39 Most Fun Arts and Crafts for Adults to Relax and Unwind in 2024
Whether you’re browsing the craft store or scouring the internet, it can be hard to find great arts and crafts for adults. Creative craft projects for adults should always be a little challenging but relaxing for your mind, and leave you with a final product that you’re proud to show off.
Are you looking for arts and crafts to do at home? Wondering what are the new crafts for this year? From candle making to paper bead jewelry, check out our list of unique, fun and calming arts and crafts for adults!
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- Calming Arts and Crafts for Adults
- At-Home Arts and Crafts for Adults
- Unusual Arts and Crafts for Adults
Calming Arts and Crafts for Adults
1. Paint and Sip
What arts and crafts for adults could be more relaxing than a painting class? A painting class with wine, perhaps! Bring your friends, your spouse or yourself to paint and sip in Indianapolis, paint and sip in Los Angeles, paint and sip in Chicago or paint and sip near you to enjoy a glass or two while you paint your own masterpiece.
2. Pottery Classes
For folks who love to get their hands dirty, there’s nothing more refreshing than arts and crafts for adults like pottery making. Join pottery classes in Boston, pottery classes in San Diego, pottery classes in San Francisco or pottery classes near you.
Bring a friend or a group to sculpt memories together and go home with a craft you’re proud to use every day. It's one of the best gifts for crafters to learn new skills from talented artists.
3. Mason Jar Wind Chimes
Is there anything more calming than a gentle breeze through twinkling wind chimes? Enhance your daily outdoor time with mason jar wind chimes. Crafts by Amanda gives a great tutorial for making these relaxing arts and crafts for adults.
Fill a mason jar with river stones, crystals or glass beads, then string glass beads on wires to dangle below it. The glass beads will look beautiful when the sunlight hits them, and every time the breeze blows you’ll hear a twinkling sound from these delightful arts and crafts for adults.
4. Paper Tube Flower Wreath
Nearly every household has an abundance of paper tubes from toilet paper, paper towels or gift wrap. Upcycle them into beautiful arts and crafts for adults by creating a lovely paper tube flower wreath.
Cut your tubes into cross-section circles about 1/2 inch thick, then fold them flat to create oblong “petal” shapes. Put on some of your favorite music to get in the zone and relax while you fold and glue the petals together to create cardboard flowers. Lastly, glue the flowers together into a wreath, and spray paint or add glitter if desired.
5. Painted Birdhouses
Birdhouses are some arts and crafts for adults that you and your feathered friends are sure to love. Perfect for an Easter party idea, pick up a wooden birdhouse at the craft store or build a simple one yourself.
Explore fun birdhouse painting ideas with unique colors and designs, then hang it near a window and enjoy birdwatching in the spring.
6. Dip-Dye Hammock
Great arts and crafts for adults should feel fun to do and exciting to use when you’re done. To do this craft, you’ll need a standard braided hammock, your desired colors of Rit fabric dye and a few large buckets.
Mix your fabric dye and water in the large buckets, then dip each end of the hammock into the dye. Let one end soak for a while before dying the other end and rinsing. Alternatively, you can lay the hammock out on a tarp and “paint” on the dye, as blogger Kelly describes on Studio DIY.
7. Yarn Wall Hanging
Sometimes arts and crafts for adults are much easier than they look. To create this impressive and artsy wall hanging, all you’ll need is a dowel rod and a few colors of thin yarn.
Create bundles with 10-15 long pieces of yarn, fold the bundle in half, then put the bundle’s loop behind the dowel rod and pull the loose ends through it.
Repeat with your other yarn colors until you fill the length of the dowel rod, then trim the ends of the yarn so they taper down in the middle. Tie a string to the ends of your dowel rod so you can hang this lovely arts and crafts idea for adults.
8. Paint by Numbers
Like adult coloring books, paint by numbers kits are easy crafts for adults who love to follow a guide. These arts and crafts for adults typically come with paints and brushes included, so you don’t have to own a whole arsenal of supplies to complete them.
For extra fun, check out some online companies like Winnie's Picks that will create your own kit from a photo — an adorable idea for couples or pet portraits!
9. Adult Coloring Books
Need easy arts and crafts for adults that don’t require a lot of supplies? Pick up colored pencils and a few coloring books at your local art supply store or bookstore or print pages online.
Coloring books are excellent craft ideas for beginners because they are low-pressure — you won’t even have to color inside the lines!
10. Essential Oil Candles
Combine aromatherapy and arts and crafts for adults by creating toxin-free essential oil candles at home. Before beginning your candle making project, stock up on affordable but high-quality essential oils in your favorite natural scents like peppermint, lavender, lemon or cinnamon.
