Crafting makes a comeback

Crafts are making a comeback; here are five examples of great crafts to pick up!

Disclaimer%3A+All+photos+used+are+protected+under+fair+use+since+they+are+used+for+criticism+%28section+107+of+Copyright+Act%29.+Craft+supplies+from+saga.co.uk

Disclaimer: All photos used are protected under fair use since they are used for criticism (section 107 of Copyright Act). Craft supplies from saga.co.uk

Jordan Fliegelman, Staff Reporter

Recently crafts have been shining more in popularity lately. Here are some and the basics of what to basically expect when getting into crafting! There are lists that can be found as to what each craft  is about. Here are a few that sound simple, but are great ways to spend your time.

Paint-By-Number

This sounds silly and childish, but some Paint-By-Number projects aren’t as simple as coloring in a picture with markers. Completing a Paint-By-Number can take a long time to do. As expected, Michaels has a LOT of Paint-By-Number, including some that seem really hard, meaning that they would not be completed in an hour. Rather, some can take up to at least a week!

Paint by Numbers Mona Lisa | Mona lisa, Paint by number, Mona
Disclaimer: All photos used are protected under fair use since they are used for criticism (section 107 of Copyright Act). Mona Lisa paint by number from Michaels.

Crocheting

Crocheting is fun, but it can be difficult. With types of yarn, some projects thin yarn would be best. And for other projects, some thicker yarn is better. Crocheting can make things like dolls, but it can also make more useful things like bags. For those learning to crochet, there are so many videos that can teach the basics of the stitches and how to do chains. Here is a video from HappyBerry Crochet.

Snoopy Amigurumi Crochet Kit | Stitch & Story - Stitch & Story USA
*Disclaimer: All photos used are protected under fair use since they are used for criticism (section 107 of Copyright Act). Crochet Snoopy made from StichandStory.com

Knitting

From making something as simple as a hat to something as complex as making mini dolls and bags, knitting isn’t hard to do once the concept is learned. If you would like more help learning to knit, check out my previous RAMPAGE story “Knitting 101: why ‘knot’?” for more information! 

Cocoon Shrug Knitting Pattern Free Tutorial - The WHOot
Disclaimer: All photos used are protected under fair use since they are used for criticism (section 107 of Copyright Act). Cocoon Shrug Knitting from The WHOot

Calligraphy

Calligraphy is fancy handwriting. Calligraphy can be done with just gel pens, or markers with a flowing tip. There are YouTube videos for learning how to do basic calligraphy. There are printable letter outlines to practice on. It looks good on letters or envelopes and basically anything that can look just a touch more unique with just writing on it. 

My different styles of brush calligraphy. . One of my students ...
Disclaimer: All photos used are protected under fair use since they are used for criticism (section 107 of Copyright Act). Picture of different types of calligraphy from Instagram posted by gladysstories

Practice yoga or meditation

Learning to balance the mind and body can be good during times of a lot of stress. Balancing the mind can help people focus more. According to Event Brite,  eventbrite.com out of the 2,000 people that took the survey, 54% said that it released tension, 52% said that they get stronger both physically and mentally, 43% said that they felt happier, and 27% said that it gives them more ‘me’  time. This was all describing people that do yoga. According to a nationally representative survey,  ncbi.nlm.nih.gov a large percentage of people who took their survey (89.4%) said that meditation reduced their stress or  aided their relaxation. Then 86.9% say that it’s to feel better emotionally, 79% to improve overall health and make them feel better, and 69.3% said that it’s to sleep better.

Yoga & Meditation ⋆ Dune Healing Center
Disclaimer: All photos used are protected under fair use since they are used for criticism (section 107 of Copyright Act). Yoga and meditation from dunewellnessgroup.com