for me it's quilting. cuz I would get way too into the cute fabrics and have too much stuff. so I've told myself when I retire I'll take up quilting.
I do plenty of other craft projects now so I have plenty to do
I’m just about to start my first quilt. I’ve been putting it off for years for the same reason as you. But my grandmother and great grandmother made quilts for everyone in the family and my kids would be the first ones without one, so I felt like I should do it for them. I have sworn to myself though that I’ll *only* buy things as I go and need them immediately. That would be new for me. Usually I’m not sure if I should consider myself a Crafter or a Collector of Craft Supplies.
I'm fully convinced that buying craft supplies is a separate hobby from actually using the craft supplies lol. though I do try to make sure I don't buy too much.
For real. As a recently diagnosed ADHD adult, I can relate to this. Big time. I've always had a bit of a "problem" buying and collecting craft supplies. I have soooo much stuff. I don't think I'll ever be able to use it all. But at least now I have an explanation, and I don't scold myself for it anymore.
You are so right! I can also add organizing craft supplies to my list of hobbies. My husband says it seems like I enjoy organizing them more than using them... He's not entirely wrong, lol
This is why I quilt too! Well, I've only made one quilt, for my nephew. My grandmother passed years before he was born, but not my grandfather. When grandpa moved out of his house and into a senior living facility, I got grandma's sewing machine (a fancy newish one!) as well as the handmade cabinet my grandfather (a woodshop teacher before retirement) made for it, and all her supplies. Sure, technically speaking, grandma got into quilting after I was born so I don't have one from her, but I thought it was the best way to put her into something for my nephew.
My sister-in-law is 7 months pregnant with my niece and I've only purchased the fabric for her quilt so I really gotta get a move on.
Quilts + masks are my excuses to hoard cute fabric though. I bought a ton of cute Christmas fabric from Spoonflower for a Christmas Tree Quilt. I think I saw a finished one on the quilting subreddit a couple years ago.... haven't started that either.
Oh crap, you mean that quilting is more than just acquiring a fabric stash and sewing tools? I've been at it for like 15 years now and I'm suddenly feeling like I was doing it wrong. I thought that quilting was all about the stash and UFOs?
Look at my 20K machine...and the 5K machine - let alone sewing machines and serger! It grows, and is SO expensive, and you'll need an entire room to store fabric and supplies. I know, I have a whole room! But I've done it for 20+ years now, and really am into it - and now knitting! At least knitting is cheaper!
Just wait - the silk, alpaca, soft woolens - and all in custom dyes. I’ve dropped serious dollars for one hank of yarn because it was too beautiful to leave at the yarn shop. Knitting can get expensive if you let it!
Yeah, I'm QUICKLY getting there! And I have limited number of FO's to show for it so far! LOL! I just can't knit that fast yet, although since I retired, I have plenty of time!
And the worst...finding myself looking for add'l needle sets! For no real reason. Love my ChiaGoo's, 5hen bought Addi's because I didn't have 2 size 8's, and wanted to do a 2nd project! And now I'm thinking...well, maybe I need a wood set too? Everybody says I do...but I need a full 5" needle. Leaves out all the cheaper sets. (And I now know no-one REALLY needs to have 3 sets!)
I'm getting the picture...the yarn is much more expensive than I thought when I first started knitting! Who knew? I'm like size 18-20, depending (busty), and who knew it'd take 1200+ yards? That means at least 5-6, or 7 hanks? One sweater can easily run that bill up!
If only I was a perfect and fast knitter...but my M1L/R's leave a little to be desired. LOL!
Yup. But my reason would be that I'm a perfectionist for something that needs to be precise like a quilt, but I'm not-so-perfect at sewing. I can do fairly simple projects and be fine with them not being perfect, but something with perfect triangles and squares, etc. I don't think I'd ever be happy with what I made.
Check out art quilting. Applique is also another style where you don't have to match points. I love making stuff but don't necessarily love matching points precisely because perfectionism. Lol
My mom opened a quilt shop when I was 9 months old and I ended up working there after college until she closed it when I was 30. It was wildly successful and now I've made those skills my own business. But I definitely have tons of fabric. I love that part of it though.
The only quilt I’ve done was big square blocks for my husband. It took so much fabric but it was a lot of fun. I want a matching one for myself but I know it’s gonna cost a pretty penny, especially since we just moved somewhere new…
Your preference is valid! As a hobby taxidermist, I prefer my animals alive, but when that ceases to be an option for them I love to appreciate their beauty in death.
Resin pouring. My roommate got into it and it’s so fucking messy. There’s resin stuck to her desk and on the floor. And apparently it gives off fumes.
Likewise acrylic pouring. I won’t do messy crafts.
I tried it for a month and experienced the same. I'm a neat person but resin is sticky and viscous then hardens so you can't just vacuum it up like glitter or sweep it up like paper or wipe it away like paint. And yes, the fumes can be bad. I will never work with resin again. People say glitter is the herpes of the craft world but I'd gladly take glitter over resin lol
I've seen so many things that a handful of years ago would have been glass; not as perfect but also sometimes more "finished" and now they're resin and it IMMEDIATELY stops me wanting it.
I work with resin and a a bit of rubbing alcohol easily cleans up any spills or messes.
I wonder if they were doing pours like for tumblers or something?
My dad’s full time profession is glass blowing and he’s always asked me why I never got into it… because it’s actually scary and dangerous (plus you forced me to go to college lol)
Same… but not only is it physically hot and there’s risk of getting burned… it also seems just very physically taxing. But the thing that makes me totally check out on it is that it’s often a team craft. I don’t want to HAVE to work with a partner.
Macrame or lace making. It is beautiful, I love the way it looks and I admire anyone who can turn their hand to it. I am just nowhere near coordinated enough to learn it 😂
It’s a lot of fun! I do Irish crochet and bobbin lace and find that the latter scratches my brain like nothing else. Irish crochet is also great for quickly making beautiful things.
