Creative Outlets for Spring
Written by: Kenzie
Hello, all! I genuinely hope that each and every one of you are safe, healthy, and handling this strange time in the world with grace and compassion. That being said, I’m sure some of you - cough cough ME - are running out of things to do at home and possibly catching a case of cabin fever. Let me tell you, it’s better to have cabin fever than COVID-19, and I’m here to help overcome the cabin fever part!
I just wanted to share a few spring-related crafts I’ve been working on with all this free time at home. I work in the food industry and we’ve been shut down since March 17, and everything is so up in the air that we aren’t even sure when we’ll be able to open again. So, for the time being, I am getting a lot of things done around the house, hanging out with the dogs, my parents, and Brad, and crafting up a storm!
For this post, I wanted to focus on the springtime crafts I’m able to work on with this time at home. For me, it’s important to find some kind of creative outlet in times like this for a couple of reasons: number 1, I enjoy it and why not do more of the things you enjoy? And number 2, it helps to pass the time and give my brain something to focus on for an hour or two.
For these crafts, I already had most - if not all - of the supplies at home. If you don’t have the supplies at home, I would advise adapting the craft or ordering supplies when you can instead of going out to shop. Let’s all be smart and take this time to improve our home life, DIY some pretty things, and celebrate what we have!
Make a spring wreath.
I love making wreaths because you can really just glue things on willy nilly and if you don’t like the way something looks, rip it off and try again. In other words, super low pressure. Here’s what I like to have on hand for a successful wreath:
Hot glue gun / florals (large and small) / accent pieces or focal points (optional) / accoutrements / wreath form / wire cutters / scissors
For my wreath, I used a moss rabbit as my focal point. It can also be a small wooden sign, a bow, a particularly pretty flower, you name it! The accoutrements are my favorite part of any wreath. These are the extra little things that really draw attention and make the wreath special. For this wreath, I used faux Easter eggs and little carrots. I also had on hand small wooden Easter ornaments, little baskets, and straw hats.
PRO TIP: search for wreath making supplies at estate sales and garage sales. Whenever there’s a good batch of fake flowers at a sale, I snatch it up! The good florals from craft stores are always so expensive and I just buy when I see them and keep them in the craft shed until I’m ready to make a wreath!
Like I said, wreath-making is super low pressure. I always decide where the focal point will be (if you're using a focal point) and then work out from there. Start with the large florals, fill in with the smaller and the accoutrements and that’s about it. When I’m nearing the end, I like to hang it up somewhere and take a step back to get a good look at it. This helps you see if the wreath is balanced or has spacing issues or needs a little something added to a certain place.
Once you’re happy with the way it looks, hang it somewhere so everyone can see!
Embroider something cute.
Our friend, Claire (@bumblebeestitchery on Instagram) is the queen of embroidery so definitely check her out for all the pretties. I like to keep my projects simple for the most part so I don’t lose interest so I usually do a simple design or quote. If you don’t have an iron-on pattern, there’s plenty of free patterns on Pinterest to copy or, if you’re amazing and also good at drawing like Claire, you can just draw your own and transfer it to your fabric. Seriously, she’s so good.
Here’s the supplies you’ll need:
fabric / embroidery hoop / assorted embroidery floss / needle / scissors / patter
These two projects are both by Claire and she has a lot more cool stuff on the Insta.
Bake something pretty.
To me this counts as a craft. And it’s so satisfying when you make something pretty that’s also delicious. I’m not going to sit here and tell you how to bake because it depends on what you’re making by we have this recipe for delicious lemon snowdrop cookies from Callie and a super yummy banana bread from Kenzie. If those don’t tickle your fancy, a quick search on Pinterest will find you something delicious!
Propagate plants.
I love spending time with plants. That may be one of the most hippie things I’ve ever said, but it’s true! With all this time on your hands, spend some time tending to your house plants, outdoor plants, or even potting new plants! I love to propagate from my house plants to be able to plant new lil babies to give to friends or sell. How crazy is it that you can make endless new plants from one plant!? Nature is cool.
Some easily propagated plants include hen and chick succulents, aloe vera, split-leaf philodendron, pathos, and English ivy. For any vine-y plant, simply cut an end off of a long tendril (I like to use propagating as an excuse to prune my plants too), strip it of any leaves near the bottom, and submerge the cut end in a jar of water. Wait a few weeks, and hope for roots! Once rooted, plant with good potting soil in a cute vessel and viola, you have a brand new plant baby to love and nurture or to give as a gift!
Plants are good for the soul, I’m convinced.
Easter banner or bunting.
I’m a sucker for a nice banner. Plus, they’re so versatile! You can go Pom Pom garland with Spring colors, cut out bunny shapes and string them together on twine, or even be extra and pull down the sewing machine for a traditional pennant banner on a string. I went with the reliable Pom Pom garland because I have SO MUCH yarn and also it’s easy to make pom poms while watching a movie to keep my hands busy.
For the Pom Pom garland, do yourself a favor and get some Pom Pom makers. They make everything so much easier and I like to use a variety of sizes when making a banner. Select colored yarn that matches your theme. I’ve gone with pastels and I like to use a few different thicknesses to change up the textures. Get to making pom poms and don’t stop until you have a lot! You can decide how long you want your garland and how spaced out you want your pom poms - like I said, this project is very open to adaptations according to your needs. I like to use thick cotton cording to string the pom poms on, but you can also use tulle, ribbon, or more yarn. Drape it on a mantle, around a window, or even on a house plant and you’ve got yourself some easy DIY Easter decor.
Of course, there are endless ways you can tap into your creative side during this social distance/quarantine/whatever the heck is going on. I know we’re all trying to get through it without losing our minds, so hopefully these crafts can help focus or ground you, if even for a moment. Happy crafting and happy spring!
