C.J. Braden • 5 Minute Read
Amazing Ways to Improve Your Crafting Skills
Are there some crafty recipes you’re looking to follow on this website, but you’re not quite sure that you have the skill yet? Or perhaps you want to get more creative and, as a result, want to feel more comfortable using the skills you’ve developed in order to make your own brand new creations. Today, we’re going to look at a few ways you can expand those skills so you can keep feeling more confident and capable.
DIY Fabric Dream Catcher
Read on to learn lots of amazing ways to improve your crafting skills, plus gain some new crafty project ideas to try this year!
Macrame Chandelier
1- Practice on your old and unloved pieces
Practice makes perfect. This adage is as true of crafting as it is for just about any other discipline. However, with crafting, you could have more ready-made canvasses to work on than you might think. Before you get into making your own crafts from scratch, you should look at some of the upcycling and DIY projects that you might be able to take on, first and foremost.
DIY Origami Paper Projects
Aside from giving you materials to practice on without having to invest too much, when you’re successful, you might be able to rejuvenate an unloved piece of old furniture into something you’re proud to display in your home.
DIY Gemstone Jewelry Project Idea
2- Don’t turn your nose up at tutorials
While some crafting projects might sound relatively simple, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t see how experienced hands handle them, anyway. There are plenty of craft tutorials you can find from sites like 100directions that will teach you the basic forms and techniques.
DIY Macrame Floating Basket
Practice these foundational skills at the heart of the crafts that you’re trying to do before you try and fit them all together in larger projects. Even developing a little muscle memory is going to be a great boon to your creations.
If you are loving this article, we think you’ll love this one too: 10 Minute DIY Plant Chandelier
Interested in trying to craft some simple crystal earrings? Try this quick tutorial from our YouTube channel “Carolyn Braden”:
Quilling Flower Art
3- Invest in quality equipment
It’s not all about the time you spend, either. The tools that you use in your jobs are going to make a tremendous difference. Higher quality fabrics are going to be easier to work with since they will offer more consistent results and high-quality equipment like those from CraftDirect are going to make entire processes much easier. If there’s a particular technique that you have trouble picking up, there’s nothing wrong with finding the piece of machinery that will take care of it for you.
Want to try quilling? I ordered a kit for my home crafting space and I love it! It’s a relaxing paper art that is great for all ages. I taught quilling to kids when I was an art teacher and they loved coiling the paper strips. It was one the best projects I ever did with my students. They love paper crafts of all kinds.
Boho Macrame Wall Hanging
4- Get involved in the community
Look around for tutorials and tips online and you’re going to find that there are communities for it that you could tap into. As well as going to things like local crafts classes, you can look at events and hobby groups that you can join.
Aside from being able to pick up some advice, you can also have a venue to show off your creations, to get inspired by others, and to make some friends. Sharing an interest of yours with others can reinvigorate your own love of it, too.
In the world of crafting, it takes time as well as a little investment to pick up the skills that can help you expertly come up with your own crafts. Hopefully, the tips here give you a few ideas of how to do just that.
C.J. (Carolyn) Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Little Ways to Get Back To You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.
This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links. All opinions and ideas expressed in this post, however, are based on my personal point of view.