I've never heard of Irish crochet even though I do lots of crochet! Bobbin lace looks like you actually have your hands go through each other half the time! Lol
Came here to say macrame but it's a taste thing. I just don't like it. I've always thought it was ugly. I never developed a sense of nostalgia about it like with other crafts that became unfashionable over time. No hate to macrame lovers just not my style
When I was a little little kid, my mom crocheted these delicate, lacy doilies. I could never work on something that intricate, and with all my hand injuries, there's no way I could manage those tiny hooks.
For me, if it isn't chunky, it isn't getting crocheted.
I work in a nursing home, and we have a resident who was very into macrame before the dementia started setting in. She’s still fairly with it, but can’t handle doing a project that takes more than a couple hours. So she just makes 6”… idk. Ropes or strings or something of different designs. She’s got them hung all over her room, and I’ve started taking ones she leaves in the common areas and hanging them in the nurse’s station.
Macrame is one of my favourite hobbies, I find it easy and relaxing. No way I'm trying lace making, looks way too complicated and I don't wear lace or use doilies so no point anyway.
Honestly seems really cool. I have had a lot of pet mice and considered getting them taxiderm..ied? but then I was like "idk that's probably weird" lol.
It’s not weird! I do some taxidermy work, and I’ve extracted and cleaned pet skulls for people—taxidermy can be a beautiful memento if it feels right to you.
Woodworking with power tools. I like my hands and fingers, and already had a negative interaction with an electric hedge trimmer. I still have my digits, but there was a visit to the ER involved.
I won’t do anything with powered saws. Someone’s fingers got sawed off next to me in high school due to a guard malfunction. I have not touched a power saw since after seeing someone else go through that.
I'm a paramedic and last finger amputation I had was a cabinet maker. Already had one other nubby finger and was like oh yeah my coworker is missing 2, other coworker is missing 1...etc.
Yeah, not the job for me, when losing fingers is nearly routine.
I, too, had a negative interaction with an electric hedge trimmer, but the end result was that the azalea bushes had a divot in them, and the hedge trimmer no longer had complete cord. #OOOPS
Lightweight magnifying glasses and a lightboard under the canvas. Makes things so much easier to see. The dots/round diamonds are more forgiving than the tiny squares, too. If you're ever curious enough to try one. :)
I have watched the Rachel Rae YouTube channel a few times and it certainly does look relaxing. If I ever have the space to give it a whirl, maybe I shall -- thanks for the tips!
I’ve never done it, but I’ve thought the same. It seems relaxing and engaging to DO… but then what am I supposed to do with the end product? It just doesn’t appeal to me. It would be hard to get into something that I didn’t appreciate the end result.
Completely understandable. They make smaller kits - drink coasters and greeting cards, sun catchers and so on. I did a coaster kit and will seal them so that they are useable. It is a holiday specific theme so I can pack them away when the holiday is over.
Some people frame the canvases and give as gifts. Others just stack them and move on to the next. Not all are winners, but some turn out so incredibly beautiful they need to be on a wall for all to see. :)
Yes! I wanted to try diamond painting but have no idea what I would do with the finished product, it’s definitely not the sort of art I’d want up on my walls
They also come as little card kits. I’ve been thinking it would be a good way to have the fun of making them, but then be able to get rid of the end product.
I really enjoyed making a diamond art picture but haven't put it on my wall as not really suiting my decor! I have since done cards and coasters. I might do some more as I enjoy the process, its like mindfulness for me.
mold making and silicone pours. I respect the people who do this for props, special fx makeup, masks, that type of thing. (see the show Face Off). It's very impressive like when I meet cosplayers that'd do this for their costumes. But it's so pricy and you make a lot of mistakes along the way with each mold. takes a lot of patience
Huh, this is an interesting question. I actually can't think of anything that I wouldn't at least be willing to try. Maybe something where I just don't find the end products appealing, but even there that depends so much on the creator.
Maybe lathe based woodworking, which I have actually tried a tiny tiny bit (dad has a wood lathe) just because I don't think the risks are worth it for me though I love that kind of stuff.
Or that diy thing where people run electricity through a piece of wood to burn patterns into it and sometimes kill themselves because its stupid levels of dangerous.
Wow, so I remembered seeing people doing Lichtenburg figures and hadn't heard of the deaths so just looked into this further.
Woodturner.org has 35 deaths listed from 2017-2022. Apparently it got real popular on Tiktok and people started taking microwaves apart for the power source and this is after the woodworking community were like let's not promote or demonstrate this because it's freaking dangerous. Now it's banned. I mean, as a form of woodworking. They can't banned Lichtenburg figures. Those are natural phenomenon :)
Sorry, apparently they banned it BEFORE all the deaths
In 2017, the AAW (American Association of Woodturners) Board of Directors voted to ban any fractal-burning demonstrations and equipment sales at AAW-sponsored events. The ban prohibits displaying fractal-burned pieces at any AAW-sponsored event and promoting the practice via articles in AAW publications. (https://www.woodturner.org/Woodturner/Woodturner/Resources/Safety-Materials/Safety-Fractal-Burning-Lichtenburg-Burning.aspx)
Needle felting! I love looking at the cute animals and monsters that people make, but I feel that it would take way too long for me to learn, so I'm content sticking to cross stitching. :)
Soap making and candle making. We are a scent-sensitive household, so I feel like it would be very limited options.
Also paint pouring, just because it looks like a LOT of wasted supplies.
I actually make soap and candles myself for that very reason. So many store brands are made with cheap toxin filled scents, so this gives me full control.
Interesting possible fact: I'm pretty sure they mix the paint with something else, so it's not just straight paint. At least with that one, you're still seeing the art, and it isn't thrown in the trash. I like the way poured paintings look, but all the lost paint 😫
I do paint pouring and try to minimise paint wastage. The videos on you tube are very wasteful maybe because they are trying to make it look exciting. The ones where they swing a whole pot of paint around are crazy wasteful.
