Crafts and do it yourself (DIY) projects are a great way to bring out your creative side, they also help keep you occupied and also calm you down and act as a mode of relaxation as well. 

These crafts use materials that are very easily available, and you can always add your personal touch to them. Also, a do it yourself project always yields unique items, which are one of a kind. Making these could also be a way in which you involve all your family members and spend some quality time with them as well.  These work as great home decor pieces as well, and can also add an element of color and design to your home.

These Are A Few Crafts Projects That You Could Try At Home:

1. Yarn wrapped painted jars

You will need:

• Glass jars (you can repurpose pickle and jam jars by removing their labels)
• Yarn or any type of string that is slightly thick
• White spray paint
• Working area lined with newspaper
• Candle or string lights

Wrap the yarn or string tightly around the jar. Cover the entire jar leaving some gaps for the paint to not cover. You can overlap the string to form a criss-cross pattern as well.

Once wrapped with string, spray paint the jars and let them dry

Once the jars are dry, remove the yarn to reveal the unpainted parts of the jar through which you can see the light placed in the jar

Place the candles or string lights inside the jar. The light will be visible through the non-painted areas 

2. Acrylic paint pour art

This is one that can be done very easily with the materials you have lying at home!

You will need:

• A canvas
• Acrylic paint 
• Pouring medium
• Plastic cups for different paint colours

Mix equal parts of acrylic paint and pouring medium in the colors you wish to use for your fluid art. If you do not have pouring medium, mix the paints with a little bit if water and glue and use this as your pouring medium. The consistency of the paint should be pourable and not thick, it should be able to flow easily as well.

Set your canvas on a tumbler or glass, in order to allow the excess paint to flow down and pour the paints across the canvas, one color after another.

Next, tilt the canvas on all 4 sides so that the colors flow in different directions, creating fluid designs

Let it dry for 4 hours and your unique piece of art is ready!

4. Lace lamp

You will need:

• Any kind of lace fabric
• A balloon
• Glue
• Water
• Big paintbrush
• A cup or holder

Mix equal parts of glue and water to make a thick mixture, let the mixture not be too runny as it will cause the lace to slip

Inflate the balloon and then cut the lace, enough to cover the surface of the entire balloon. You can also work with pieces of lace and glue them together

Place a piece of the lace on the inflated balloon which is mounted on a stand and slow start applying the glue-water mixture over it

Work in parts, waiting for the glue to dry as you continue to use it over the rest of the parts of the balloon

Once you have repeated this process over the entire balloon, let it dry for a few hours

Once completely dry, pop the balloon to reveal a beautiful hollow lace structure

Now attach this to a bulb and your lace lamp is ready!

5. Magazine tea coasters

This is a great way to use your old magazines and repurpose them to unique looking coasters

You will need:

-Sheets from a magazine

-Glue

Start by taking a sheet of the magazine paper and creating a zig zag fold for the entire sheet

Once this is done, you can either roll it to make a circle, shape it to the form of a square or rectangle or even make smaller circles and then join them together to make coasters of different sizes.

These are a great way to recycle magazines at home

6. Marbled Votives

You will need

-miniature glass jars

-nail polish

-Large bowl filled with water 

Nail polish dries really quickly in water and this is what helps you create abstract patterns on the jars. 

In the bowl of water, add a drop of one color of nail polish. As soon as it falls into the water it will spread out. Next, add another color and wait for the same to happen. Continue to do this till you see concentric circles of different colors. now, dip the votive glasses into the water and make sure all the sides are coated with the nail polish. Set aside to dry.

You can also play around with the designs by swirling the colors with a toothpick to get different effects. 

now, you can place tea light candles into these or use them as decor pieces as well 

7. Tie-dye 

You Will Need:

• powder fabric dye
• white cotton napkins
• ice
• rubber bands
• scrap cardboard
• baking pan
• roasting rack
• protective gloves

 

Step 1: 

From the centre of the napkin, crumple the fabric into a tight ball and secure it with rubber bands. 

Step 2:

Wear Protective gloves. Place a pan on a roasting rack. Put the crumpled napkins on the rack and place a piece of trimmed cardboard around each napkin. Then, add ice to the top of the napkin container. Then sprinkle powder fabric dye onto each ice-filled container. Cover the ice with lots of dye for a more colourful napkin. Let the ice melt completely.

