Whether you're a complete craft newbie, or just looking for some new hobby ideas, there's a whole world of craft hobbies for you to try! From crochet to cross-stitch, dressmaking to papercraft, here at Gathered we've got loads of free tutorials to help you learn a new crafting hobby!
Benefits of a creative hobby
It's no secret that hobbies are generally good for you, but craft hobbies can be especially good for your mental health! Craft hobbies can provide a welcome distraction from the routine of everyday life, which when combined with the satisfaction you get from completing a project can help to reduce stress and release those much-needed endorphins. The fact that many craft hobbies require concentration means many crafters feel that they almost enter a kind of meditative state, which again helps with stress and anxiety, and can lead to a more general feeling of contentment and mindfulness. But it's not just about yourself, creative hobbies have an amazing power to bring people together, from making gifts for your loved ones to joining craft groups - many a friend has been made by a shared love of a particular craft!
How to find a new hobby
Learning any new skill can be challenging for many people, but remember, we all have to start somewhere! With most craft hobbies it's best to start small and master the basics, if you try and throw yourself in at the deep end then you're probably going to have so many problems that you'll get frustrated, which isn't going to give you the calming benefits of craft.
As everyone is different, there is no single way that is best for learning a new craft hobby. Many people will do fine learning from books, online tutorials or videos, but some people will find that attending a group or class suits them better.
If you're the sort of person that prefers to learn in a class or group environment, there are tons of local craft classes out there. Check with your local schools, universities and community centres, or enquire at your local yarn or craft stores to find out about local classes and groups.
However, if you fancy trying to learn a new craft yourself, but don't know which one is right for you, you can take our fun quiz (or take a look at our list of creative hobby ideas below).
Quiz: which craft is right for you?
List of craft hobbies for adults
Below you'll find our handy list of creative hobby ideas for if you want to find the perfect craft hobby for you. But if you're just looking for a quick make, or maybe something to try with the kids, then you can always check out our general Arts and Crafts projects.
Sewing and dressmaking
Are you a budding fashionista? Tired of the throw-away culture of modern clothes? Maybe you caught an episode of The Great British Sewing Bee and fancy giving it a try! Then sewing and dressmaking is definitely the craft for you! Whether you're just starting out with sewing on that button that fell of years ago, or can't wait to get started on making your first garment, you'll find everything you need to know in our How to sew beginners guides.
And if you fancy giving it a go but don't know where to start, check out our sewing kits for beginners so you know what sewing supplies you'll need!
Can't wait to get started? You'll need a sewing machine for most projects and there's plenty to choose from for every budget. From under £100 you can get this Silver 12 Stitch mini sewing machine, or go pro with the Janome 423S Sewing Machine. You can find more sewing machine options in our best sewing machines for beginners guide!
Quilting
Do you have a penchant for patchwork? Always in awe of traditional folk-style blankets? Have a love for patterns and colours but can never decide on just one? Then quilting is the craft for you! It's particularly suited to those with a mathematical and geometrical leaning, and quilting is a fantastic crafts for those who really like to get stuck into their makes! If you fancy giving it a try, check out our How to make a quilt beginners guide, and you can find out about all the kit you'll need in our quilting kit for beginners guide.
If you've already got your fabric and sewing machine, here's some more kit you'll need to start your quilting journey. A quilters ruler is essential tool for quilting, and a rotary cutter will make your fabric cutting a whole lot easier! Find more quilting essentials in our quilting kit for beginners guide!
Cross stitch
If you're someone who likes to make pretty pictures, loves a good quote or a funky font, then you should definitely try your hand a cross-stitch! It's an incredibly versatile craft, if you're not feeling creative there's plenty of easy to follow charts to work from, but if you fancy making your own designs then all you need is some coloured pencils and some squared paper! Because most cross-stitch projects are quite small, it's also a great craft to do while you're sat on the sofa or relaxing out in the garden. If you've never tried it before, take a look at our Cross stitch for beginners guide and find everything you need in our What do you need for cross stitch guide.
Want to get started with cross-stitch? Beginners will need some Aida fabric, and of course a range of different sized embroidery hoops. You can find more essential cross stitch kit in our What do I need to cross stitch guide.