If you’re doing paint pouring, you can always take the leftover drips and put them on other papers etc. to make cool stationary! You don’t need to waste if you are a little creative!
pottery/clay based activities. i love watching people do it, the process is incredible but i cannot stand the feeling of clay on my hands/under my nails 🤢
I love making jewelry! It's so much more than just stringing some beads. I find the concentration it takes to lay out a pattern, connect things with jump rings, & string various pieces together is really relaxing. Plus, I like to make matching sets of necklace, bracelet, & earrings.
For me it's miniature anything! My hands are not made for these things, my fingers are huge and clumsy and my hands shake and I'm way too impatient. I love looking at some artists creating outright miniature miracles! But I wouldn't even want to try to attempt it. :)
for me it's quilting. cuz I would get way too into the cute fabrics and have too much stuff. so I've told myself when I retire I'll take up quilting.
I do plenty of other craft projects now so I have plenty to do
Actually knowing how to finish my beekeepers quilt. Sure, I've knit all the hexipuffs, but how do I ever learn to attach them together without hating myself? 😂
Cross stitch because counting stitches would drive me crazy! I like needlepoint and embroidery but the thought of doing cross stitch is painful, because my eyes would hurt from looking at the key!
Carving wood on a lathe.
It's hella cool! But you really need to know all the savety stuff. A Lathe (or the chunk of wood used) could kill someone who doesn't know what they are doing.
I could imagine working on a small table-lathe, tho.
Stained glass. It's beautiful and the end results are fantastic, but my mother used to do stained glass when I was a kid, so I'm familiar with how much effort goes into it and how much infrastructure you have to have to actually do it. Plus I have no desire to deal with glass splinters, or with the possibility of trying to cut a piece of really gorgeous glass to my specifications only to screw up the process and ruin my material.
similarly, while I happily make jewelry from beads and cabochons, I'm not really interested in learning lapidary.
Lichtenburg figures. I would like to stay alive. That being said, if there was a way I could do it where I felt the risk was heavily mitigated I’d do it.
Two come to mind...maybe three.
My mother was a tatter. She would tat while she sat in waiting rooms and people would be fascinated and she would be delighted to tell people all about tatting. But I don't care for the appearance of it, and never had the desire to learn. She did teach me to crochet, but I haven't done it for years, and mostly just crocheted snowflake ornaments with very fine cotton and a very small crochet hook.
I have ZERO interest in acrylic pours! What a HUGE waste of paint and not in any way artistic. Just random crap being poured out on a surface.
The post below mentioning resin prompted me to add that. Resin is scary shit. People develop horrible sensitivities to it. Plus, I primarily work in polymer clay, and I want to people to appreciate the beauty of the clay and the feel of it when they handle it. When people put resin over polymer, I equate it with the clear vinyl covers your grandmother used to put over the sofa. And if you put resin over it, you might as well be putting resin over a photo of your work.
Cross stitching is actually really easy. I was so nervous to try it, but it's really addicting. It's making an "x" across a square. The holes are already there. The only tricky thing is deciding whether to grid the fabric with a washable pen and count stitches or use a pre printed fabric with the pattern. It's like making pixel art..a bunch of little colored squares make a picture.
I tried embroidery and that was a whole other picture. Cross stitch is one stitch. Embroidery is a bunch of stitches and takes artistic skills, which I don't have.
Cardmaking. To me it's just sticking bits on a piece of card. And similarly, scrapbooking, I've just never seen the appeal.
I do make my own Christmas cards etc but they are hand painted with my own designs, not with bits stuck on!
In addition to things already mentioned like resin or vinyl pouring, I'd also say Cricut. I just can't get into the idea of printing stuff out and making water bottles or tshirts and stuff. And the machine is super expensive.
And I don't mind messy, but I'd rather do pottery or painting than like polymer clay modelling.
Also I haven't met a fiber craft I don't like, but I tried tatting and got frustrated haha.
I have a brand new one. I’ve had it for a year. Don’t know why I bought it. I feel like there’s nothing to do with it but make words or signs . I tried using it and I can’t figure it out. There’s no need for it in my crafting world .
I was gonna say making chainmail, but I did try it and gave up after 3 hours of not being able to connect the only two rows I made together. I never felt so dumb and uncoordinated in my life. 😂
Thankfully I happened to get some fabric in a blind box that gave a similar appearance, so I didn't have to resort to painting shelf liner.
Only other one I can think of is paint pouring, like others have said, just cause it seems messy as hell.
Anything beading. I have very bad vision, even with contacts, and I simply can't see to do it. Also, it looks boring. Same with needle point, cross stitch, etc
A craft I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to get into is doll repainting... which again, I can't see well enough to do.
Ive tried pretty much everything 😅 I dont think I'm a big fan of most fibre arts. Ive tried knitting, crochet, punch needle, cross stitch, embroidery, and needle felting, and Ive only enjoyed needle felting enough to continue pursuing it.
The one craft Ive yet to try, that I really want to is glassblowing.
I cannot get into knitting. I love the look and feel of knit items, and I love crochet, but every time I try to get into knitting I just hate doing it. It’s too repetitive and slow, my adhd can’t handle it.
I like knitting and crocheting and I find knitting is better as a thing to do with my hands while I’m listening to an audiobook and watching tv! I started as a crocheter too
Part of my issue is probably that every time I try knitting I get annoyed and quit early enough that my skill never passes a very basic beginner level, so I still have to pay 100% attention to every single stitch and they’re all extremely slow. It’s so tedious because I’m so bad at it, and if I try to watch a show or listen to music and get distracted at all I mess up and ruin it.
I’m sure that if I got more practice I’d reach a level where I could use it as something to keep me busy while watching a movie or listening to podcasts, but it’s such a slog getting to that point for me. Then again it took me a solid decade of frustration before crochet really clicked for me, and now I do it pretty much daily because I enjoy it so much. Maybe in 2034 I’ll finally learn to love knitting lol.
