Yes! And here are 5 festive projects you’ll love
The festive season is upon us and we are incredibly excited about getting into the spirit. But with all the wonderful music and decorations surrounding us, it’s easy to forget that Christmas wasn’t always such a spending-heavy holiday. If you feel like you want to get back to a more heartfelt and personal festive experience, then you might want to give arts and crafts a go! Even as adults, creating your own decorations and gifts can be such a rewarding experience. So, here are some festive arts and crafts projects that you’ll love!
Project 1: Gifts
Christmas isn’t all about gift giving but if you do want to give something special to show someone that you care, why not try making something homemade with love?
1. DIY jewellery
Jewellery is always a meaningful gift to give for Christmas and you can make it that little bit extra special by making it yourself. One of our favourite types of homemade jewellery are polymer clay earrings. They’re bang on trend and the design options for how to create them are endless. From colours to styles, you can let your imagination run wild and you don’t need to buy a lot of supplies to get started! We recommend taking a look at this tutorial to get started on your first jewellery-based arts and crafts project.
DIY CLAY EARRINGS | POLYMER CLAY EARRINGS | HOW TO MAKE POLYMER CLAY EARRINGS
2. Homemade candles
If you’re looking for a universally-appreciated gift, you can’t go wrong with a scented candle. Making it yourself gives you the freedom to really personalise the gift to suit the person you are making it for. You can have a go at creating your own scents, colours and finding quirky containers to pour your candle wax into to make the perfect homemade gift and really show them you care. We have come across this easy beginners guide to candle making to help you get started with this fun arts and crafts activity for adults.
FULL & easy beginners guide to Candle Making
Project 2: Decorations
You can find all sorts of Christmas decorations at the shops, but your tree will look even more special this year if you take a go making them yourself, from scratch. Let’s face it, nothing is more special than hanging the decorations that your grandchildren have made for you in school. If you want to bring more joy into your decorations and start making your own arts and crafts, here are some options:
1. Homemade glitter baubles
Now, this would be a terrible arts and crafts list if glitter weren’t mentioned at least once, but don’t worry -this activity won’t have you picking glitter up until Easter! These glitter baubles are completely contained so you don’t have to worry about any of it falling out. You can choose to either keep them plain or add your own unique personalisation. Take a look at this handy guide to learn how you can incorporate glitter into your festive crafting time!
DIY CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS WITH GLITTER | The BEST Step By Step Video For Beginners
2. Homemade Christmas wreath
Nothing says Christmas quite like a wreath on the door and if you’re struggling to find one that suits your front door , why not try making one? They’re surprisingly easy to make and you can make them even more impressive by adding some battery powered lights! Check out this easy guidance for arts and crafts for adults.
Make Your Own Christmas Wreath | This Morning
Project 3: Table settings
Seeing the table dressed up for Christmas is something that makes the whole family smile and if you want to go the extra mile this year, you can DIY the decor. These crafts are very easy and will give you some time to yourself to relax over a crafting project during the festive period.
1. Tissue paper Christmas crackers
Christmas crackers have become staples at most people’s Christmas dinner; however, the contents are always a little bit predictable and the loud bang can even put some people off.We love these tissue paper crackers because you can fill them with whatever you want and they look pretty lovely too!
EASY DIY Christmas Crackers!! Craft For Kids!! Tissue Paper Tube Craft!
2. Mason jar vases
Faux flowers and pine branches are great decorations to have on your table at Christmas and you can add some extra festive cheer by decorating the jars. You also don’t have to just use them as vases only, you can add some lights for a soft glow in the evening too.
Dollar Tree Christmas DIY 2019 | Christmas Farmhouse Home Decor | Glass Jars
Project 4: Christmas cards
One of our favourite Christmas traditions is sending thoughtful cards to family and friends. You want the people you love to know how much you care about them and a wonderful way to show that is through handmade christmas cards.
1. Simple Christmas cards
Rather than getting something generic off the shelf, this way you can create something truly personal and unforgettable. People end up loving these cards so much that we’ve seen the tradition spread and have had friends send handmade cards back the following year. Looking for some inspiration? Take a look at this simple crafting guide for some easy and creative designs to follow.
Chirstmas Card Making/ How to Make Christmas Card/ Christmas Greeting Card Handmade/ Christmas DIY
2. Pop-up Christmas cards
If you want to take your Christmas cards to the next level then why not try a pop up card? These are even more fun to make and are positively whimsical! If you try your hand at these pop-up cards, you know that anyone who receives one will absolutely love it.
3D Christmas Pop Up Card | How To Make Christmas Tree Greeting Card
Project 5: Scrapbooks
Whether it’s a gift for someone you love or simply a way to save some wonderful Christmas memories, we can’t recommend making a scrapbook enough!
1. Photo album
We particularly love using photo albums as gifts to share our favourite memories with family and friends. You can draw, add decorations and even write personal notes on the pages between the photos.
A couple of tips you can use to make it even more memorable is by getting a classic polaroid camera, to take incredibly candid photos that will make you laugh and reminisce in joy. Another great idea is leaving pages at the end so that the person that receives the album can add to it too… maybe make it a reciprocal gift that you return with new pages every year!
Christmas Mini Album for 6″ x 4″ Photos | Christmas Workshop 2018
2. Classic scrapbooks
Last but certainly not least on this festive arts and crafts list is the classic scrapbook and we’ve placed it last on the list for good reason. That’s because it’s one of our favourite activities to enjoy once Christmas is over.
After the festivities have ended, you can take bits and pieces of your favourite decorations and gifts and then put them in your scrapbook. It allows you to have a collection of your best memories from the Christmas before and look back on it whenever you want.
If you enjoy it, then you can even turn it into an annual tradition and involve your grandchildren too!
Easy to Make Christmas Mini Album Scrapbook Flip Book Polly’s Paper Studio Tutorial Echo Park DIY
Benefits of arts and crafts for adults
While getting into a craft project can be a lot of fun and really help you to personalise your decorations and gift giving, there are a lot more health benefits too.
Creative projects like arts and crafts can have tremendous benefits for your health in both subtle and more obvious ways. For example, it can be a wonderful way to improve your mental health by reducing stress and keeping anxiety levels low. Similarly, it has also been proven to improve people’s self-esteem and really make us feel good about ourselves.
But it’s not just your emotional and mental wellbeing that crafting can support. There are actually physical benefits too, such as enhancing your motor skills.
Finally, it’s fun that you can enjoy with others too! It’s a great social activity and a wonderful way to bond with your loved ones in person or over a video call!
Final Thoughts
So, if you’re looking to make this Christmas the most personal and heartfelt holiday yet, then why not get involved in some fun arts and crafts projects. Whether you want to make some wonderful gifts that will be cherished forever, or just to decorate in a really magical way, our crafting projects are the perfect choice. And there’s no reason to limit your creativity as there are tons of exciting craft ideas out there just waiting to be found.
Where can I find good arts and crafts inspiration and groups?
If you’re looking for a place to find regular arts and crafts tutorials, experienced teachers and friendly creative groups to share your project progress with, look no further than The Joy Club. We are an online activity club for people in later life who enjoy keeping busy! Try new things with live online events, feel inspired by uplifting articles and meet people who share your interests at The Joy Club.
Premium membership costs just £5 per month, giving you access to over 40 talks, classes and activities each month plus new and exclusive articles and videos every day, with a comments section so you can chat with fellow members. New members get a one-month, no obligation free trial.
Interested? Click here to find out more and sign up for free today!