Embroidery
If you've always wanted to sew, but previous experience of sewing machines has brought you to tears, then maybe embroidery is the craft for you. Much like cross-stitch, it's a craft that you can relax and take your time with, and once you've learnt the basic stitches there's no limit to how creative your embroidery projects can be! Why not give it a try with the 6 easy stitches in our Beginners guide to embroidery
Any good embroidery project is going to require a few different colours, so if you're going to give embroidery a try why not get prepared with this 50 embroidery skeins pack. Find out what else you need in our embroidery starter kit guide.
Knitting
No longer seen as just a hobby to keep your granny busy, knitting is now incredibly popular with young and old alike, and there are a huge range of designs and patterns for even the trendiest crafters! From winter warmers to summer knits, it's an incredibly versatile craft with tons of different stitches and techniques... and once you get started you'll find it incredibly addictive! If you fancy giving it a try, pick up some yarn and your needles and check out our How to Knit tutorials
To start your knitting adventure, you're going to need some needles and yarn! This fantastic KnitPro Symfonie Interchangeable needle Deluxe set is a great choice for a range of different knitting stitches, and you can find loads of great yarn from Lovecrafts! For more information check out our <a href="https://www.gathered.how/knitting-and-crochet/knitting/knitting-kit-for-beginners/"Knitting Kits for Beginners guide!
Crochet
Often seen as knittings simpler sister (as it uses just one hook instead of two needles), crochet is an incredibly popular craft in it's own right! As well as being used for making garments and accessories, it's also particularly suited to making soft toys (known in the crochet world as amigurumi) as well as other 3D shapes. Many people who struggle with knitting find crochet a much easier craft to get on board with, especially for those who find knitting to be painful on their hands. It's also particularly good for beginners as it's very easy to undo what you're making if you accidentally make a mistake! If you want to give it a try, check out our Crochet for beginners guide, and you can also take a look at our crochet kits for beginners guide.
Ensure you have every size of crochet hook you'll ever need with this bargain crochet hook set, or take a look at our guide on the best crochet hooks and crochet kit for beginners!
Papercraft and card making
If you think making your own cards is a simple case of folding a piece of paper in half, think again! From pop-up cards to ones that have spinning elements, to gift boxes in a mind-boggling array of shapes and sizes, there's a whole world of creativity involved in papercraft. And it's not just cards, Papercraft also includes the popular craft of Origami, and you won't believe the range of shapes you can make with this simple folding technique! Why not give it a try today, take a look at our How to make cards tutorials, check out our other Papercraft projects and don't forget about our Origami projects too
Punch needle and rag rugging
Punch needle is a great craft for adults because it creates beautifully textured art that you can hang or place in your home. We have this fab rag rugging wall hanging tutorial so you can start your rag rugging journey. Plus we have an entire how to make a rag rug guide so you can learn all the basics. We've also rounded up the top rug making kits for beginners and the best punch needle kits on the market so you can buy everything you need to start making.
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a wonderful craft which uses an ink pen to create the swirling letters, phrases and designs. There's plenty of calligraphy workshops and kits on the market to help you learn this craft or you can practice your calligraphy skills on our chocolate wrapper tutorial!
Pottery
Pottery is a really calming craft that is great for improving mood and hand-eye coordination. At home, mouldable clay is a more affordable and easy to use option than the traditional clay wheel. These salt spoons and DIY coasters are both made using clay and are super easy starter projects.
Painting
Painting is a craft that many people want to try, but don't know how to start! There's so many questions - what sort of paint to use? Canvas or paper? Palette knife or brush? Well we're here to make your life easier! If you want to throw yourself in, then check out our list of 15 of the best paint by numbers kits for adults, the only decision you'll have to make is which kit you want! But if you do want to free your creativity, then we'd definitely recommend starting with acrylic, as it's really easy to use, affordable, and hugely versatile - Take a look at our Acrylic paint guide to find out more! However, if watercolours are more your style, then check out our monochrome painting for beginners project.
We hope you've enjoyed our quiz and found a new passion! For more crafty projects check out our free daily craft patterns and our easy crafts to do at home which includes loads of amazing crafts to make.