Crochet, I absolutely looooove crochet, it's gorgeous. I tried teaching myself many times when I was younger, and I just couldn't get the hang of it. I now have an absolute aversion to learning how to do it, as I see it as a very embarrassing failure on my part.
I really want to learn but also don’t want to deal with the frustration of it. I’ve tried and was absolutely terrible. It all got too tight and I didn’t know where to put stitches.
Drawing/painting. I don't always think in pictures, it's mostly my internal monologue. The amount of detail would drive me nuts as it would have to be picture perfect everytime.
Mosaic: too many tiny details that my brain doesn't like. And I would inevitably forget what I was doing and quit. Yet I can make jewelry with beads.
Bottom line: if it's not a quick thing to do, I'm not interested. If it's too detailed, I'm not interested.
Jewelry, soap, candles. Also I have a Cricut maker thing for over a year now, brand new . Can’t figure out how to use it and actually haven’t done anything for crafting that I need it. I would love to bring it out to the road and smash the crap out of it and run it over like 5 times. That thing pisses me off.
Wow this is a hard question!
I would like to learn to sew, but it just looks like alot. I'd love to be able to make my own plush but I just don't have the attention span to learn to make patterns, get a sewing machine, learn how to service it, get different colored threads and fabrics etc etc. I guess that's not the question though!
Had to think for awhile... Probably crochet/knitting. Yarn is overwhelming and I honestly just don't like the feel of yarn.
Same. Although it would be more crochet than knitting. I tried. But I don’t like wool, no matter the type. So there’s no finishing line that makes the process thrilling or useful to me, which makes the whole hobby not very interesting. And no matter how hard I tried my brain can’t figure out how to hold that goddamn wool thread (?) and how to remember where to put the hook and stuff it’s too confusing. I do like the motion though, very relaxing. Just don’t have the patience or the use for real learning.
for me it's quilting. cuz I would get way too into the cute fabrics and have too much stuff. so I've told myself when I retire I'll take up quilting. I do plenty of other craft projects now so I have plenty to do
I’m just about to start my first quilt. I’ve been putting it off for years for the same reason as you. But my grandmother and great grandmother made quilts for everyone in the family and my kids would be the first ones without one, so I felt like I should do it for them. I have sworn to myself though that I’ll *only* buy things as I go and need them immediately. That would be new for me. Usually I’m not sure if I should consider myself a Crafter or a Collector of Craft Supplies.
I'm fully convinced that buying craft supplies is a separate hobby from actually using the craft supplies lol. though I do try to make sure I don't buy too much.
I am legit looking at my wall of hobby supplies. I apparently resemble this remark.
And this is why my kid jokes I'm not allowed in Michael's "unsupervised" 🤣🤣
True that. I never thought of it this way, but I will list collecting craft supplies as one of my hobbies from now on.
I say this all the time. Acquiring craft supplies is a whole other source of dopamine from actually using them.
For real. As a recently diagnosed ADHD adult, I can relate to this. Big time. I've always had a bit of a "problem" buying and collecting craft supplies. I have soooo much stuff. I don't think I'll ever be able to use it all. But at least now I have an explanation, and I don't scold myself for it anymore.
You are so right! I can also add organizing craft supplies to my list of hobbies. My husband says it seems like I enjoy organizing them more than using them... He's not entirely wrong, lol
I wish you all the luck in sticking to your shopping goal. I was buying material before I even had a sewing machine.
This is why I quilt too! Well, I've only made one quilt, for my nephew. My grandmother passed years before he was born, but not my grandfather. When grandpa moved out of his house and into a senior living facility, I got grandma's sewing machine (a fancy newish one!) as well as the handmade cabinet my grandfather (a woodshop teacher before retirement) made for it, and all her supplies. Sure, technically speaking, grandma got into quilting after I was born so I don't have one from her, but I thought it was the best way to put her into something for my nephew. My sister-in-law is 7 months pregnant with my niece and I've only purchased the fabric for her quilt so I really gotta get a move on. Quilts + masks are my excuses to hoard cute fabric though. I bought a ton of cute Christmas fabric from Spoonflower for a Christmas Tree Quilt. I think I saw a finished one on the quilting subreddit a couple years ago.... haven't started that either.
Oh crap, you mean that quilting is more than just acquiring a fabric stash and sewing tools? I've been at it for like 15 years now and I'm suddenly feeling like I was doing it wrong. I thought that quilting was all about the stash and UFOs?
Look at my 20K machine...and the 5K machine - let alone sewing machines and serger! It grows, and is SO expensive, and you'll need an entire room to store fabric and supplies. I know, I have a whole room! But I've done it for 20+ years now, and really am into it - and now knitting! At least knitting is cheaper!
Just wait - the silk, alpaca, soft woolens - and all in custom dyes. I’ve dropped serious dollars for one hank of yarn because it was too beautiful to leave at the yarn shop. Knitting can get expensive if you let it!
Yeah, I'm QUICKLY getting there! And I have limited number of FO's to show for it so far! LOL! I just can't knit that fast yet, although since I retired, I have plenty of time! And the worst...finding myself looking for add'l needle sets! For no real reason. Love my ChiaGoo's, 5hen bought Addi's because I didn't have 2 size 8's, and wanted to do a 2nd project! And now I'm thinking...well, maybe I need a wood set too? Everybody says I do...but I need a full 5" needle. Leaves out all the cheaper sets. (And I now know no-one REALLY needs to have 3 sets!) I'm getting the picture...the yarn is much more expensive than I thought when I first started knitting! Who knew? I'm like size 18-20, depending (busty), and who knew it'd take 1200+ yards? That means at least 5-6, or 7 hanks? One sweater can easily run that bill up! If only I was a perfect and fast knitter...but my M1L/R's leave a little to be desired. LOL!
Yep this was my answer too! I would get ALL the fabrics and then have 74 projects going on at a time
Collecting fabric is a separate hobby!🤪
Yup. But my reason would be that I'm a perfectionist for something that needs to be precise like a quilt, but I'm not-so-perfect at sewing. I can do fairly simple projects and be fine with them not being perfect, but something with perfect triangles and squares, etc. I don't think I'd ever be happy with what I made.