Glue your wicks to the bottom of your glass containers and use a popsicle stick or wick straightening tool to hold them upright. Melt 100 percent soy wax in a glass measuring cup, then add a generous amount of essential oil to the hot wax — about 30-40 drops per eight ounces of wax. Lastly, pour the wax mixture into heat-safe containers and allow it to cool.
11. Herb Sachets
Herbs sachets are great arts and crafts for adults because they can be used in closets, drawers or suitcases to naturally freshen the air. All you’ll need is small drawstring bags and several dried herbs like lavender, rosemary, thyme, lemon balm or orange peel.
Stuff the bags with your dried herbs and pull them tightly to close, then rub the bag between your palms to crush the herbs and release their scent.
12. DIY Weighted Blanket
Why is arts and crafts good for adults? Because it’s fun, obviously! But Healthline explains that arts and crafts for adults can also reduce stress, improve your mood and alleviate depression.
Weighted blankets also provide lots of health and psychological benefits, but their price tags can hurt your wallet. If you possess some basic sewing skills, Mama Smiles has a great tutorial for making your own weighted blanket. All you’ll need is blanket fabric or pre-made fleece blankets and polyfill “bean” pellets.
13. Natural Soaps
The best arts and crafts for adults involve making something wholesome and useful — no tacky stuff that’ll be thrown out in a few months. For this arts and crafts idea for adults, you’ll need essential oils or soap fragrances, a block of soap base (like shea butter or goat’s milk) and soap bar molds.
Melt a chunk of your soap base in an old pot on the stove, then add a few drops of essential oil, fragrance or dried herbs like lavender. Pour the hot liquid into your soap molds and allow it to dry completely. These calming crafts for adults make great gifts, too!
At-Home Arts and Crafts for Adults
14. Virtual Flower Arranging Classes
Need arts and crafts for adults who love to beautify their homes? Look no further than virtual flower arranging classes! Flower arranging is one of the best arts and crafts to do at home because you can really design your arrangement to suit your space.
Flower arranging classes make perfect arts and crafts for adults’ date night or girls' night ideas. These classes will show you how to create balanced and eye-catching arrangements from the comfort of your home.
15. Online Painting Classes
Online painting classes are perfect arts and crafts for adults to relax and be creative at home. Plus, they’re a great way to have fun and reconnect with friends, family or your partner. Help yourself to a glass of wine or a cocktail to turn your online painting experience into your own paint and sip.
16. Custom Painted Doormat
When people step up to your front door, your painted doormat will show them that you’re an expert at arts and crafts for adults.
For this simple, functional craft, you’ll need a blank coconut coir doormat, paintbrushes and exterior home paint in your color of choice. Tape off the borders and paint a fun pattern or freehand your very own doormat design.
17. Polymer Clay Mushroom Mobile
Love working with clay but don’t have a wheel or kiln at home? Polymer clay is one of the easiest arts and crafts for adults to express themselves in 3D, and you can bake it in your oven right at home.
Sculpt little mushroom caps and stems, making them as realistic or cartoonish as you’d like, then use a skewer to drill holes through the middle of each piece.
Bake your stems and caps according to the package directions, then allow them to cool completely. Lastly, decorate them with acrylic paint and string them on wires to hang from a dowel rod, stick or mobile.
18. Textured Boho Planters
DIY planters make excellent arts and crafts for adults with a green thumb. Take a break from gardening to pick up some cheap terra cotta pots and yarn, rope or patterned ribbon from your local craft supply store.
Tightly wrap the clay pots in your ribbon or rope and secure them with hot glue for unique, textured planters that look great on a bookshelf or countertop.
19. Glass Magnets
Don’t leave all the kitchen fun to your oven — deck out your fridge in some beautiful handmade glass magnets. To create these arts and crafts for adults, you’ll need large, clear glass beads, matte Mod Podge, magnet discs and scrapbook paper or small printed images.
Cut out the paper to fit the flat side of your glass bead, then “glue” down with Mod Podge so the image faces through the glass. Once dry, seal the back of the paper with another coat of Mod Podge.
Allow to dry completely, then superglue a magnet to the back and you’re done with these nifty arts and crafts for adults!
20. Coffee Filter Flowers
Need fun arts and crafts for adults that won’t require a trip to the craft store? All you’ll need for these unique faux flowers is coffee filters, food coloring and thin wire or bamboo skewer “stems.” Fold a coffee filter into eighths (four folds), then trim a wavy or scalloped edge around the edge of the filter.
Repeat for seven more filters, then stack your scalloped filters to create a flower. Dip it into a bowl of water with food coloring then allow the flowers to dry completely before fluffing out the petals and displaying them in a vase or jar. These make perfect Easter craft ideas!
