Photo: Laura James

What new craft should I try?

7 Creative Hobbies to Take Up in the New Year Knitting. Dispel any preconceived notions about this traditional craft: Knitting is no longer just considered your grandmother's pasttime. ... Painting. ... Hand Lettering. ... Bullet Journaling. ... Sewing. ... Embroidery. ... Crocheting.

marthastewart.com - 7 Creative Crafting Hobbies to Take Up in the New Year | Martha Stewart

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As the old year comes to a close and a new year begins, we are filled with hope to make this year better than the last. Often, we promise to do this by making various resolutions that we really do intend on keeping... but tend to languish after the end of January. We believe that if there is one thing you should stick to in 2019, it ought to be to take on a new hobby. Creative crafts like knitting, crocheting, and painting are actually good for you. They boost your mood, relieve stress, and improve cognitive abilities. (Not to mention, they're fun.) All you have to do is pick one and stick to it (or in our case... stitch to it.)

1. Knitting

Dispel any preconceived notions about this traditional craft: Knitting is no longer just considered your grandmother's pasttime. These days, everyone is picking up a pair of needles and yarn. (If you ask us, we've always considered finger-knitting to be one of our favorite techniques.) Once you learn how to cast on, knit, purl, and cast off again, and learned about the different kinds of yarn, you're ready to make something of your own! Just take a look at our knit hats, mittens, blankets, and other comfy, cozy projects.

valentines-jewelry-dish-3-4670-d112853.jpg Credit: Mike Krautter

2. Painting

You don't need to be a born Picasso-just a paint brush, a palette of colors, and a willingness to learn. There are countless techniques to try in different finishes: acrylics, oils, watercolor, or even glitter-painting. Try working with stencils-they come in every shape and size imagineable to make that perfect pattern. Experiment with different tools and materials to find a style you like. The world is your canvas, and your craft room is a good start.

handlettering-working-desk-0236-d112852-left.jpg Credit: Ryan Liebe

3. Hand Lettering

You've seen it on Instagram. So why not try it yourself? We promise it isn't as hard as it looks, no matter if you're right-handed or left-handed. Hand lettering, a more relaxed form of calligraphy, is a simple skill to make your handwritten scrawl appear prettier on paper. Start with a standard typeface as your guide, then make it your own with decorative touches, such as curlicues and leafy laurels. From there, you can quickly personalize cards, chalkboard signs, and gifts of all kinds. The effect is charmingly old-fashioned yet freshly modern all at once.

The bullet journal is quickly gaining popularity as an organizational method.

4. Bullet Journaling

Move over, scrapbooking. The beauty in bullet-journaling is that there's no true wrong or right way to do it. You can catalogue your daily meditations and errands; include pictures, tokens, and remnants of past memories strewn about; or plan ahead for the future. It can be formatted by topic, page number, short sentences, and bullets. It's all up to you.

msl_aug06_org_sewing.jpg

5. Sewing

embroidery-bird-in-hoop-detail-2-093-d111671.jpg Credit: NGOC MINH NGO

6. Embroidery

Embroidering is essentially for those who love to restore something old and with a few quick needle jabs you'll have something new to behold. Learn a few basic stitches: a cross stitch, french knot, blanket stitch, etc... and you will be well on your way to custom-embroidering everything from napkins to mittens to tea towels to full-sized quilts, and everything in between. You'll have any holiday, birthday, or other life milestone handled knowing how to embroider a monogram, name, or date.

working yard around wooden wring crochet wreath Credit: Shanna Sullivan

7. Crocheting

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How do you organize a messy workshop?

Here are some tips on how to get your workshop organized to let you work on your projects without clutter. Start with a Clean Slate. ... Build Your Shelves. ... Open Shelving. ... Budget Conscious Shelving. ... Get Creative with Gutters. ... Pegboard. ... Organizing Cords. ... Copper Tubing.

gensteel.com - How to Organize a Workshop - 9 DIY Friendly Ideas | General Steel

The first thing you should do when you begin to organize your workshop is to wipe your slate clean. Take everything out of the shop, then sort everything out into categories. Make a pile for the old things you no longer need, like various odds and ends leftover from old projects that you have been holding onto just in case you ever needed them. If it has been longer than a year since you set those aside, now is the time to let them go. You should also include in this pile the empty cases you have lying around for tools; if you never put the tool in the case, there is no need for it.

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