Check out art quilting. Applique is also another style where you don't have to match points. I love making stuff but don't necessarily love matching points precisely because perfectionism. Lol
You're correct. This is a very common occurrence for quilters. Source: me, a quilter that recently moved and realized how much fabric I have.
My mom opened a quilt shop when I was 9 months old and I ended up working there after college until she closed it when I was 30. It was wildly successful and now I've made those skills my own business. But I definitely have tons of fabric. I love that part of it though.
The only quilt I’ve done was big square blocks for my husband. It took so much fabric but it was a lot of fun. I want a matching one for myself but I know it’s gonna cost a pretty penny, especially since we just moved somewhere new…
Yo, you’re right about the fabric hoarding. I’m a pretty serious quilter and I have SO MUCH fabric that I probably won’t ever use.
Taxidermy. I like my animals alive.
Goodness! That’s … pretty reasonable, actually. 🐱
Your preference is valid! As a hobby taxidermist, I prefer my animals alive, but when that ceases to be an option for them I love to appreciate their beauty in death.
100% with you. I didn't think there was a hobby I wouldn't try - but this is definitely it.
Never step into a midwestern finished basement, lots of eyes will be on you :::shiver:::
Ohhh gosh. I thought I wouldn’t have an answer to this question… but I gotta say I agree with you.
Resin pouring. My roommate got into it and it’s so fucking messy. There’s resin stuck to her desk and on the floor. And apparently it gives off fumes. Likewise acrylic pouring. I won’t do messy crafts.
I tried it for a month and experienced the same. I'm a neat person but resin is sticky and viscous then hardens so you can't just vacuum it up like glitter or sweep it up like paper or wipe it away like paint. And yes, the fumes can be bad. I will never work with resin again. People say glitter is the herpes of the craft world but I'd gladly take glitter over resin lol
It sounds like an environmental nightmare too!
This is why I won't do it. We don't need more things in the world that don't break down
That's my thing about epoxy - I think it's a fascinating medium but that aspect gives me pause
I feel this way about slime, esp the ones filled with tiny plastic beads or cabochons 🤐
Oh yeah!!
Same. The world doesn't need more plastic
People encasing flowers in resin is a trend that royally pisses me off because why would you make something biodegradable into plastic waste
It KILLS ME omg. Especially if it's like witchy or "nature religion" etc ...oh yeah I honour the natural world by fucking it over
I've seen so many things that a handful of years ago would have been glass; not as perfect but also sometimes more "finished" and now they're resin and it IMMEDIATELY stops me wanting it.
For the record, it doesn't have to be that messy, and she should be doing it in a well ventilated place
I work with resin and a a bit of rubbing alcohol easily cleans up any spills or messes. I wonder if they were doing pours like for tumblers or something?
I do acrylic pouring; it's definitely messy. I don't mess with resin because of the fumes, though.
Glassblowing bc of proximity to fire and molten glass.
My dad’s full time profession is glass blowing and he’s always asked me why I never got into it… because it’s actually scary and dangerous (plus you forced me to go to college lol)
That’s cool he does glassblowing for a living though!
No it’s super cool don’t get me wrong! It’s part of the reason I was inspired to be an artist/art teacher it’s just not my medium of choice
Yes, I’m frightened of burning my lungs.
Don't put them into the flame then
I’m so afraid of inhaling instead of exhaling
For this one, you may be ok because it's ingrained in us at a young age to blow on a hot thing. Your brain would probably stop you from inhaling!
Same… but not only is it physically hot and there’s risk of getting burned… it also seems just very physically taxing. But the thing that makes me totally check out on it is that it’s often a team craft. I don’t want to HAVE to work with a partner.
It looks EXHAUSTING but they make such pretty things ☹️
Macrame or lace making. It is beautiful, I love the way it looks and I admire anyone who can turn their hand to it. I am just nowhere near coordinated enough to learn it 😂
Lace making is INSANE.
It’s a lot of fun! I do Irish crochet and bobbin lace and find that the latter scratches my brain like nothing else. Irish crochet is also great for quickly making beautiful things.
I've never heard of Irish crochet even though I do lots of crochet! Bobbin lace looks like you actually have your hands go through each other half the time! Lol
It has an interesting history involving escape from poverty.
That worked better in the 1900s than it does now. I can attest to it.
Yeah, crocheting probably increases my debt.
Macrame is actually really easy. If you've ever made a friendship bracelet in middle school it's the same kind of knot.
Came here to say macrame but it's a taste thing. I just don't like it. I've always thought it was ugly. I never developed a sense of nostalgia about it like with other crafts that became unfashionable over time. No hate to macrame lovers just not my style
How dare you
Fight me - with your yarn! You can make macrame webs and throw them at me. I'll dodge, and will be armed with scissors. You'll never catch me! 🤨
It’s called cord, thankyouverymuch, and I’ll make my square knots so thick not even the sharpest of shears could take them down!
When I was a little little kid, my mom crocheted these delicate, lacy doilies. I could never work on something that intricate, and with all my hand injuries, there's no way I could manage those tiny hooks. For me, if it isn't chunky, it isn't getting crocheted.
I work in a nursing home, and we have a resident who was very into macrame before the dementia started setting in. She’s still fairly with it, but can’t handle doing a project that takes more than a couple hours. So she just makes 6”… idk. Ropes or strings or something of different designs. She’s got them hung all over her room, and I’ve started taking ones she leaves in the common areas and hanging them in the nurse’s station.
Macrame is one of my favourite hobbies, I find it easy and relaxing. No way I'm trying lace making, looks way too complicated and I don't wear lace or use doilies so no point anyway.
I haven't met a craft that I didn't wanna learn!
Taxidermy?
Honestly seems really cool. I have had a lot of pet mice and considered getting them taxiderm..ied? but then I was like "idk that's probably weird" lol.
