ComScore

17 Crafts to Do at Home (Even If You’re So Not the Crafty Type)

PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and the company may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. All prices are accurate upon date of publish. You can learn more about the affiliate process here.

Puzzles and Below Deck binging can only entertain you for so long. When you’re looking to try something new without leaving the comfort of your living room, try any of these 17 crafts to do at home. Many involve materials you already have crammed in the back of your closet, and they’re all designed for total novices (yes, even those of us who really tried to get into macramé two summers ago, only to wind up with yards of knotted rope).

19 Crafts for Toddlers That Won’t Destroy Your Home


1. Own The Oversized Scrunchie Trend

We weren’t sold on the return of the scrunchie…until Dakota Johnson rolled up to the Independent Spirit Awards with a massive one on her wrist. The oversized style gave the look new life, and it turns out, it’s a surprisingly easy DIY project. With little more than a quarter-yard of fabric, an elastic band and a sewing machine, you can make your own for a fraction of the price of Johnson’s.

2. Upgrade Your Gallery Wall With Hand-stitched Photos

Anyone can hang up black and white photos. For more of a surprise-and-delight moment, print your favorite pic onto transfer paper, iron it onto fabric and use an embroidery needle and thread to highlight (or add) whimsical details, like flowers, a sun peeking out from the clouds or a colorful border.

3. Preserve Your Fave Flowers

You can press them in a book, hang them upside down and air dry them, or even use your microwave to make those blooms last for years to come. Plus, this craft is a great excuse to go for a walk and pick a few wildflowers.

4. Make Your Own Rose Water

People swear by rose water for minimizing their pores, softening skin and reducing redness, and there are more than a few ways to make it—all of them pretty straightforward and easy to follow. You can use either homegrown roses or order some from your local florist; just make sure they’re chemical- and pesticide-free.

5. Stitch An Envelope Pillow

You can never have too many throw pillows, especially when you’ve made them yourself. The best part? This project can be tackled in two hours or less. That’s less time than you’d spend scrolling Wayfair for new ones to buy.

6. Make Your Own Ukulele

It’s a craft that transforms into a hobby: Build and decorate your own ukulele, then hit up Elise Ecklund or The Ukulele Teacher on YouTube for free lessons to learn to play. (Bonus: The kit, which has a 4.5-star rating, costs less than buying a regular uke.)

7. Create Your Own Tie-dye Pajamas

There’s no denying that tie-dye’s having a moment, especially when it comes to loungewear. Why not get a simple kit from Amazon, grab an old tee and joggers and try creating your own designs? It’s way more satisfying than buying a mass-produced one.

8. Turn Scrabble Tiles Into Magnets

As much as you love the classic board game, you probably don’t play it very often when it’s stuffed in the back of your closet or under the sofa. Instead, try this ingeniously simple project from Crafts By Amanda. All you’ll need are some round magnets and craft glue. And if you don’t want to tear apart the board game, you can always buy wooden letter tiles directly from Amazon.

9. Take Up Arm Knitting

Those ridiculously chunky throw blankets that went viral two years ago still look cozy as ever on your sofa, and they don’t require knitting needles, loops or any other fancy equipment. Oh, and according to some tutorials, you can make the whole blanket in four hours.

crafts to do at home sugar scrub
EasterBunnyUK/Getty Images

10. Whip Up A Homemade Sugar Scrub

With just three ingredients—coconut oil, sugar and whatever essential oil strikes your fancy—you can make your own body scrub. Seriously. You simply use two parts sugar to one part coconut oil, mixing in essential oil a few drops at a time until the scent’s as strong as you like it. Looks like we found your new Etsy side hustle.

Get the tutorial

11. Design Your Own Trinket Dish

Never hunt for your rings again, thanks to this little jewelry dish made out of polymer clay. The Lovely Drawer used a silicone lace mold to stamp on the delicate design inside, but the blog also suggests using a lace or crochet doily to get a similar look.

12. Get Into Embroidery

If you’re looking for a way to keep your hands busy (rather than endlessly scrolling Instagram or the news) that’s almost meditative, you need to get into embroidery. There are endless patterns and kits online to get you started, but we’re partial to these beginner floral designs.

13. …and Turn Your Designs Into A Handbag

Once you’ve mastered the basics of embroidery, take those skills to the next level by making your own minaudiére clutch. The finished bag is just the right size to store your wallet, keys and cell phone.

14. Create Your Own Seed Bead Earrings

“You like my earrings? Gee thanks, just made ‘em.” That will be you after following A Beautiful Mess’s delightfully detailed seed bead earrings tutorial. There’s a picture for every single step, making it easy to replicate their results, even if the thought of threading something as tiny as these grain-of-rice-sized beads freaks you out.

15. Make A Bath Bomb (or Six)

Bubble baths are cool and all, until you experience the fizzy, skin-softening wonders of adding a bath bomb to the tub. You probably have half of the ingredients in your pantry already (baking soda, cornstarch, food coloring), and the others are easy enough to pick up. Whip up a big batch and send them to friends as gifts…or have an entire month’s supply on hand for yourself.

16. Pour Your Own Homemade Candles

This is the perfect project for anyone who burns through candles faster than they can buy them. Or can never find the right scent for their tastes. This 49-piece kit from Etsy contains everything you need to make your own soy candles from scratch. Reviewers raved about how quickly it shipped to their doors—and how addictive it is to make your own scents.

17. Play Crafter’s Roulette

If you can’t decide what project you want to tackle first, let fate—or rather, a Craft In Style box subscription, choose for you. For $30 a month, you’ll be sent everything you need to tackle a random craft project. Previous DIYs include a clay cactus ring organizer, a wooden gazebo birdhouse and wood-burned coasters and ornaments.



candace davison bio

VP of editorial, recipe developer, kitsch-lover

Candace Davison oversees PureWow's food and home content, as well as its franchises, like the PureWow100 review series and the Happy Kid Awards. She’s covered all things lifestyle...