Are you looking for something to make with the kids to give you all a bit of a boost? Or do you need a creative space to retreat to in troubled times to make you feel happier and more fulfilled? We've got great ideas for feel good creative makes for all levels and abilities right here! Whatever your skill level or craft of choice, or whatever materials you have to hand, there will be something for you to discover here. Read on for our mood-boosting makes!
Make an easy origami cat
Discover a fun new technique by getting to grips with the origami folds you need to make this cute little cat. Use any paper you have in your stash, or make them as gifts and write messages on the paper before you fold.
Try our easy origami cat tutorial
Make delicious chocolate truffles
Chocolate releases feel-good hormones in your body. But rather than just getting on the manufactured chocolate sugar train, invest some time and love into your chocolate fix by making your own truffles. This recipe from Becki Clark on the Mollie Makes website is lower sugar and vegan, too. Cover the truffles with different crunchy or crumbly coating to mix up mouth sensations too for extra enjoyment. Make a batch for you and batch for a friend – Becki's tutorial also includes techniques for natural dying your own gift packaging if you'd like to try that as well.
Find the Palentines Day truffles and natural wrap tutorial
Aloha! Craft a tropical garland
All you need is a few sheets of coloured paper, some string or twine and our free templates to make a botanical garland to boost your living space.
Download our Tropical Garland Templates here
Crochet a granny square... or two
Ah the humble granny square! Easy to make even if you're brand new to crochet and you don't need a huge yarn stash to make these happy-making crochet treats. They're super soothing to make and you can build up a collection gradually then connect them together to make the ultimate in comfort crafting – a granny square blanket!
Explore our free granny square patterns
DIY headbands
Why not use your crafting skills to add a homemade touch to whatever you're wearing with a home-sewn headband? This quick and easy make is the perfect project to show off that fabric you've been hoarding for ages but can't bear to cut into. Now you can wear it with pride!
Throw an Easter Egg hunt
Ok so Easter may be a few weeks away but we dare you not to be cheered by these super-cute Easter Egg hunt ideas. Find out how to make Easter bunting, a woven Easter egg hunt basket and a carrot gift bag with our free tutorial. Plus order some mini eggs with your next online food shop and you can set up a hunt around the house too!
Head to our free Easter printables to get started
Pretty as a picture
These easy crochet picture frames only need 1 ball of yarn each – whip them in in your brightest colours to give plain walls a boost and show off treasured prints from your digital photo collection.
Free crochet picture frame patterns
Whip up a rainbow-bright baby blanket
Ok so we've already mentioned the therapeutic power of making a granny square, but add serious rainbow vibes to the mix and you have the recipe for the happiest of craft magic to happen.
How to make a granny square baby blanket
Make a double shaker kinetic card
Shaker cards are always fun to make and receive – they have windows with bits inside them that rattle and shake when you move the card. This card has two shakers, and many other secrets that are revealed when you play with it. We have all the printable artwork and templates you need to make this card, plus written and video instructions for you, too!
Discover the shaker card tutorial
Cheer up kids' trousers with a monster patch
Now, colour us peculiar if you need to, but adding a character to trousers is going to make us feel better. If you have a child who is wearing out their jeans, you can get an extra burst of upcycling joy with this make, but we think it would be totally appropriate to cut a hole in our own adult trousers to augment them with their own monster resident.
Click for the DIY easy monster costume ideas
Try paint scraping
This so so much fun to do and great for making your own brightly-coloured papers and backgrounds! All you need is some liquid paints and a plastic scraper - a credit-card-style plastic card will do in a pinch! A credit card would do, but you may want to save it for your purchases...
Watch the paint making card tutorial
Decorate your feet
Just because you are staying at home, you don't need to wear your slippers all day! Show your topes some love with these beautiful barefoot sandals, which you can crochet in just a morning in any colours you have at home. Embellished toes are happy toes.
Find the free barefoot sandals crochet pattern
Learn a new stitch pattern to make potted pals
This trio of knitted cacti are a great mini project to practice knit patterns – each cactus showcases a different one. And you don't normally get the chance to pot up your swatches and stuff them as easy-care house plants! You can even use them as pincushions to give them extra prickles if you want to.
Click for the knitted cactus pattern
Staycation from the sofa
Escape to the Great Outdoors without leaving your home with these whimsical printables papers and toppers. You don't need to have any previous card making skills to put together some simple but stylish cards from our free camping papers. All you need is a printer, some scissors and glue and a little imagination.
Find the free cute camping papers
Cross stitch your dream outfit
These 6 party dress patterns are stitched on perforated paper – paper regularly punched with holes to use as a background grid. Once you've stitched your favourite, simply cut it out and stick it to the front of a card that you've drawn a hanger on. Alternatively, stitch the whole set and then draw a doll onto the card that you can dress up.
Find the free vintage dress cards pattern
Celebrate your home
You don't need any previous experience with embroidery to create this blanket stitch bird appliqué hanging for you home. Or if you don't have an embroidery hoop to display it as a hanging, it works wonderfully on a child's dress or cardi, too!
Click for the How to do Blanket Stitch tutorial
Try the most soothing hand-patchwork ever
You don't need a sewing machine or any previous experience of sewing to try sewing simple patchwork projects by hand. If you've never heard of it before, we're happy to introduce you to English Paper Piecing! This lovely hand-stitching method involves wrapping small fabric scraps around paper shapes (like hexagons or diamonds) and then sewing your shapes together before removing the inner paper templates. Want to learn more?
Head to our Beginner's guide to English Paper Piecing