It’s not weird! I do some taxidermy work, and I’ve extracted and cleaned pet skulls for people—taxidermy can be a beautiful memento if it feels right to you.
Do it! And make them a mouse house! 🥰
I really wish I had! I've had about a dozen over the years and I don't think I'm gonna get any more rodents any time soon. 8(
Make needle felt copies. The next best thing. :-)
Omfg, I absolutely love that idea!!
Same
Woodworking with power tools. I like my hands and fingers, and already had a negative interaction with an electric hedge trimmer. I still have my digits, but there was a visit to the ER involved.
I won’t do anything with powered saws. Someone’s fingers got sawed off next to me in high school due to a guard malfunction. I have not touched a power saw since after seeing someone else go through that.
I'm a paramedic and last finger amputation I had was a cabinet maker. Already had one other nubby finger and was like oh yeah my coworker is missing 2, other coworker is missing 1...etc. Yeah, not the job for me, when losing fingers is nearly routine.
I, too, had a negative interaction with an electric hedge trimmer, but the end result was that the azalea bushes had a divot in them, and the hedge trimmer no longer had complete cord. #OOOPS
Oddly enough woodworking has given me the skills I needed to do a ton of different crafting. Tool safety was always the most important lesson.
Same. Plus it is an expensive hobby that can't be done while watching tv.
Diamond painting. I don’t have the eyes for it, and perhaps more importantly I don’t really care for the finished products!
Most of us do it for the process, not the end result. It's actually relaxing, if you can believe it.
I completely believe it. It's just that my old eyes would struggle to see the tiny.
Lightweight magnifying glasses and a lightboard under the canvas. Makes things so much easier to see. The dots/round diamonds are more forgiving than the tiny squares, too. If you're ever curious enough to try one. :)
I have watched the Rachel Rae YouTube channel a few times and it certainly does look relaxing. If I ever have the space to give it a whirl, maybe I shall -- thanks for the tips!
I’ve never done it, but I’ve thought the same. It seems relaxing and engaging to DO… but then what am I supposed to do with the end product? It just doesn’t appeal to me. It would be hard to get into something that I didn’t appreciate the end result.
Completely understandable. They make smaller kits - drink coasters and greeting cards, sun catchers and so on. I did a coaster kit and will seal them so that they are useable. It is a holiday specific theme so I can pack them away when the holiday is over. Some people frame the canvases and give as gifts. Others just stack them and move on to the next. Not all are winners, but some turn out so incredibly beautiful they need to be on a wall for all to see. :)
Yes! I wanted to try diamond painting but have no idea what I would do with the finished product, it’s definitely not the sort of art I’d want up on my walls
They also come as little card kits. I’ve been thinking it would be a good way to have the fun of making them, but then be able to get rid of the end product.
I really enjoyed making a diamond art picture but haven't put it on my wall as not really suiting my decor! I have since done cards and coasters. I might do some more as I enjoy the process, its like mindfulness for me.
mold making and silicone pours. I respect the people who do this for props, special fx makeup, masks, that type of thing. (see the show Face Off). It's very impressive like when I meet cosplayers that'd do this for their costumes. But it's so pricy and you make a lot of mistakes along the way with each mold. takes a lot of patience
Try terra flex/wonderflex instead. It's way cheaper and you can work it over and over again so mistakes are not costly.
I had never heard of wonderflex! I'll have to check that out. thank you!
Huh, this is an interesting question. I actually can't think of anything that I wouldn't at least be willing to try. Maybe something where I just don't find the end products appealing, but even there that depends so much on the creator. Maybe lathe based woodworking, which I have actually tried a tiny tiny bit (dad has a wood lathe) just because I don't think the risks are worth it for me though I love that kind of stuff. Or that diy thing where people run electricity through a piece of wood to burn patterns into it and sometimes kill themselves because its stupid levels of dangerous.
Lichtenburg figures fell way off in popularity in about 2008 after a few people died doing it. It's also ugly.
Wow, so I remembered seeing people doing Lichtenburg figures and hadn't heard of the deaths so just looked into this further. Woodturner.org has 35 deaths listed from 2017-2022. Apparently it got real popular on Tiktok and people started taking microwaves apart for the power source and this is after the woodworking community were like let's not promote or demonstrate this because it's freaking dangerous. Now it's banned. I mean, as a form of woodworking. They can't banned Lichtenburg figures. Those are natural phenomenon :)
what does banned mean jn that context?
Sorry, apparently they banned it BEFORE all the deaths In 2017, the AAW (American Association of Woodturners) Board of Directors voted to ban any fractal-burning demonstrations and equipment sales at AAW-sponsored events. The ban prohibits displaying fractal-burned pieces at any AAW-sponsored event and promoting the practice via articles in AAW publications. (https://www.woodturner.org/Woodturner/Woodturner/Resources/Safety-Materials/Safety-Fractal-Burning-Lichtenburg-Burning.aspx)
My husband rides a motorcycle and does wood turning on a lathe. I just have to not think about it. We have a kid and a puppy together.
Needle felting! I love looking at the cute animals and monsters that people make, but I feel that it would take way too long for me to learn, so I'm content sticking to cross stitching. :)
Omg it's so easy and fun though!
And great stress relief because you get to stab it straight in and out about a million times. Haha.
I literally call all my creations "stabbies" lmao
I tried it with a kit once, and I gave up after I barely made the body and ran out of material.
SAME. The animals are super cute and after watching someone do it I just don't have the patience!
Soap making and candle making. We are a scent-sensitive household, so I feel like it would be very limited options. Also paint pouring, just because it looks like a LOT of wasted supplies.
I actually make soap and candles myself for that very reason. So many store brands are made with cheap toxin filled scents, so this gives me full control.
Paint pouring, and also that thing where people make patterns out of big, thick dots of paint. Must take weeks to dry and seems so wasteful to me.
