Getting sucked into crafting is almost too easy. You start with a small project. You get absorbed. You learn to master the task and you feel that little rush of pride when you complete a project or gift your first hand-crafted item.
Soon, you’re hooked. You read all the latest blogs and magazines, eagerly send off for new supplies and scale up to new skills and ever more ambitious projects. Seeing why people love crafting is the easy part. What’s not so easy is finding enough time for it.
With jobs, families and busy lives, the time we get for our favorite hobbies is the first thing that gets squeezed. So, can you make more time for the things that make you happy?
Acknowledge The Importance of Crafting In Your Life
Despite the satisfaction and pride we get from our projects and the sense of well-being they give us, too many of us are either guilty at dedicating time to them or don’t place enough importance and what they give to us.
Sure, they are a hobby and a luxury, but studies have found that crafting also cuts down stress and anxiety, boosts our self-esteem and makes us feel more connected with ourselves. So crafting is essentially a form of self-care, and an important investment in our wellbeing.
Having a creative outlet is important because it’s when we are utterly absorbed in a task and focused only on the work that we come to a state of mindfulness. Our mental health is a serious matter – so should our crafting be. So ditch the guilt over making time for it.
Keep Your Supplies To Hand
If there’s one thing for sure, it’s that with crafting comes a huge amount of supplies, and that can equal absolute chaos if we don’t keep them carefully stored and organized. From craft blades and cutting mats to crochet hooks and that must-have Tim Holtz Side-Order, everything needs to have its place.
A great way to organize supplies is with a project bag. So if you do find yourself with an unexpected spare half an hour, instead of wasting most of it gathering together materials or even being put off by the thought of hunting for those specific beads or off-cut of fabric, you have everything in one place. Use an A4 zip bag to divide up materials for particular pieces of work and keep them together.
Also, if there are tools you use that have a crossover with ordinary household items (scissors, glue sticks, pencils etc) make sure to keep separate ones just for crafting in their own pencil case or box. That way you won’t face a last-minute dash around the house to locate something that someone else has borrowed. If you don’t have a dedicated crafting room, it’s even more important to keep all your materials together.
Create a Crafting Group
If you need more of an incentive to set aside some time, why not organize a crafting group? Some people need a spur to make time, and some love the companionship a group can provide. With social media channels, and dedicated crafting groups on Facebook it’s easier than ever to pull together like-minded people in your local area, so be brave and reach out.
All you need is a large table and chairs – plus you can bring some refreshments, or arrange to meet at a cafe if you don’t fancy hosting in someone’s home. Groups can be a brilliant way to learn and develop your skills, keep inspired if you hit a rocky patch with a big project and dedicate real time to what you want to work on. Different but complementary skills will encourage you to try new things.
Take Down The Time Thieves
If you just don’t know where the time disappeared last week, then you can use a list or a timer app to actually find out where those minutes and days are going. You make find there are loads of areas that can easily be swapped for crafting time – wasted time scrolling through Twitter for one.
Consider batch cooking family meals so that you can free up time each evening. If you have small children consider setting up reciprocal play dates so that you may have their friends one evening, but the next they’re over at someone else’s and you have some time back. Little gains will quickly add up to bigger blocks of time to dedicate to crafting.
It’s important to prioritize things that truly fulfill you and make you happy, make crafting top of your list today.
