New crafts to get into .

Beautiful GrandMattie

I make stables and other backgrounds for bought figures for Nativity scenes, using only either natural materials culled from my garden or recycled ones.

I have just taken up making Junk Journals, and am still on my first but loving every minute! They are paper, glue, odd bits of fabric and trim put together into a book of decorated pages with little messages and with a little space for writing. I can't wait to get up in the morning and get going! Over the years I have hung on to remnants, buttons and bows and now I am using them. I have learnt so many new techniques from coffee dyeing paper to making cute little envelopes, and sewing book pages together and so much more. There are lots of great ideas on YouTube. One of the ladies, after showing a new technique, says we should go and create with reckless abandon - it doesn't have to be perfect! So I do!

Justmeonmyown

I have been making hand made cards for years and have just discovered journalling, I am loving it and can also use my card making stuff in creating journals.
Both are really lovely hobbies.

I was going to suggest art journaling too. You just need a notebook of some kind and any art materials you have. I started at the beginning of this year. I did a workshop to help me get going, but there’s lots of online resources. For me, it was a great way to start developing drawing and painting skills but there’s also bits of collage etc in there. Because it’s small scale, it doesn’t take long to do. I keep my stuff in a shoebox and can work anywhere, including on the sofa in front of the TV if I am just drawing or using coloured pencils. And I don’t need to find homes for anything - they are just pages in my book.

Whiff

My sister in law's needle felting

Your SiL is very talented.
I tried felting a fox with a kit I bought.

Looked more like a tree branch when I'd finished !

I'm currently making felt figures for a nativity set for my grandchildren. I'm aiming for 24 items which will be packed into an empty advent calendar box which had toiletries in it. I got the box off freegle and it even smells nice from what was in it originally! I've put velcro strips on the backs of each figure and will make a background with a stable and the corresponding velcro backs to stick them on. There is a pattern available on Etsy - I bought the original garland pattern ages ago and finally making it. There is now a pattern for a 24 piece advent set but I've designed my own extra pieces trying to use a similar style. You can also buy a kit with patterns and materials. Felt is quite easy to work with and I find it fairly relaxing. The patterns are designed to have ribbon hanging loops so you could hang them up on a string but I decided velcro would serve my purpose better.

Can you sew/have a sewing machine? If so what about making simple dresses for girls overseas? There are free patterns online like the peasant dress (which are so simple to make) and you can get at least four dresses from a cheap duvet cover

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Someone mentioned quilling which you should be able to do even if you’re left handed. It’s simply rolling strips of coloured paper.
Here are a couple of things I’ve done recently.

Try Lino printing or geli printing ?

I've just bought a needle felting kit - something completely new to me. A lovely autumn gonk from The Crafty Kit Company

What about making beaded jewellery?
Lots of ideas on YouTube and doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby.
I have sold a few pieces and chive a lot to my favourite charity to sell in their shop.

Give not chive.
Don’t you just love autocorrect 😳

Rag rugging. You can use old clothes, scarves .

I wish rag rugging had a different name. The image it evokes is of ragged bits of faded old garments, put together randomly with no thought of colour or design.

I love Zentangle - it is so relaxing.

What a talented bunch you are so many beautiful pictures of what you make . Hopefully they will inspire people to try a craft . It can be trail and error to find one you enjoy. And it doesn't cost much to try. Aldi sell craft kits which don't cost much if you fancy trying some thing. I found Home Bargains have the cheapest canvass and there tubes of acrylic paint are only 99p basic colours but you can mix them. Most importantly they wash of skin and clothes easily. Charity shops are good places to find craft items but they sell fast.

Libraries ,churches have craft groups and local colleges offer course which don't cost much ,wool and craft shops do to but can pricey .

If you fancy giving a craft a try lot of craft magazines give away a free gift with them to get you started.

Have you tried diamond art? I bought a kit a few years ago but couldn't do it as it was too fiddly for my arthritic hands so dh had a go & was hooked! He's done loads & more recently has had photos printed onto the canvas.

Beejay3
I'm also Left handed. I have taken up Tunisian Crochet. It's like knitting with 1 needle. Plenty of YouTube videos to help. I use the bamboo needles. Amazon have them.

You're all so clever, some lovely things being made.Elegran your rug is going to be fabulous, wish I had made it !! All those little memories that are going into it too, fantastic !

My DH gave me a Cricut for Christmas. I love crafts but am not artistic so this gives me hours of crafting fun making all sorts of card and fabric projects. I have friends who like to come round to create cards etc with my cricut, too.

I also recommend jewellery making .
I used to make nice presents for friends when I made jewellery .

I also make rag rugs. My mother used to do it and I learned from her. I still have her rugging tool. I’ve always used hessian as a backing but using the sort of backing that Elegran uses is a better idea. This one is a bedside rug I made. It includes a lot of tee shirt material. I tend to keep them small these days as they take a toll on my hands.

Greyduster

I also make rag rugs. My mother used to do it and I learned from her. I still have her rugging tool. I’ve always used hessian as a backing but using the sort of backing that Elegran uses is a better idea. This one is a bedside rug I made. It includes a lot of tee shirt material. I tend to keep them small these days as they take a toll on my hands.

Hessian needs the pointed pliers-like tool to pierce the sacking and grasp the fabric, but openweave rug canvas uses the round-ended latch hook that knotted wool rugs uses. The round-ended one is easier to use, and much easier to find. As far as I can see the only pointed ones around are inherited from parents/grandparents or for sale online secondhand. I have both types, from parents and inlaws.

Wow! You are all so talented. I have just got back into my watercolour painting and love it. Also this might not be looked up as a craft but I have started putting together poems. Knitting and crochet are my go to crafts and they all help with my mental health which can be a bit flaky at times - to say the least.

Another idea -
I'm making some Christmas decorations for church and also to hang in the garden .
I've begun now, because I want to work slowly and enjoy it .
I collected lots of pine cones and I paint each with old nail polish .
If I run out I'll either buy some really cheap polish from the Pound Shop or just crush up some old eyeshadow and mix it in some clear polish ,which is fun to do anyway.
When dry , I'll attach wires ready to suspend them from branches .