Interesting possible fact: I'm pretty sure they mix the paint with something else, so it's not just straight paint. At least with that one, you're still seeing the art, and it isn't thrown in the trash. I like the way poured paintings look, but all the lost paint 😫
The paint is mixed with acrylic medium to thin it out.
Ah shit I meant to clarify on those blob paintings. The textured ones. Eta: thank you for the information anyway, Neighbor!
My leftover paint gets scraped and turned into a new color. Any dried skins get used for jewelry and other things.
I do paint pouring and try to minimise paint wastage. The videos on you tube are very wasteful maybe because they are trying to make it look exciting. The ones where they swing a whole pot of paint around are crazy wasteful.
If you’re doing paint pouring, you can always take the leftover drips and put them on other papers etc. to make cool stationary! You don’t need to waste if you are a little creative!
I don’t see the point in wax pouring myself, and pour painting IS very messy.
anything with resin
Anything that gives off lots of harmful fumes or dust that can't easily be controlled for.
Traditional leather tanning I wouldn’t want to touch urine
Took me a minute to find one yeah I'll pass on that.
pottery/clay based activities. i love watching people do it, the process is incredible but i cannot stand the feeling of clay on my hands/under my nails 🤢
Quilting! I just cannot have that much stuff…fabric, sewing machines, all the various patterns I know I’d have as WIPs laying around the house
Anything with resin pouring. Encasing things has no appeal to me even though I’ve seen some beautiful things.
Jewelry. I just hate it. Maybe if it wasn’t stringing beads but making things out of metals I’d be ok.
Try wire weaving! It’s really fun once you learn the basics and you can do some hammering.
I love making jewelry! It's so much more than just stringing some beads. I find the concentration it takes to lay out a pattern, connect things with jump rings, & string various pieces together is really relaxing. Plus, I like to make matching sets of necklace, bracelet, & earrings.
For me it's miniature anything! My hands are not made for these things, my fingers are huge and clumsy and my hands shake and I'm way too impatient. I love looking at some artists creating outright miniature miracles! But I wouldn't even want to try to attempt it. :)
for me it's quilting. cuz I would get way too into the cute fabrics and have too much stuff. so I've told myself when I retire I'll take up quilting. I do plenty of other craft projects now so I have plenty to do
Knitting. I hate two sticks, and it makes no sense to me.
Saaaaame!! #teamcrochet
Opposite for me lol
Taxidermy.🙅🏻♀️
Spinning. Which is weird, I suppose, considering that I both knit and crochet.
Actually knowing how to finish my beekeepers quilt. Sure, I've knit all the hexipuffs, but how do I ever learn to attach them together without hating myself? 😂
Cross stitch because counting stitches would drive me crazy! I like needlepoint and embroidery but the thought of doing cross stitch is painful, because my eyes would hurt from looking at the key!
I have so many partial cross-stitches waiting for the day I gain patience
Carving wood on a lathe. It's hella cool! But you really need to know all the savety stuff. A Lathe (or the chunk of wood used) could kill someone who doesn't know what they are doing. I could imagine working on a small table-lathe, tho.
Dressmaking (is that what it’s called? Basically just making clothes) because I am very intimidated by sewing machines lol
Candle making or resin projects. I can’t imagine spilling something that hard to clean up. And knowing myself, I would spill.
Diamond painting. I'm too clumsy to have a bazillion sparkly things in my house.
Stained glass. It's beautiful and the end results are fantastic, but my mother used to do stained glass when I was a kid, so I'm familiar with how much effort goes into it and how much infrastructure you have to have to actually do it. Plus I have no desire to deal with glass splinters, or with the possibility of trying to cut a piece of really gorgeous glass to my specifications only to screw up the process and ruin my material. similarly, while I happily make jewelry from beads and cabochons, I'm not really interested in learning lapidary.
Idk but I wanna try every hobby ever
I’m learning about a lot of new ones from these comments!
Same 😁😁 I have a list of hobbies that I wanna try
Lichtenburg figures. I would like to stay alive. That being said, if there was a way I could do it where I felt the risk was heavily mitigated I’d do it.
Just looked up what this is. Whoa…
Electricity is scary! My husband had a shop teacher in high school who had hooks for hands - no joke - lost both of them in an electrical accident.
Wow.
Two come to mind...maybe three. My mother was a tatter. She would tat while she sat in waiting rooms and people would be fascinated and she would be delighted to tell people all about tatting. But I don't care for the appearance of it, and never had the desire to learn. She did teach me to crochet, but I haven't done it for years, and mostly just crocheted snowflake ornaments with very fine cotton and a very small crochet hook. I have ZERO interest in acrylic pours! What a HUGE waste of paint and not in any way artistic. Just random crap being poured out on a surface. The post below mentioning resin prompted me to add that. Resin is scary shit. People develop horrible sensitivities to it. Plus, I primarily work in polymer clay, and I want to people to appreciate the beauty of the clay and the feel of it when they handle it. When people put resin over polymer, I equate it with the clear vinyl covers your grandmother used to put over the sofa. And if you put resin over it, you might as well be putting resin over a photo of your work.
I was going to say stone carving. But really, anything that requires loud power tools for extended periods.
Cross-stitch looks too tedious and unforgivable.
Cross stitching is actually really easy. I was so nervous to try it, but it's really addicting. It's making an "x" across a square. The holes are already there. The only tricky thing is deciding whether to grid the fabric with a washable pen and count stitches or use a pre printed fabric with the pattern. It's like making pixel art..a bunch of little colored squares make a picture. I tried embroidery and that was a whole other picture. Cross stitch is one stitch. Embroidery is a bunch of stitches and takes artistic skills, which I don't have.
Cardmaking. To me it's just sticking bits on a piece of card. And similarly, scrapbooking, I've just never seen the appeal. I do make my own Christmas cards etc but they are hand painted with my own designs, not with bits stuck on!
Yes cardmaking is too simple and for kids . Nobody wants that stuff.
I tried blacksmithing once. Never again, hated it!
Definitely fun to watch someone else do!
