Too often, adults get caught up in needing to be “good” at a hobby, rather than just having fun with it. Doing arts and crafts is no exception. Even if you do not consider yourself to be a highly creative person, you can still enjoy making art. Below is a list of some art forms that either are so easy a kid can do it, or art that follows a set of rules and patterns that are a little more difficult.
Coloring
Is there anything more nostalgic than sitting down and using a coloring book? If you are looking for something simple and easy, use a kid’s coloring book and some crayons. If you want something a little more advanced, get an adult coloring book and some colored pencils. There are loads of crayon and colored pencil techniques videos online that can teach anyone how to make their colorings look more creative or detailed. Remember, it’s all in the shading. Don’t be afraid to color outside the lines!
Origami
Origami is the perfect art project for someone without a creative bone in their body, but who loves…. folding papers? All you need to make origami is paper– no glue, tape, or scissors. To put it simply, all Origami is the ancient Asian art of folding paper to make unique shapes or figures. Most often, origami is used to make animal figures.
All you need to do is follow some instructions to make the right folds. There are a bunch of free instructions online to choose from. What are you waiting for? Get folding.
Cross Stitch
If you are looking for a little bit of a challenge and something to take up more time, then cross-stitching could be the perfect project for you. Cross stitching is similar to embroidery, but it followers a stricter (and yet easier) pattern.
When cross stitching, you will be making tiny Xs out of string on cloth. This cloth is usually perforated with little squares. This works as a guide to keep all of the stitches in line with each other. Most likely, you will use different colors to make some kind of picture. You will know where to put each X and in what color based on a cross-stitch chart. These will sometimes have symbols or color blocks.
If you get really good at cross-stitching, you can eventually learn how to make your own patterns. You can also step it up a notch by trying embroidery. Embroidery usually has several types of different stitches in it, which ups the difficulty factor. It also makes for more types of designs. Don’t get too scared, most embroidery also follows some kind of pattern.
Beadwork
Admittedly, “beadwork” is something of an umbrella term, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are so many things people can do with beads, some more creative and difficult than others. Probably the easiest type of beadwork involves making jewelry or keychains. These are not usually the most elaborate kinds of artwork, but they can still be fun to make. Embrace your inner child and make some chunky jewelry for your friends.
If you want to make things a little tricker, but also make more complex bead art, you can try to make bead animals. Many adults should remember the classic bead snakes and bead lizards. Well, as it turns out, there are way more kinds of animals and shapes you can make with just a little bit of string and a lot of beads. These bead shapes and critters are usually put on keychains, but feel free to use them however you want. Just follow the pattern and be on your way.
Art is totally subjective; there isn’t really a good or bad. What’s most important is that you have fun while making it, and you don’t need to be super creative to do so. Try one of these art forms to see if you can find your new favorite project.
