7 simple craft skills to learn so you can make your own home décor
The devil makes work for idle hands, so keep yours busy by learning one of these seven simple craft skills. Not only is learning a craft a constructive way to spend your spare time, it’s also something that many report to have therapeutic properties, helping to keep stress and anxiety at bay.
If that sounds just the ticket right now, why not try your hand at one of these crafts and whip up some new décor for your home?
Embroidery
Embroidery is a simple skill to pick up, but with the scope for you to build your knowledge and create stunning home décor. We love the idea of adding small embellishments to napkins, tablecloths and even pillowcases for some handmade charm.
Image: L’Atelier Natalie Wilmott
Patchwork and quilting
By sewing together pieces of different fabrics, you can create completely custom designs for quilts, cushions and other home accessories to match your decorating scheme.
You can make designs as simple or complex as you like, however, if you do want to create a detailed quilting pattern over the top of your fabric, you’ll have to engage the services of someone with a long arm quilting machine, specially designed for this task.
For a beginners quilt project, search for tutorials on Kantha style quilting, as seen above, as this is relatively simple and effective, and it can be achieved by hand.
Image: Shakiraaz Homewares
Crochet
Crochet is a craft where you use a ball of yarn with a hook. After picking up a few basic skills and stitches, you can start to try all kinds of projects, from cushions and baskets to blankets and children’s toys. If you make a mistake, you can undo your work pretty easily and try again, leaving room for trial and error when you start out.
Look online for patterns to try, and aim for beginner-friendly ideas to start out.
Image: Ella James
Knitting
The classic craft involving two pointy sticks (or needles as they’re otherwise known) and a ball of yarn, knitting’s had a style revival in recent years. Best of all, to create something like this trendy chunky blanket design seen all over the high street, you only need to know the basics and two stitches.
Image: And so to shop
Macramé
A 70s favourite, macramé has enjoyed a comeback in recent years thanks to a Pinterest-fuelled obsession with decorative wall-hanging. You don’t need any tools to try this craft, as it works by tying knots in yarn, thread or other materials. Try your hands at a simple wall hanging using one knot first, before moving onto more complicated designs.
Image: Calico Cloud
Origami
Origami may not sound like a durable craft for your home, by with modern designers like Instagram’s Origami Est proving, you can use it to create a lot more than just paper cranes. How about a plant pot, for example?
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Woodwork
Woodwork often sounds a bit scary for the casual home crafter, but you can get super creative with wood without having to engage power tools. Cuts can often be made by DIY stores for you, or tools can be inexpensive and relatively easy to use. Then it’s just a case of fixing your wood together and getting creative with your project ideas. How about this plant wall DIY from Furniture Choice?
Image: Furniture Choice