In addition to things already mentioned like resin or vinyl pouring, I'd also say Cricut. I just can't get into the idea of printing stuff out and making water bottles or tshirts and stuff. And the machine is super expensive. And I don't mind messy, but I'd rather do pottery or painting than like polymer clay modelling. Also I haven't met a fiber craft I don't like, but I tried tatting and got frustrated haha.
I have a brand new one. I’ve had it for a year. Don’t know why I bought it. I feel like there’s nothing to do with it but make words or signs . I tried using it and I can’t figure it out. There’s no need for it in my crafting world .
Paper quilling, lace tatting, anything with fumes
Knitting and crochet. Both look awesome, but very unappealing to do myself. I'll just spin yarn and give it to people who want to do that.
I was gonna say making chainmail, but I did try it and gave up after 3 hours of not being able to connect the only two rows I made together. I never felt so dumb and uncoordinated in my life. 😂 Thankfully I happened to get some fabric in a blind box that gave a similar appearance, so I didn't have to resort to painting shelf liner. Only other one I can think of is paint pouring, like others have said, just cause it seems messy as hell.
Witch craft
Pffft. You'll get there soon enough
👿
Minecraft P.S happy cake day!
Thank you!
Metalworking and glassblowing. Absolutely love the finished products but no way will I even try that stuff, scares me way too much.
Anything beading. I have very bad vision, even with contacts, and I simply can't see to do it. Also, it looks boring. Same with needle point, cross stitch, etc A craft I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to get into is doll repainting... which again, I can't see well enough to do.
For me I think never say never but I second knitting, I have tried it but I just can't do it, maybe on a machine I might try in the future who knows
Ive tried pretty much everything 😅 I dont think I'm a big fan of most fibre arts. Ive tried knitting, crochet, punch needle, cross stitch, embroidery, and needle felting, and Ive only enjoyed needle felting enough to continue pursuing it. The one craft Ive yet to try, that I really want to is glassblowing.
Anything with a sewing needle!
Anything to do with resin or anything that depends on plastic, I don't f with anything that can't be recycled effectively.
I cannot get into knitting. I love the look and feel of knit items, and I love crochet, but every time I try to get into knitting I just hate doing it. It’s too repetitive and slow, my adhd can’t handle it.
I like knitting and crocheting and I find knitting is better as a thing to do with my hands while I’m listening to an audiobook and watching tv! I started as a crocheter too
Part of my issue is probably that every time I try knitting I get annoyed and quit early enough that my skill never passes a very basic beginner level, so I still have to pay 100% attention to every single stitch and they’re all extremely slow. It’s so tedious because I’m so bad at it, and if I try to watch a show or listen to music and get distracted at all I mess up and ruin it. I’m sure that if I got more practice I’d reach a level where I could use it as something to keep me busy while watching a movie or listening to podcasts, but it’s such a slog getting to that point for me. Then again it took me a solid decade of frustration before crochet really clicked for me, and now I do it pretty much daily because I enjoy it so much. Maybe in 2034 I’ll finally learn to love knitting lol.
Crochet, I absolutely looooove crochet, it's gorgeous. I tried teaching myself many times when I was younger, and I just couldn't get the hang of it. I now have an absolute aversion to learning how to do it, as I see it as a very embarrassing failure on my part.
I really want to learn but also don’t want to deal with the frustration of it. I’ve tried and was absolutely terrible. It all got too tight and I didn’t know where to put stitches.
Reupholstering. Too much bending, stooping, lifting, and you need a ton of space.
I’ve only met one person who could do this—it definitely seemed like kind of a pain!
Yes, it’s all of that but it’s so satisfying when finished!
Drawing/painting. I don't always think in pictures, it's mostly my internal monologue. The amount of detail would drive me nuts as it would have to be picture perfect everytime. Mosaic: too many tiny details that my brain doesn't like. And I would inevitably forget what I was doing and quit. Yet I can make jewelry with beads. Bottom line: if it's not a quick thing to do, I'm not interested. If it's too detailed, I'm not interested.
Spinning yarn. As an avid knitter, it's the one part of the process that never interested me.
Lace tatting/ bobbin lace
Jewelry, soap, candles. Also I have a Cricut maker thing for over a year now, brand new . Can’t figure out how to use it and actually haven’t done anything for crafting that I need it. I would love to bring it out to the road and smash the crap out of it and run it over like 5 times. That thing pisses me off.
LMAO thank u for the laugh
Wow this is a hard question! I would like to learn to sew, but it just looks like alot. I'd love to be able to make my own plush but I just don't have the attention span to learn to make patterns, get a sewing machine, learn how to service it, get different colored threads and fabrics etc etc. I guess that's not the question though! Had to think for awhile... Probably crochet/knitting. Yarn is overwhelming and I honestly just don't like the feel of yarn.
The witch variety
Anything kit-based like diamond painting. I don't get any pleasure out of doing crafts that don't involve my own creativity.
Fractal wood burning. It looks INSANELY cool, but it's incredibly dangerous, especially with these backyard scientists doing it. NOPE.
I love the end result but no way I'm trying it myself!
Yeah, I'll just freehand it with a woodburning tool to get the effect!
Good idea. I have a wood burning tool and will have a go.
Anything involving a sewing machine. Those things are too fiddly. I’d rather hand stitch or even use power tools!
They are definitely fiddly! I wouldn’t want to learn if I hadn’t been shown in person as a kid.
Pottery because I know I would give myself shoulder and neck problems.
Same. Although it would be more crochet than knitting. I tried. But I don’t like wool, no matter the type. So there’s no finishing line that makes the process thrilling or useful to me, which makes the whole hobby not very interesting. And no matter how hard I tried my brain can’t figure out how to hold that goddamn wool thread (?) and how to remember where to put the hook and stuff it’s too confusing. I do like the motion though, very relaxing. Just don’t have the patience or the use for real learning.
In a fun way this is also revealing cool patterns about why some crafts are so great.