Getting Crafty

If finding time to craft is a problem, there are some small things you can in ten, fifteen or more minutes of free time. You’ll be surprised by how smoothly your craft time goes when you finally sit down to do it. But the best part about these ideas: you don’t need to set aside a several hours to do it!

Without further ado, why not:

• crop pictures in preparation for a scrapbook page
• do some quick journalling to accompany pictures
• untangle a skein or ball of yarn (this will take longer than 15 minutes unless you have lightning quick fingers!)
• organize your knitting needles and crochet hooks
• create bobbin spools of thread
• cut pages from magazines for collages
• group pictures needed for each page together, then group all pictures in order of how you will use them

How do you maximize the shorter time periods you may have?

Even if you have a large room for all your crafty supplies, complete with a mammoth table, you might find yourself getting cluttered. Crafting can be a messy hobby, so why not take the time to clean up your workspace? Here are some ways to declutter and tidy your craft space:

Get rid of non-craft stuff
Simple enough, right? Right! If your craft room or corner or desk is holding mail, toys, appliances, anything that isn’t meant to be used in a craft, banish them from your craft area!

Packaging
So many craft related gadgets and materials come overpackaged-they’re wrapped in plastic and cardboard, or put in styrofoam or other material for protection. Once you have liberated the item from its packaging, toss the packaging! Chances are you can come up with a more permanent housing for the item that will require less packaging.

Be generous and give, give, give!
Many crafters (I refuse to believe I’m alone in this!) find something on sale and buy, buy, buy with the intention of giving it away. Chances are, somewhere along the way you end up storing it in your crafting area, even though you know you aren’t going to use it. Well it’s time to do a little digging and get these items out in the open, then out of your house. Mail them to the recipient(s) if driving it over isn’t feasible.

Recycle vigilantly
So often I cut some paper and save every little scrap that I’m not using for the day when it will come in handy for some other project. Of course, the next time I need a little scrap, I end up cutting it from a new sheet because I’ve forgotten about my previously saved piece of scrap paper. How can I avoid this? By recycling regularly! If a cut sheet of paper isn’t used within a reasonable timeline for you, recycle it! Scraps add up; this is a way of keeping them under control. Don’t limit recycling to paper alone-if there is anything else you tend to hoard but never end up using, get rid of it!

Make stuff and give them away
This is related to the third point: instead of giving away extras you buy, why not use all your materials to make gifts? You can challenge to give only homemade gifts in an effort to slim down your stash. Instead of sending someone an extra kit you bought, they might appreciate receiving what the kit can make instead!

How do you declutter your workspace?

declutter, messy crafts, tidy your craft space, clean your workspace

Getting Crafty is off to a slow start, but that’s ok! As summer arrives I’m sure we’ll all be feeling energized and creative in no time. If you’re the type of person that can’t imagine being called creative or crafty, here are three easy ways to work on developing creativity without feeling too much pressure or stress (hopefully!):

Make a card…or twenty
If you’re a true beginner, you may not yet be able to make cards like the ones you’ll see at All Paper Arts but you can fold a piece of paper in half or a quarter, and use a nice bold marker to draw or doodle something that will appeal to the recipient. Use your imagination and don’t restrict yourself too much and you’re bound to come up with something nice. If not, your friends and family will surely laugh at your attempts to draw a birthday cake or wedding dress and as long as they’re laughing, it can’t all be bad. That and your heartwarming words will ensure they love your handmade cards.

Read about, then try a craft that interests you
There are a lot of books and magazines that focus on various crafts. Pick some up at the local book store or library and find something that appeals to you. Buy the required materials and follow the instructions! Start small: knit a potholder before attempting a cardigan and watch your ability to create grow. As you become more proficient you may start regarding patterns as guidelines rather than something to be strictly followed.

Let unlikely things inspire you
In order for you to get inspired, you’ll have to go out there and keep your mind and eyes open. Walk through a garden, visit a zoo, check out the produce section of a grocery store. You never know what colours or textures will inspire your next project. Let the colours in a peacock feather or the smoothness of a stone inspire you.

How do you get or stay inspired?