21. Creative Cork Trivets
Another adorable kitchen idea, cork trivets are ideal arts and crafts for adults who love to cook and entertain. You’ll need cork tiles in various shades, scissors, a craft knife and hot glue. Cut one cork tile into a fun shape like a leaf, heart or house, then hot glue a different cork color on top for details.
Remember that cork is only heat-safe up to 392 degrees Fahrenheit, so if you’re pulling items from the oven at high heat, be sure to let them cool on the stove first. Otherwise, tea kettles, pots and mugs should all be fine for your gorgeous cork trivets.
22. Felt Ball Garland
A felt ball garland is one of the easiest arts and crafts for adults to add a touch of fun and whimsy to your home. All you’ll need is a spool of embroidery floss, a large embroidery needle and a set of premade colorful wool felt balls.
Cut your floss to the desired length of your garland, tie a knot at one end and thread the needle with the other end. Pierce your first felt ball through the middle and slide it down to the knot.
Repeat, spacing each felt ball about one to two inches apart until you reach the end of the floss, then tie a final knot and hang.
23. Stamped Tea Towels
This is one of the best arts and crafts for adults who love to keep a cute kitchen. Pick up some plain cotton tea towels, fabric paints and fun sponge stamps, or carve your own stamp designs out of potatoes.
Simply dip your stamps into fabric paint on a plate and press them onto your tea towels to create fun patterns or graphic designs.
24. Sunburst Gold Wreath
The best arts and crafts for adults look expensive but are very affordable and fun to make, like this wreath made from paper straws. Most paper straws are about seven to eight inches long, so leave some long and cut some into shorter five-inch and six-inch lengths.
Start by gluing your longest straws around the wreath form, evenly spaced, then fill in the gaps with the six-inch straws, then those gaps with the five-inch straws. You’ll want to leave the center of the wreath exposed to create a sunray effect. The result is a unique gold sunburst wreath that looks gorgeous as wall décor.
25. Revamped Wood Pieces
The best arts and crafts for adults should inspire you to fill your home with unique and useful items. If you’re in the market for a new stool, bench or side table, consider picking up an old piece from the secondhand store and revamping it to suit your personal style.
Take time to adorn your furniture piece with acrylic paint details like polka dots, flowers, birds, your pets or your family members.
Unusual Arts and Crafts for Adults
26. Sewing Classes
There are plenty of no-sew craft ideas for beginners out there, but knowing basic sewing skills can really level up your options for arts and crafts for adults. Not everyone knows how to sew, so if you’re looking for craft ideas for adults to sell, sewing crafts are a great option.
Sewing classes are a great place to learn new tricks, enhance your DIY skills and discover even more fun arts and crafts for adults. Bring friends or join a class on your own to have tons of fun making decorative and wearable fabric creations.
27. Woodworking Classes
Have you ever wondered what are the hottest-selling crafts? If you’re looking for craft ideas for adults to sell, home décor, tableware and furniture are some popular go-to's.
Woodworking classes make excellent arts and crafts for adults who love to work with their hands and sell their items for some extra dough. You’ll learn how to cut, sand and shape gorgeous furniture, home décor and more. Plus, when you leave this class, you’ll feel empowered to take on even more elaborate wood craft projects for adults.
28. Glass Blowing Classes
Some arts and crafts for adults can seem a little too kitschy, but glass blowing classes offer a fiery experience you’ll never forget. When it comes to unusual crafts for adults, it’s hard to beat working with molten glass. Come with a friend, partner or by yourself to enjoy the thrill of firing, twisting turning hot glass into artwork or home décor.
29. Paper Bead Jewelry
Have a stack of old magazines? Put them to good use by recycling them into arts and crafts for adults. Cut a magazine page into long, narrow triangles, then apply a thin layer of glue to the whole triangle.
Use a skewer or thin dowel rod to roll the glue side in on itself from the base to the tip of the triangle. Once you’ve created several paper beads, cover them in Mod Podge and allow them to dry. String them into bracelets or necklaces or hang them from earring hooks for unique and giftable jewelry.
30. Frosted Animal Cracker Pillows
Another eye-catching home décor item, frosted animal cracker pillows are one of the most fun arts and crafts for adults. All you’ll need is white or pink fabric, polyfill, a sewing machine or needle and thread and multicolored pom-poms for “sprinkles.”
Start by folding your fabric in half and tracing out a large animal cracker shape. Cut the shape from both layers so you have two pillow sides, then sew the sides together, leaving a small hole on one side. Flip the pillow cover inside out through the hole to hide the seams, then stuff it with polyfill and sew on a few pom-pom sprinkles.
