Slow Craft Ideas: The Joy of Little and Often
This month, we’re encouraging you to keep calm and craft on with these mindful and relaxing crafts for adults
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Slow Craft Ideas: The Joy of Little and Often
This month, we’re encouraging you to keep calm and craft on with these mindful and relaxing projects for adults
By: Maddi John
If you’re considering starting your year off with a new craft project, may we suggest you choose one in the slow craft category? For those unfamiliar with slow craft, it’s the idea that craft is not something to be rushed, but savoured; projects that take time to perfect and something you can keep coming back to whenever the mood strikes instead of finishing it all in one session.
There’s something rather therapeutic about repeating one technique over and over, it eases us into a state of mindfulness without even knowing – a bit like meditation. But this approach to craft also takes the pressure off. Sometimes when we throw ourselves into a craft project (particularly a big one like making a quilt) it can become quite time-consuming, which in turn takes the fun out of the craft altogether. Leaving you regretting picking up the needle in the first place.
So to reduce the frustration, we’ve rounded up the most relaxing crafts for adults to indulge in, whether you’re filling the time on your morning commute, or looking for a relaxing activity to do while lounging on the sofa.
Read More: Craft therapy for adults
Quilting
Best for: the Patient Crafter
Quilting has experienced something of a resurgence in the past few years, transforming from heritage to high-fashion – particularly in the street style domain. It may be one of the larger scale projects in crafting but if you have the patience for it, quilting is one of the most satisfying projects when you get to finish it. Whether it’s a puff quilt or a padded jacket, this slow craft will test your patience. However, you can avoid project fatigue by spreading it out over a couple of weeks and setting yourself a daily or weekly maximum. We suggest completing a couple of squares every night or three lines a week.
Read More: How to make a puff quilt
Shop Fabrics
Liberty Fabrics
Marguerite Meadow Lasenby Quilting Cotton
Liberty Fabrics
Chelsea Flower Lasenby Quilting Cotton
Liberty Fabrics
Orchid Wiltshire Shadow Lasenby Quilting Cotton
Crochet
Best for: the Trend Crafter
Popular in warmer weather, crochet has stitched its way into our spring/summer wardrobes. Not only is it one of the more trendy crafts, but crochet is thoroughly relaxing and only requires two things: a hook and yarn. Incorporating the meditative motions of hooking and looping yarn, crochet is a slow craft attainable for both experienced and beginner crafters and gives you endless possibilities, from halterneck tops and beach cover-ups to bags and bucket hats.
Knitting
Best for: the Classic Crafter
The hero of slow craft, and one of the most relaxing pastimes of all, is knitting. If crochet is the skill of the summer season, consider knitting the victor of winter, allowing you to create wardrobe staples like chunky-knit sweaters, socks and scarves and cosy home decor like cushion covers and throws. Like crochet, knitting entails making loops of yarn, but rather than a hook you use two large knitting needles. The rhythmic working of stitches and repetitive movements calms your mind while using spatial reasoning skills to keep the brain active, it's a win-win.
Read More: How to craft with colour
Shop Habadashery
Liberty
Danjo Tana Lawn™ Cotton Wrapped Suitcase
Liberty Fabrics
Beatrix Maxi Dress Sewing Pattern
Embroidery
Best for: the Detail-Orientated Crafter
Perfect for the meticulous crafter, embroidery is a technique that can add a personal touch to your clothes, fabrics, home accessories, and more. Traditionally used for decorating, mending, and marking, embroidery only requires a needle and thread (as well as a base to work on – say a pair of jeans or an old T-shirt you want to revive). Of course, if you want to dive fully into the craft, you can invest in embroidery rings, Aida cloth, a pincushion, sewing scissors, and a thimble. Due to its small scale, embroidery is also relatively portable, ideal for "commuter crafting" or whenever you're on the go.