6 Craft ideas you should try

Chest of drawers painted in Amsterdam Green chalk paint, £21.95 for 1L, Annie Sloan 

If you’re looking to give your interior a facelift but don’t want to splash out on new furniture, now is the perfect time to try your hand at upcycling. Giving a chest of drawers, a wardrobe or even dining chairs a new lease of life can completely transform your space and give it a fresh new look without breaking the bank.  

When painting furniture, always use a specialist furniture paint and be sure to sand and prime the surface (particularly when working with wooden pieces) to ensure even coverage. You can go one step further and add detail to your paintwork by using a stencil to create a more intricate pattern or use painter’s tape to mark out a geometric design with different colours.  Aside from painting a pre-loved piece, changing the legs or handles is another way to spruce up your existing furniture, or try re-upholstering seat pads or an old ottoman with a new fabric.

Origami cloud of butterflies kit, £13.95, Cambridge Imprint 

This Japanese art is a popular pastime thanks to its therapeutic benefits, and now is an ideal time to keep distracted in a bid to try and reduce anxiety levels.  

There are numerous online and printed tutorials for you to follow, whether you’re starting out as a beginner or already have some practice under your belt, and projects range from simple butterfly decorations to larger-scale wall hangings and 3D greetings cards. 

While it’s best to use origami paper for this craft, you can make do with leftover paper you already have at home during lockdown if you can’t get to the shops. 

Image via furniturechoice.co.uk

Many of us won’t have used clay since our school days, but if you have a few hours to kill and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, this versatile material can be used in a huge range of projects—for adults and kids alike!  

Whether you chose to use air-dry clay (which doesn’t require baking in an oven) or regular modelling clay, the creative possibilities are endless; try your hand at making these leaf-imprinted trinket dishes, miniature snowmen for the kids to decorate, jewellery, or even handmade vases to display blooms picked from the garden while florists are off limits. 

For the green-fingered amongst you, filling a terrarium is a wonderful way to incorporate nature into your craft projects whilst being stuck indoors. You can use jam jars or glass lanterns if you don’t have a dedicated terrarium container; just make sure it has a wide enough opening to allow easy access for your materials.  

Start off by adding the base layer of stones or gravel, to aid drainage, followed by a thin layer of charcoal. On top of this goes sandy potting soil and then your plants, moss and décor make up the top layer of the terrarium. Plants such as cacti and succulents are well-suited to a terrarium environment and require very little maintenance. 

Image via furniturechoice.co.uk

Decorate bare walls with an alternative to framed prints or photos and try your hand at making a Boho-style wall hanging. All you need is a wooden, metal or plastic rod and some yarn to create your design. Make tassels, pompoms or macramé adornments from your yarn (there are numerous online tutorials) and attach these to your central rod to build up a unique pattern. 

For more decorative touches, you could add beads to your strings of yarn, or even dip-dye the ends for a colourful twist.  

KitchenCraft natural elements three-piece glass storage canister set, £25.99, Wayfair

Many of us are using this lockdown time to declutter our homes and re-organise our storage. Chalkboard vinyl, or sticky-back plastic, is a simple way to add changeable labels to anything from kitchen cannisters, to craft room supplies. Cut labels from the roll and simply stick them to the surface of your storage containers for a quick and easy update.  

If you find regular chalk is wiping off too easily, opt for a chalk pen instead which is longer lasting but still wipeable. 

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