts

If the idea of making some cash from your crafting efforts appeals to you, think about items you’d be excited to purchase if you saw them in a store. Experienced Etsy sellers share their opinions about what really sells online! 

Simple and rustic DIY Rope Bowls look exactly like something you’d purchase at a crafts fair! And all you need is some jute rope and a hot glue gun to make them! You choose the type, size and color of rope (you can even come up with patterns alternating colors or types), and within a few hours, you’ll have a great product!

Who couldn’t use another great frame to display a cute picture? This simple-to-make pallet plaque mimics the look of a dissembled pallet, but in miniature! A bulldog clip holds your photo, and you choose the color you’d like the plaque to be! 

Polaroid Coasters

At the top of the list of the “crafts you will be proud to display” are Ceramic Photo Coasters, a collection of your favorite photos made to look like Polaroids. It doesn’t get any simpler (or cheaper) than this! You just need some plain white 4×4 tiles, your own 3.5 x 5 color photographs, and a bottle of Mod Podge! Stick some felt pads on the bottoms, and your drinks will have somewhere fashionable to rest!

Crafts for Kids and the Family

Everyone is talking about the great silver lining of these stay-at-home orders: the opportunity to spend more time with the kids. Nothing beats family time like making something together. VRBO has some great suggestions for things to do when you’re stuck at home, including coming up with a Craft Challenge by using products you have at home right now!

If you’re still not convinced crafting is for you, take some advice from another non-crafty mom, who breaks down the process step-by-step. Among her words of wisdom: gather ALL your supplies before you start, cover the kitchen table with an old sheet, use disposable plates and cups for easy clean-up, and have a hot glue gun on hand to help the final product come together!

Even the youngest crafters can help make these adorable fingerprint flower pots—a perfect gift for Grandma! Using their own fingers dipped in paint, they’ll create colorful flower petals and leaves on basic terra cotta pots. 

Online Craft Classes

During this stay-at-home hiatus, Denver’s own Craftsman and Apprentice store is shut down, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still bringing their expert classes to you! 

Check out their FREE weekly how-to video classes for kids, with experienced crafters walking you through 20 to 30-minute workshops designed for kids in grades K-5. From Make-Do crafts that use supplies you can find at home, kids will learn how to make rag dolls and paper bag baskets!

Or in the Make-Play workshop, kids will craft a puppet show they can play with or a board game the entire family can enjoy! They are also offering FREE online workshops for teens and adults! This week’s project: make a beautiful Felt Wreath for Spring!

Get Crafty at Southshore!

Spend some hands-on time with the family at Southshore! This family-friendly master-planned community has a great location and amenities you will appreciate once things get back to normal. Check out model homes from Toll Brothers, Taylor Morrison, and Richmond American Homes, and picture yourself in your very own dream house! With ranch and two-story models available, new homes are priced from the upper $400s to the $700s.