Top Craft Ideas to Combat Anxiety

With all that’s going on in the world, people have noticed worry, tension, and anxiety skyrocketing. We’re worried for our friends, our family, and ourselves. We’re nervous about what this will mean for our jobs, our communities, our society. We’re anxious about spending all day and night indoors and how long that could last. The root causes for this anxiety may vary from person to person, but what’s important is figuring out how to calm those worries. We have to find a light in the darkness.

In our posts, we’ve frequently discussed the health benefits of crafting, and one of the significant ones is that it helps reduce anxiety. While you’re stuck inside, we highly recommend crafting to soothe worries and give your mind a break from the tension of the outside world. We’ve listed some of our top craft ideas to combat anxiety here!

Start Coloring Again

Coloring books aren’t just for children (but they are great if your kid is stuck at home too). There are tons of adult coloring books out there that were created solely for reducing stress in adults. They’re typically a bit more intense, urging you to hone in on small designs and smaller lines, but you’ll notice all the outer tension dissipates the more you focus on the colors. Coloring is an awesome stress-buster for people; just find the right coloring book that will bring you joy and peace of mind.

Knit or Crochet

Needlework is an excellent way to reduce stress and bring calm to the mind and body. Whether you’ve never worked with crochet or knitting needles before or have done one and not the other, now is the perfect time to get started. We have a variety of guides and tips for beginners on our blog, so peruse those if you find yourself stuck while casting on or knitting in the round. Knitting and crochet are both wonderful pastimes you can share with kids as well and will keep everyone’s hands and minds busy. See what you can create in a day, in a week, or in two weeks. You’ll be amazed at what your hands can create!

Try out Embroidery

Similarly, embroidery is another great needle form, but it’s more advanced than knitting for kids. Embroidery is a great way to let your creativity out and relax while doing so. You can start off simple with an easy traced pattern or you can really delve into your creativity and imagination and embroider a design freehand. Innumerable stitches can add variety and depth to your designs—just make sure you have quality tools and thread to do so. It’s an easy way to add simple decoration to your home as well! Embroider napkins, towels, pillowcases, and more.

Start a Bullet Journal

Journaling is an awesome stress-buster and should be added to your repertoire, outside of crafting. Keeping a journal doesn’t require professional writing skills or the exploration of deep issues; it’s just a way for you to get out any thoughts, ideas, or feelings so that you don’t keep them trapped inside. Bullet journaling is similar to other journaling but asks you to get in touch with your artistic side. A bullet journal will help you “track the past, organize the present, and plan for the future.” In a time where we feel like our plans have been pushed aside, a bullet journal will help us realign and feel more at ease with any plans we’ve created. A dot-grid layout journal is ideal, but you can use any journal and employ the same methods to elicit feelings of calm.

Make Your Own Weighted Blanket

You might already have your own store-bought weighted blanket, but why not make one of your own? These are specially designed blankets for people with anxiety, and they embrace your body in weighted material that evokes calmness. Your buzzing nerves are subdued because of the blanket’s extra pressure. There are a few different ways you can make your own—either as a crochet weighted blanket or as a tie blanket. You’ll have to order some plastic pellets online, and once you do, you’ll weigh them out to then fill them into the fabric sections you’ve created. Learn more here about creating these blankets.

Pick Up a Paintbrush

If you’ve ever wanted to get good at painting, now’s the time to enhance your skills. All you need is some paint (whatever medium you want), brushes, and your painting surface of choice (canvas, paper, etc). You can try to paint from an idea in your mind’s eye or you can follow along with Bob Ross on Netflix. He was a pro, so it might not look exactly alike, but you can have fun trying to get into the mind of a painter extraordinaire. Either way, painting does an extraordinary job of easing tension and allowing you to delve into creativity you may not have touched in a while. Who knows? It may end up being your favorite pastime!

Get Started on a Quilt

If you’re big into crafting and already have a large supply of fabrics, then you should think about starting that quilt you’ve been putting off. It’s an excellent way to distract the mind and can take as long as you want. You can spend time on the color theory aspect of the quilt, you can spend time researching a quilt design you like or make ne up yourself, and of course spend time sewing. It will take over your mind in the best way possible, but you have to get started in order for that to happen!

Blend Your Own Scented Candles

Lots of people are lighting up candles as they’re stuck inside. If you’re worried about running out, blend your own! You can create your own scent by using an essential oil blend of your own–once you get started, you’ll never want to stop! You’ll have to get order candle wax and measure it out to ensure that it fits in the container. Once you melt the wax, you can add in the essential oils of your choice and ppur into an appropriate container. After you’ve finished, you’ll have a candle of your very own that you made with your own two hands. Choosing soothing scents like lavender, eucalyptus, and pine will help diffuse some of the tension you feel.

To make sure all of your crafting needs are successful, look to Lindley General Store. As we mentioned, our blog has a ton of different tips and tricks, and our store features all the products you need to get crafting. From embroidery tools and fabric for quilting to essential oils and crochet supplies, we’ll make sure your crafting tools are stocked up to keep you busy. We hope that you find some light in this darkness and that crafting is the escape you’ve been searching for. Shop now!