There is a quote that goes, "Crafting is the art of turning ordinary objects into extraordinary things."
I think we can all agree that it does feel different whenever we receive something handmade and personalised as compared to something that is standardized and easily accessible.
It is not just about the gift, but also the giver — it speaks volumes about the time spent to make the gift.
In this article, we will discuss five fun handcraft ideas that you can explore to unleash your creativity side in 2024.
Activity 1: Learning Paper Crafts and Exploring the Origami World
One of the simplest ways to start handcraft is by utilising simple materials that you have at home like papers, you name it colour papers or even newspapers.
Paper crafts are extremely versatile because it is easily accessible and extremely easy to start. Most of the time, you only need some paper, a pair of scissors or glue to create something.
Not only that, it is also very time-effective because it can be completed in a few steps. It's not a surprise that paper crafts are popular gifts all across the globe.
From making paper stars to creating DIY Christmas paper craft decorations, there is always a paper craft for everyone to learn and enjoy.
For book lovers, you can start by making bookmarks and decorating with various patterns and motives that you can cut with various coloured papers.
For flower lovers, you can easily learn how to fold paper flowers and also cut the papers into shapes of heart-shaped flowers and leaves according to your desired flowers.
For animal lovers, you can explore the world of origami by first learning the traditional and all-time favourite origami crane.
Photo by Carolina Garcia Tavizon on Unspl
From there, you can learn how to fold a series of origami animals such as the elephant, fish, frog, rabbit, and turtle according to different learning levels. Best of all, origami art doesn't involve any cutting and solely focuses on the folding techniques so it is rather easy to follow step by step.
Not only that, you can also explore a unique paper craft which is quilling. Quilling is a handcraft that is completed through paper rolling techniques into coils and different shapes.
You can use different coloured papers and glue them together to complete a full design. After it dries off, you can frame them and put them in a visible place. Some examples of design which can be done using quilling include a person's face, animal, flowers, alphabets, and Chinese characters.
This is a fun and environmentally-friendly activity that you can have with your family and friends for the new year.
Activity 2: Make Your Own Jewellery Collection (DIY)
Good news for those who love a little sparkle and bling in their everyday wear.
You would certainly enjoy making your own jewellery, be it a bracelet, necklace, earring, ring or even jewellery box.
Compared to paper crafts, this activity requires more materials and extra patience.
For example, if you are planning to make a piece of beaded jewellery, some of the materials that you need to prepare in advance include:
- Different types of beads (Acrylic beads, gemstones, glass seed beads)
- Polyester string chord
- Bead stopper
- Beading needles
- Jewellery glue
If you are not so much of a bead-and-blink person, you can try making a DIY friendship bracelet that is made from embroidery floss threads.
It's basically braising and tying knots of various colourful strands of the threads to produce different designs. You can personalise your own friendship bracelet according to your friend's favourite colour, for instance.
Having said that, making these pieces of jewellery will enhance your focus and concentration while unleashing your inner creativity too. It also helps you to focus on the present and enables you to channel your thoughts and emotions during the process — serving as a therapeutic outlet. Furthermore, it is something simple and fun that both kids and adults can enjoy.
Perhaps, you could set a new year resolution to create a DIY jewellery product every two months for 2024 to have a full set of jewellery collections.
Activity 3: Enrol In A Pottery Class
Hands-on folks, we hear you!
If you love creating something from scratch with a specific shape in mind, you should definitely consider starting a pottery hobby.
From gathering lumps to shaping a ceramic mug or vase, pottery is a handcraft activity that is rewarding and therapeutic.
Don't be taken aback by the number of hours that you need to spend to perfect the craft of pottery.
When it comes to creating ceramic art, you need to learn the basics of pottery to master the hand-building techniques or wheel-throwing methods.
Depending on your interest and time availability, you can either opt for one-time workshops or enrol in one-to-one private tutoring to learn more about pottery.
Some pottery courses provide a comprehensive syllabus to introduce the fundamental pottery techniques such as pinching, simple coiling, slab forming methods and a few more.
After you have mastered these techniques, you can then exert the right amount of pressure steadily for the shape of the clay to form on the potter's wheel or by hand.
From there, you get to learn how to experiment with different shapes, how to centre the clay on the pottery wheel and eventually make different them into ceramics such as cups, mugs, vases or even plates.
You are normally advised to glaze the clay after a few weeks to solidify the clay to hard and strong ceramics.
While you are learning to make new potteries, you can also paint them and make them into lovely decorative arts at your home too.
Engaging in pottery lessons is very beneficial because it not only helps you meet new friends through the classes but also helps to improve your motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
As this is a pretty hands-on activity, it is important to learn at your own pace and progress once you are confident.
You are sure to feel a sense of achievement and satisfaction when you successfully hold the final work in your hand.
Activity 4: Try Out Flower Arrangements
Our next activity is tailored for anthophiles aka individuals who love flowers.
If this is you, you probably marvelled at the wedding scene of Crazy Rich Asians and also the scene where the tan hua bloomed, iykyk.
Fun fact: Do you know that the floral designer of the Crazy Rich Asians movie is a Malaysian florist, Eunice Teo?
Having said that, flower arrangements have proven to be a great way to lower stress and enhance mental health — cultivating a relaxing and feel-good experience.
Think about it, you get to view different types of flowers and learn about their meanings and how to arrange them together for the best visual enlightenment.
You will learn how to craft and style a flower bouquet according to different learning levels for different occasions, such as for weddings, headpieces, birthdays, Valentine's Day, graduations or even Christmas wreaths!
Before you know it, you'll soon be a skilful florist and a master of the flower language.
Do you know that there are 17 different colours of roses with different meanings? Here are some examples:
- White roses: New love and innocence [Used in weddings as a symbol of new begennings]
- Light pink roses: Gentleness and appreciation [Gifts of appreciation]
- Red roses: Love and deep romantic admiration [Most popular Valentine's Day gifts]
- Yellow roses: Friendship
- Peach roses: Gratitude
- Green roses: Cheerfulness and new beginnings
Flower arrangement not only makes an enchanting hobby, but it could also serve as a potential side hustle or even a brand new career in the future. Some floral arrangement workshops often come with certificates of completion so be sure not to miss this opportunity!
Just as we have mentioned how flowers play a crucial role in the movie, Crazy Rich Asians earlier, flowers play a significant role when it comes to festivities and celebrations, religious ceremonies, interior decoration and major events.
It is a universal language of nature and beauty combined together.
Photo by Joyous Chan on Unsplash
Activity 5: Join A Calligraphy Community
Last but not least, you can try out calligraphy.
If you have always been fascinated by different fonts, styles of writing and how different inks work, calligraphy is for you!
It is also a hands-on skill as you pick up pens and brushes to craft letters and words that are aesthetically pleasing.
For those of you who are not unsure how to go about it, you can join a physical calligraphy community or an online community. You'll be surprised to find many people who constantly post their work on social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok as a means of art sharing.
You can also look for an art tutor who specialises in calligraphy to teach you the basics.
At Superprof, you can find many experienced art tutors from different locations in Malaysia. Just head to the Superprof Malaysia homepage and start browsing the tutors' profiles. From there, you'll learn more about the tutor's teaching style, years of experience, past reviews, teaching mode (physical/online lessons) and hourly rates.
You can enrol in flexible and interactive home lessons or online lessons. To look for online lessons, just remember to select the webcam filter in the search engine to see the available tutors offering online; lessons in your desired subject (in this case, calligraphy).
As you form new friendships and connections through these handcraft activities, remember to also stay active physically by exploring the benefits of doing sports to have a healthier and wholesome life in 2024.
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