So, You’ve finished your degree work and there aren’t many jobs at the moment, what do you do now? Craft! During the lockdown period so many crafting projects have been demonstrated on Instagram and Facebook, and lots of young people have set up small businesses. Crafting is not just crocheting and cross-stitching, and the possibilities are endless. Millie offers her inspiration to help keep your hands and minds busy.
- Up-cycling:
Up-cycling is one of the biggest crafting trends I have seen during lockdown. Up-cycling is a really great way of enhancing your existing wardrobe to make it feel new. Here are some examples.
Paint is a great way to fix any old white trainers lurking at the back of your wardrobe. Nina Nesbitt posted these trainers on Instagram and I instantly went and purchased some leather paint to upcycle my own very old and worn white Nikes. You can find leather paint on Amazon for around £8-£10.
Embroidery is an easy but effective way to add a bit more life to anything, be it an old pair of shoes or a pair of jeans. Embroidery threads can be purchased on Amazon and Hobbycraft. Embroidery can be sewn onto garments or shoes free hand, but to make it easier you may wish to draw on your design first and embroider over the top.
Patchwork is a slightly harder upcycling method in comparison to the other two examples, but it is so worth it. To make the patchworked jeans shown in this image, I cut up squares from a darker pair of denim jeans and used my sewing machine to stitch them on top of the original pair of jeans.
Upcycling does not stop at your wardrobe, why not use this time to add life to old furniture through chalk paint. Annie Sloan is a renowned chalk paint company who also offer tutorials and tips for painting your own furniture. Depending on which chalk paint you purchase, often you do not even need to sand the item you wish to paint. Simple! Check out her YouTube tutorials.
- Make some cards:
For a lot of us, getting to the shops to purchase birthday cards is not easy in the current situation, so why not design your own.
Marbling, although it can be a little messy, is a quick and easy way to create beautiful patterns which can be turned into cards. Marbling inks can be purchased on Amazon, I would recommend Baker Ross marbling ink set sold on amazon for £4.80. Simply add a few drops of the inks to a tray filled with water and stir, then lay your paper on top of the water and remove after a few seconds.
Lino printing is slightly more challenging than marbling but is a really effective way of making cards. Lino kits can be purchased on any crafting website and are simple to use. You will need a piece of lino and a lino cutter, simply cut your design into the lino and print using a roller and acrylic paint.
- Mask-Making
Perhaps not the most entertaining craft from the ones included in this article but an important one. With masks having to be worn on public transport and recommended to be worn in shops, why not try to make your own reusable/ washable mask to protect yourself but also to help keep the number of disposable masks ending up in landfill. YouTube has lots of tutorials on how to make your own face mask. The BBC have published a number of different ways to make a mask, such as the one shown in this article which does not require any sewing. Making your own mask means you can also make it a little more fun with your own choice of fabric.
