January is the month of new and exciting activities with the New Year. It can mean breathing life into hobbies we had forgotten about in the hustle and bustle of the holidays (or ones we haven’t touched for years). January can also be a time when we try an activity for the first time. Either way, crafting is for beginners and seasoned creatives alike.
According to Psychology Today, hobbies actually create more time in your schedule because you’ll work to be more efficient at what’s on your plate so that you have time for hobbies. More hours in the day? Sign me up! If more hours in the day isn’t appealing to you, what about reducing stress, learning new skills, and exercising your creativity? Crafty hobbies are particularly good for these things and they result in decorations for your home or gifts for loved ones.
Here are ways to introduce crafting into your life for January’s National Hobby Month:
Anything you’ve ever dreamed of can likely be found on Pinterest. Care to make your bed into a beautiful canopy haven? No problem. Dying to transform the space under your stairs into a cozy reading nook? You got it. They have step by step directions for everyone from beginners to pros. Just try to keep your expectations low for your first few crafts. I’ve had plenty of Pinterest fails, which means my decoupaged mason jars looked like they were made by preschoolers.
Part of having a hobby can be the time spent with others who also enjoy the same hobby. Have a ladies night, dudes night, friends night, whatever. Just invite your buds over! It’s even more fun to choose one project, buy all the supplies, have everyone pitch in some money, and try your hands at the craft together. One time I threw a “thank you” card party where we all made thank-you cards for people we love. It was a ton of fun, though I was vacuuming glitter out of my rug for weeks.
If you’re getting depressed with the outcome of your Pinterest projects, peek around for a crafting class. Your local craft store may offer fun classes like a candle making class or seasonally themed projects. Here you’ll not only learn from the experts, but you’ll also be able to meet new people and build a community! Sometimes community colleges, city programs, or education centers also offer fun and creative classes. Do some digging online!
One of the most fun ways to be creative is to have the goal of gifting your creation to a loved one. Have you ever received a handmade gift that was clearly crafted with love? The effort makes a huge difference! I love to combine think about both practicality and aesthetic when I’m crafting a gift. Last holiday season, I bought a dozen mason jars and cut slots in the top. I decorated them and made personalized piggy banks for everyone I loved. They were adorable and handy because we all have loose change.
Aim to make something fun for your home. You can do something simple like hang washi tape posters or be totally daring and sew a quilt for your bed. No matter what you choose, you get to enjoy the process of crafting and the end product. One of the good things about crafting as a hobby is that you can do it with friends or you can do it alone. Crafting alone for your home gives you the space to try something new without feeling embarrassed or too perfectionistic.
At the end of the day, like most activities in life, you need to just begin. Go buy some beads and string, paper and markers, or a bunch of buttons from a craft store and create something fun. It’s okay if it doesn’t come out as you planned, that’s part of the fun! Cash in on the New Year’s resolution energy and pour some energy into crafting as a hobby.
Ginelle Testa is a wordsmith by trade and hobby. She develops content for a restaurant tech start-up, writes for her own blog, and freelances. As a sober queer feminist and body positive activist, she is a lover of social justice, spirituality, and personal growth. Ginelle also plays street hockey, adores thrift shopping, and is quite a foodie.