Step 3:

Rinse the napkins with cold water and dry them. It is ready to be used for picnics and as fun tableware.

 

8. Pom-Pom Blanket

You +88 Need:

• Extra thick yarn (about 5 skeins for 10 pom-poms)
• 5-inch embroidery hoop
• Upholstery thread
• Sharp scissors

 

Step 1:

Wrap the yarn vertically around a 5-inch embroidery hoop about 15 times. Tie a knot of upholstery thread around the center of the yarn.

Step 2:

Then wrap it around another 25 times and tie a second knot of upholstery thread around it. Repeat another 25 times and tie a third knot of thread around the yarn.

Step 3:

Cut a piece of yarn, wrap it around the upholstery thread and tie a knot on one end so most of the yarn is free on one side. You need this to attach the pom-pom to the blanket.

Step 4:

Cut the yarn along the hoop, it will look like a rough ball. Trim to make it round.

Step 5:

Attach the pom-pom to the blanket by threading the long piece of yarn through an opening in the weave and tie it secure.

Macrame Plant Hanger

Materials Needed:

• 1/4″ white twisted polyester rope
• (3) colors of thinner (1/32″) polyester rope
• scissors
• screw hook
• carabiner

Step 1: 

Cut the rope into four sections of 25′ each.

Step 2:

Thread each section through the carabiner. Place the carabiner in the center of the ropes. Fold the ropes in half, creating 8 strands.

Step 3: 

Cut a 20″ piece of rope and tie it around all 8 strands and wrap until there is a few inches of the rope left, then tie it. Cut a 20’ piece of the other coloured rope and tie it around the 8 strands and wrap till there is a few inches of rope left. Tie off. You can repeat step this with other colors of rope, creating a stripe pattern.

Step 4:

Separate the 8 strands of rope into 4 groups of 2 and tie each group of 2 into an overhand knot. Be sure to keep the knots the same distance away from the carabiner hook. These knots will designate where the top of your planter is.

Step 5: 

Lay the knots down flat next to each other. Knot together the 2nd and 3rd piece of rope, the 4th and 5th pieces of rope and the 6th and 7th pieces of rope using an overhand knot. Then, knot together the 1st and 8th pieces of rope. This second set of knots will sit in the middle of your planter, so make sure the length between the first set of knots and the second set match your planter. Tip: If you’re using a 10″ tall pot, the space between each knot should be 5 inches.

Step 6:

Gather all 8 strands and tie a piece of colorful rope around them and wrap the colorful rope around the white strands, which creates a pattern.

Step 7:

Place your pot into the holder and adjust the knots around the pot. Cut the bottom of the rope under the patterned secction. Screw a hook into your ceiling, and showcase your new hanging planter near a window or outside on your porch.

Make Clay Trays

Materials Needed:

• Sculpey or Fimo clay in 3 different colors
• shallow glass bowl
• circular items to use as stencils (lids, small bowls,etc.)
• rolling pin
• Roll Out Clay

Step 1:

Condition the clay by rolling it around in your hands for a few minutes. Once soft, start rolling it flat with the rolling pin to a 1/8-inch thickness.

Step 2:

Create a polka-dot pattern in the clay with a pen or you can make different patterns as you like.  

Step 3:

Place a circlular object, over the clay and use it as a stencil. Cut around the stencil with a knife, and lightly smooth out the edges with your fingers.

Step 4:

Turn over a shallow bowl. Place the clay circle right side down over the bowl, and lightly press down until it takes the shape of the bowl. Bake according to the clay packaging instructions. You can use as trays or ashtrays. 

Block-Printed Napkins Print

Materials Needed

• Napkins
• Potatoes
• Acrylic paints

Step 1:

Take the potatoes and cut them into shapes and patterns. Make them into stamps

Step 2:

Dip the potatoes into acrylic paint and then press them on the napkins.

Step 3:

Let them dry and wash them before use. Use these as decorative Napkins for dinners.

If you loved this art and crafts article, you might also like our streams where we show you how to recycle the products and create something entirely new.