31. Photo Transfer Wall Art
These arts and crafts for adults may seem complicated, but they’re surprisingly simple and leave you with some incredible custom wall art. Browse public domain artwork and images, or learn photography for beginners to create your own photos.
Once you’ve settled on a design, print your favorite images onto transfer paper. Iron the transfer paper face-down on a canvas until the image peels away.
Add your own unique touches with acrylic paint and you’ve got beautiful homemade wall art to display in your living room or bedroom.
32. Funky Fringe Chandelier
Unusual crafts for adults are all about creating conversation pieces, and what could be more conversation-worthy than a bright and quirky fringe chandelier?
To make this fun chandelier, you’ll need two lamp shade rings, several yards of long fringe trim, a pendant light kit and hot glue. For an in-depth tutorial on this chandelier, check out Studio DIY.
33. Collage Portraits
More eco-friendly arts and crafts for adults, collage portraits use old magazines to explore self portrait ideas, or create portraits of your family or your pets.
Cut out words, clothing pieces, body parts, makeup or anything else that inspires you and layer them on a canvas. When you’re done, allow the glue to dry before sealing the collage with clear Mod Podge.
Portraits can involve so much more than physical appearance, so use these arts and crafts for adults to express unique facets of your personality. Include clippings with your fashion style, favorite music, creative hobbies, inspirational phrases and more.
34. Glitter Wine Glasses
DIY glitter wine glass painting ideas are one of the best arts and crafts for adults who plan to host a party on New Year's Eve. These shiny, shimmer glasses will make your guest want to cheers to your creativity all night long.
Clean your glasses with alcohol to remove any residue, then mark off your desired glittery area with tape. Apply glass glue, then roll, dip and sprinkle with glitter until it’s evenly coated.
Shake off the excess, remove the tape, and seal the glitter with clear sealing spray and these arts and crafts for adults are ready to party.
35. Brilliant Colored Glass Jars
Looking for easy arts and crafts for adults who are getting married soon? Colored glass jars make a gorgeous table centerpiece, they’re very affordable and fun to make!
Start by preheating your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, then mix two parts glue, one part water and a few drops of food coloring in a disposable cup.
Pour the glue mixture into your glass jars or second-hand vases, then swirl and turn until the inside is covered. Drain out the excess glue, then bake the jars on a cookie sheet for one hour.
36. Gilded River Stones
Rock painting is a common activity to do with kids, but there is a way to transform it into arts and crafts for adults: by using gold leaf. Gold leaf (or faux gold leaf) is a very thin, foil-like material that adds a beautiful metallic shine when glued down.
Sketch the outline of your desired design onto the surface of a river stone, then “paint” inside the lines with metal leaf adhesive. Wait until the adhesive becomes tacky, then apply your gold leaf flat onto the stone.
Gently rub the gold leaf away to reveal the design where it sticks to the stone, then seal with clear sealant spray.
37. Photo Coasters
Commemorate a special occasion, road trip or family vacation with handmade photo coasters. These coasters make great arts and crafts for adults who love giving sentimental gifts.
Start by trimming and adhering your photos to small, square ceramic tiles with Mod Podge. Once dry, paint another thin coat of Mod Podge over the top of the image and let dry, then seal with clear glaze spray. Stick little foam or felt “feet” to the back for a non-scratch finish.
38. Nail Polish Marble Mugs
If you’re wondering “What can I craft when I am bored or uninspired?”, this may be just the craft for you. Lots of people love the carefree art form of pour painting, but did you know you could transfer this art style into other similar arts and crafts for adults?
Add a few drops of nail polish into a large bowl of water, then hold the rim of a white mug and quickly dip it into the water. When you lift it out, you’ll find that the nail polish magically creates a marble effect! To avoid damaging your beautiful artwork, remember to handwash these mugs.
39. Handmade Mousepad
Arts and crafts for adults can also help you express yourself at the office with a creative handmade mousepad. You’ll need a round cork tile, Mod Podge and scrapbook paper or patterned fabric for this DIY.
Place your cork circle on top of the scrapbook paper or fabric to trace out and cut the perfect size. Apply Mod Podge to the cork and the “wrong” side of the paper or fabric and press together, smoothing out and air bubbles. Let dry, then seal the face of the mousepad with another coat of Mod Podge.
Engaging in arts and crafts for adults is one of the best ways to reconnect with yourself and your loved ones. In our busy lives, sometimes we forget to appreciate our own creativity and handy ideas.
We hope this list of arts and crafts for adults will invite some childlike wonder back into your daily life and give you results that you’re proud to show off!
For even more fun art ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!
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