Looking for a new craft hobby to get into? There are so many different crafts to explore that can give you the rewarding feeling of creating something. Below are 26 examples – one for every letter of the alphabet!
Artisanal food
Baking, cheesemaking, chocolate making and beer brewing are all examples of crafts involving food and drink. These crafts are sometimes referred to as ‘artisanal food’. If you already love cooking, these could be great crafts to get into.
Beadwork
This craft involves making creations out of beads. The most popular item is bead jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets and anklets. This is a very easy craft to learn and there are many bead kits you can buy to help you get started.
Carpentry
Carpentry involves constructing things out of wood. The most popular creations include cabinets, chairs and tables – however there are countless things that you make out of wood if you desire. This post lists some of the key tools every carpenter needs.
Decoupage
Love collages and working with paper? Decoupage is the art of gluing paper to a surface to create all kinds of images and patterns. You can decorate everything from vases to cabinets using decoupage. Look up tutorials online.
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art of hand-stitching images, words and patterns into fabrics. From tea towels to curtains, there are all kinds of creations you make using embroidery skills. Cross-stitch is one of the most popular forms of embroidery and the easiest stitch to learn as a beginner.
Felting
Felt is unwoven wool. It can be manipulated and sewn together to create all kinds of creations – usually cute and cuddly ornaments like animals and Xmas decorations. You’ll need a needle and finger protectors. Check out various guides online.
Glass art
Glass art encompasses quite a few different crafts, but the main ones are glass sculpting and glass painting. The easiest to get into is glass painting, which can allow you to create colored glass art pieces and ornaments. You could even learn how to create stained glass windows online.
Hand engraving
While there are many mechanized forms of engraving nowadays, hand engraving is still a practiced craft. It involves creating intricate metal engravings using an engraver tool. There are several resources online dedicated to learning hand engraving.
Ikebana
Flower arranging is a fantastic craft to get into for those who already enjoy gardening or looking after houseplants. A popular and traditional Japanese form of flower arranging is ‘ikebana’, which involves arranging flowers to resemble paintings or sculptures. There are several online guides to this.
Jewelry making
Jewelry making encompasses a wide range of different crafts (some of which have already been mentioned such as beadwork and hand engraving). Getting into this craft could allow you to create various jewelry items including necklaces, bracelets and earrings. There are countless resources on jewelry making to explore including courses.
Knitting/crochet
Want to make cute blankets and cardigans for babies? Or perhaps some unique scarves and beanies for you and your friends? Knitting and crocheting are two of the most popular crafts. Knitting uses two needles, while crocheting uses a single hook. You can pretty much craft the same creations using either technique, so choose whichever you fancy. Start with a simple blanket and work your way up to more challenging projects from here.
Leatherwork
Leather can be used to craft all kinds of items including bags, wallets, belts and even shoes. If you’ve always wanted to design your own handbag or shoes, why not consider taking a course in leatherwork? Alternatively, there are plenty of free resources online for learning the ropes.
Metalwork
From scrap metal ornaments to decorative cast iron benches, there are all kinds of things you can make out of metal. To get started, you’ll need to learn how to manipulate, cut and join metal. Metalwork courses are some of the best options, but there are tools for learning yourself if you prefer.
Needlework
Needlework is a blanket term for any craft that involves using a needle and thread. This includes sewing by hand or using a sewing machine. Everyone can benefit from having some basic sewing skills. Develop a passion for it, and you could branch out into embroidery or dressmaking.
Origami
Origami is all about sculpting things from paper. There’s a lot more to it than paper airplanes and paper hats – by practicing your origami skills, you could learn how to create all kinds of fun creations out of paper. This could include Xmas ornaments or even pop-up books.
Pottery
Like the idea of pottery? Pottery involves making all kinds of creations out of clay. Attending a pottery class could be a great way to get a taste for this craft. Once you’ve developed some basic pottery skills, you could then consider buying a kiln and pottery wheel for your home.
Quilting
Quilting involves piecing together different pieces of fabric into patchwork patterns. Quilts are the most obvious creation you can make using these techniques, but there are other creations you can consider too such as pillowcases and cushion covers.
Resin art
This form of craft involves using epoxy resin to coat and preserve paintings or various items like flowers. Resin art has become very popular in recent years and you can find a number of resin art guides online.
Stone carving
Stone carving is an ancient craft that is still going strong. From engraving decorations into walls to creating statues, there are many applications for stone carving. It’s definitely not an easy craft to master, so you may want to consider taking a course.
Tatting
Tatting is a craft that involves looping and knotting lace to form various patterns. Examples of crafts that are tatted include doilies, lace collars and snowflake ornaments. There are many guides to tatting online.
Upholstery
Fancy crafting your own armchair or sofa? Upholstery is the art of attaching fabric to furniture (as well as adding padding and springs). While such furniture is often built in factories nowadays, upholstery is still often practiced as a means of restoring and transforming old sofas and armchairs.
Velcro crafts
Velcro can be a great product for using to make coats, shoes and other clothing items. It’s possible to buy Velcro rolls that can be cut into shape and sewed onto fabrics. Check out a few of these fun Velcro craft ideas.
Weaving
Weaving is a different way of working with yarn that involves using a loom. You can use standard yarn, however there is specialist weaving yarn that is typically better for this purpose. While not as popular as knitting and crocheting, weaving still has quite a community built around it and you’ll find lots of guides and tutorials online.
Xylography
Xylography is a form of wood carving. It was once popularly used to create woodblocks for printing books and posters. Xylography and woodblock printing are crafts that are still practiced today across the world (particularly when recreating many famous Japanese art works). This could be a fun niche craft to explore.
Yarn painting
There are lots of ways of working with yarn – many of which have already been covered above – but one of the more unusual is yarn painting. Yarn painting doesn’t actually involve any paint. Instead, brightly colored yarns are pressed into a beeswax board. You can find lots of examples online.
Zipper crafts
Finally, there are lots of craft creations that involve using zippers. You can buy zippers to attach to clothing and bags or even take up the challenge of making your own zipper.
