If you’ve ever wished you could be one of those people who is really good at arts and crafts, this post is for you. It IS possible to learn how to be a crafty person!
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So, you want to be a successful crafter. But maybe your crafting history is full of Pinterest DIY fails, craft supplies you bought but never used, or half-finished craft projects that you gave up on long ago.
I get it! Crafting is not always easy.
When I was a kid, no older than 10, someone gave me this “boondoggle” craft kit for Christmas. But, oh boy, was it hard to learn! Trying to make a keychain out of that slick plastic lanyard was so frustrating…even if I got the braiding pattern right, it was so hard to grab hold of the plastic to pull them tight. If I didn’t keep a good grip on it, everything would just come unraveled.
Eventually, I gave up on it.
But then, several years later, I found the kit in my closet and decided to try it again. And this time, I succeeded! Not without a lot of sweat and tears, of course, but still, I did it!
To this day (some 20 years later), my mom and I both use boondoggle key chains that I made using the kit. They’re pretty handy!
How can you become a crafty person?
To be a crafty person—someone who is good at making arts and crafts—you have to want to be good at it. So, if you absolutely hate crafting, and you’re only doing it because that’s what you think you should do, or someone else expects you to do, then stop. You have to WANT to actually learn how to be a crafty person. I ultimately succeeded with the boondoggle keychain, because I wanted to be successful at it. So, it starts with your motivation.
Maybe you enjoy crafting, but you think you’re actually bad at it. Or you’ve never even tried to make anything, but you secretly have always wanted to. And you just really would like to be a successful crafter! If that’s the case, read on…
5 Secrets of Successful Crafters
Just because God made me creative, doesn’t mean I’m always “good” at crafts. Over the years, I’ve learned the ins and outs of how to be a crafty person. So if you want to be good at crafting, these are the craft tips and techniques that have helped me…
1) Find what you enjoy and are good at
Not every crafter is good at every craft. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different arts and crafts ideas, to find the things you enjoy and that you’re (at least a little bit) good at. And, by the same token, if there’s something you hate and absolutely aren’t good at, don’t do it!
I’ve discovered that I’m best at crafts that enable me to take pre-made parts, and make something pretty with them. I love paper crafting for that reason; it enables me to take different elements (stamps, ribbons, decorative paper), and make something beautiful. But don’t ask me to illustrate something from scratch! I can do it if I have to, but there are just so many more talented painters and illustrators out there, I’d rather leave that up to them.
Also, I can do pretty okay with certain sewing and needlecraft projects, but I generally don’t enjoy it as much as other crafts. My paternal grandmother loved to needlepoint…my maternal grandmother was excellent at crocheting…and my mom, she’s very gifted at sewing. Me, I’ve dabbled in all of those things, but they’re not my strong suit. So, with the exception of basic things (like making crochet potholders), I don’t do much sewing or needlecraft stuff.
Besides the aforementioned crafts, here are some other craft hobby ideas you could try:
- Bible journaling
- Friendship bracelet making
- Embroidery
- Cake decorating
- Paint by numbers
- Mosaics
- Painting objects (like wood or glass)
- Painting on canvas (with watercolor, acrylics, or oil paints)
- Pottery
- Screen printing
- Woodworking/carving
- Holiday wreath making
- Jewelry making/beading
And, if you want to “dip your toes in the water” (try a new craft without investing a lot of money up front), try taking a beginner class at your local craft store! Or, ask around to see if someone in your community does that particular craft, and if they would be willing to teach you. Especially with more involved crafts like oil painting or screen printing, you wouldn’t want to sink a ton of money into buying the equipment and supplies to do it, only to discover you actually hate it.
2) Stick with it…don’t give up too soon!
Once you find a craft you enjoy and are minimally decent at, stick with it! Even if you’re a natural, that natural ability can only get you so far. You’ll probably still find that you run into hiccups and frustrations that challenge your abilities. But, don’t quit just because you’re frustrated!
In some cases, it may help you (as it did me) to set your project aside for a while, and come back to it later. The important thing is, if you still enjoy it and really want to master that skill, to not give up.
3) Keep learning and improving
Like I said, even if you’re a natural at something, you’ll still need to work at it if you want to get really good. Case in point, I didn’t get good at hand lettering overnight. I bought a set of brush calligraphy markers, and just started looking for tutorials and practice sheets. At first, my lettering art was quite sloppy…but then, I improved! With practice, I’ve gotten better and better (and I continue to do so as time goes on).
So, if you want to get better at your craft(s), look for learning opportunities! Take a class, watch a video tutorial, look up “how to ___ (fill in the blank)”, or you could even find a local teacher who can mentor you. Practice your craft, and you’ll get better and better at it.
4) Embrace imperfection/don’t take yourself too seriously
The quest for unrealistic perfection is one that trips a lot of us up. It stands to reason, that if you set your expectations too high, you might be disappointed and thus want to quit. In other words, don’t think your first painting will be a masterpiece, if you’re a newbie and have no clue what you’re doing. But, even if you’re more advanced, no artist or crafter will ever be “perfect”!
At some point, you have to make peace with it…call it good enough, and it’s done. (I’ve found that this is especially important with something like painting on canvas, where I could keep going and going because there is still some detail I’m not 100% happy with. But I’ve had to learn to say, okay, that’s good enough!)
Quite often, the things we perceive as imperfections are really not even noticeable to others anyway! It’s kind of like staring at yourself in the mirror too closely…other people aren’t going to notice those nit-picky little things, so it’s best to not worry about it. Don’t let your crafting outcomes become your identity…God made you in His image, He loves you, and you are worth way more than the outcome of what you make or do.
5) Craft for a purpose
Finally, if you truly want to embrace how to be a crafty person, it helps to have a reason why you craft. What purpose or benefit do you get from crafting?
Maybe you knit because it’s therapeutic after a long workday. Or, you paint because it’s a fun activity you can do with your kiddos. Or, you make potholders to give as gifts. You might even learn to crochet hats just so you can give them to cancer patients at your local hospital.
For me, I do Bible journaling because it helps me study God’s Word + grow in my relationship with Jesus. I make handmade cards to bless my family and friends. And lots of other things, I make to give away as gifts. And sometimes (okay, all the time), I make things just because it’s fun!
What crafts do you want to be good at? Find what you enjoy, and stick with it. Keep learning how to be a crafty person, find ways to practice and improve your skills, and one day you’ll wake up and realize that, hey, you’ve actually gotten really good at that!
Hi! Thank you so much for visiting Divine Creative Love. I’m a Jesus-lovin’ girl, lettering artist, designer, and general creative-at-heart. And, I have narcolepsy. I blog about faith in God, overcoming challenges, and creative topics such as Bible journaling. If you’re new here, be sure and subscribe to my list so you won’t miss anything!