Get hands-on with your hobbies

With time on your hands and imagination to spare, there’s loads of different arty crafts you can master. From painting, to knitting to calligraphy, there’s something for everyone.

Here are a few great resources to help you find your new favourite hobby…

Learn to draw

If you haven’t picked up a pencil since school, then lockdown is the ideal opportunity. You can try your hand at anything from line drawings, cartoons, comics, realistic portraits, or even just a doodle while you’re on the phone.

YouTube is an endless resource for learning art techniques. Just search for the type of drawing you’d like to practice, and you’ll find a whole host of step-by-step tutorials.

To start you off, check out this great video on how to draw faces for beginners.

Embellish with embroidery

Renowned for being very therapeutic, embroidery might just be the perfect quarantine activity. Not only will the stress lift with every stitch, you’ll also create something beautiful to decorate your home or give as a gift.

Search ‘embroidery starter kit for beginners’ online and you’ll find sets that contain everything you need to get going, including the fabric, embroidery hoop, needles and thread.

Once you’ve got the essentials, head to YouTube and explore the channels dedicated to embroidery. HandiWorks is a great starter; they have loads of embroidery tutorials, along with how-to guides for stitching and ribbon decoration.

Knit away or go crochet

The fundamental difference between knitting and crocheting is that knitting uses two needles whilst crocheting uses one hook. While they both take a fair bit of patience; crocheting is thought to be both quicker and more forgiving if you make a mistake.

Hands on hobbies like this are best learnt visually, so here’s a helpful video showing you the basics of crochet, including what equipment you’ll need.

If you like a challenge and want to try knitting, this article by Sheep & Stitch is a great introduction for beginners. It features YouTube videos and advice about what type of yarn and needles to purchase.

Pick up a paintbrush

Painting might be one of the messier hobbies to pick up, but it can also be very rewarding. Just like drawing, there are endless resources dedicated to improving your skills, but first you’ll need the tools of the trade.

Search ‘Painting kit for beginners’ online and you’ll find complete sets that include paints, brushes, a canvas and a palette. Acrylic is probably the most beginner-friendly paint of choice, but you can also find oil or watercolour sets if you fancy it. If you don’t want to spend too much money, old cardboard works as a makeshift palette and you can paint on pretty much anything – paper, card or even wood.

Once you’re set up, it’s time to start painting! Here’s a great step-by-step video of how to paint a beautifully simple sunset landscape .

Get creative with calligraphy

Calligraphy may look intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Whilst traditional calligraphy is an exact science, ‘modern calligraphy’ allows more room for creativity, so anyone can give it a try.
All you need to get started is a brush pen and some good quality paper, both of which are easily available to order online.

You’ll find a great introduction to modern calligraphy on a YouTube channel called ‘The Happy Ever Crafter’. The videos explore the basic strokes needed for every letter of the alphabet, as well as the type of pen and paper that’s preferable for beautiful calligraphy.

Once you’ve got the hang of the basic strokes, you’ll be able to find lots of other videos on the topic to reinforce and expand your learning. Alternatively, there are also workbooks available that you can use to master your art.

We hope these ideas have got your creative juices flowing. Now, go craft the next great masterpiece.