craft hobby ideas
Pexels

It’s Time to Consider a New Hobby

And here are seven beginner-level projects to get you started

The coronavirus has made homebodies of most of us. But once you clean your house, bake that loaf of Irish soda bread and (rightfully) indulge in your third remote happy hour this week, what’s left? It’s time to consider a new hobby or perhaps a return to an old one. My craft hobby of choice is cross-stitch—or as I like to call it, coping-stitch. Just before holing up in my condo, I gathered all the necessary materials to make a fairly large, ambitious cross-stitch of a bouquet of poppies. By the time I finish, I’ll have stitched approximately 35,000 individual little Xs onto canvas cloth. I try to do a little at a time, completing a few inches a day. At this rate, I imagine it will take me months, and I wonder what will take longer—flattening the curve or completing the poppies. No matter how long either takes, I’m looking forward to framing my completed project and hanging it on a wall, a sweet memento of a strange time.

Below I’ve outlined some of my favourite hobby and craft ideas, and the materials you’ll need to get started. We could all use some distraction right now, and there’s something deeply satisfying about engaging your hands and mind in a new endeavour. 

 

Cross-Stitch

This form of simple needlework requires very little skill, but the results can be impressive. You’re basically completing a picture, pixel by pixel. I find it engages my brain almost fully, but I will sometimes kick on a podcast at the same time. 

What You’ll Need

I love this book for its contemporary take on needlework motifs. 

Chapters IndigoEmbroidered Life by Sarah Barnes, $28, chapters.indigo.ca

Shop Now

Whether you’re working with a kit or working on a pattern from a book, you’ll need a hoop to keep your fabric taut for easy stitching.

DeserresEmbroidery hoops, $2.99-$6.99, deserres.ca

Shop Now

Aida cloth is the canvas for your embroidery masterpiece. It’s woven in a grid specifically for cross-stitch.

aida cloth
DeserresH.A. Kidd “Aida” cloth, $9, deserres.ca

Shop Now

Once you settle on a pattern, pick out the right thread colours to complete the project. Or do what I do (to the horror of pro-level cross-stitchers) and sub in whatever colours you like for absurdist results. The cross-stitch police won’t come after you, I promise. 

WalmartFyydes embroidery thread, $22, walmart.ca

Shop Now

Want to start stitching asap? Consider a kit, which has all the thread and detailed instructions you’ll need. 

WalmartNeedlepoint kit, $47, amazon.ca

Shop Now

 

Knitting

Having tried and failed to learn knitting a couple of times, I can attest that the entry level isn’t as low as cross-stitch, but the results are arguably more useful: You can create something wearable and comforting both in the literal and figurative sense.

What You’ll Need

We Are Knitters sells knitting kits for every skill level. This beginner’s kit for a blanket comes with all the materials you’ll need, plus detailed instructions. Its site is also full of video tutorials. 

we are knitters kit
We Are KnittersWe Are Knitters blanket kit, $145, weareknitters.ca
Shop Now

 

Clay Sculpture

Ceramics studios are closed right now, so aspiring vase-makers have nowhere to fire their clay. Instead, you can play around with clay that requires only air to harden. 

What You’ll Need

Once solid, this clay can be painted any colour.

Deserres Vallauris clay, from $6.99-$21.99, deserres.ca
Shop Now

 

Calligraphy

A favourite piece of Meghan Markle trivia is that she’s apparently a very skilled calligrapher. Practise those loops and swirls for all the post-quarantine reunion invites you’re going to be sending. 

What You’ll Need

Chapters IndigoCalligraphy Made Easy journal, $16, chapters.indigo.ca
Shop Now
Pigma three-pack calligraphy pen set, $12, deserres.ca
Shop Now

 

Colouring Books

Remember the Great Adult Colouring Book Craze of 2016? I imagine lots of us will return to this simple hobby, since it offers maximum distraction but requires zero skill. 

What You’ll Need

adult colouring book
Chapters IndigoThe Mindfulness Colouring Book, $15, chapters.indigo.ca
Shop Now
Deserres Prismacolor colouring kit, $30, deserres.ca
Shop Now

 

Puzzles

Again, no skill. Again, maximum engagement. I love this oversized terrazzo-style print, which, once finished, can be glued to a backing and hung on your wall as a little quarantine keepsake. 

SprucePuzzle, $40, sprucetoronto.com
Shop Now

 

Illustration

Ready to graduate from colouring books? Consider picking up fashion illustration. You don’t need innate artistic talent here—just trace a ready-made croquis (basically a naked fashion model template) and draw an outfit overtop. This shortcut is actually how many professional illustrators create their drawings. Draw the season’s top runway looks or perhaps something beloved from your closet. 

What You’ll Need

When I took a fashion illustration course, I bought dozens of Prismacolour markers in whatever shade appealed to me. I took them out 10 years later, and they’re as fresh as they were on the first day of class. Prisma’s markers have a watercolour-like pigment that starts translucent but can be built up to opaque or layered with other colours. They’re pro-level artist tools that are so fun to use. 

Michaels Prismacolor marker set, $109, michaels.com
Shop Now

 

    More Isolation Inspiration