Here's What I'm Doing to Distract Myself From the Dictator-Induced Dread
With Christmas coming, I'm faced with stocking stuffers and gifts. I am making an effort to not buy just stuff from amazon, so I've been getting very crafty. I love little projects to make items I can give away, since I get two dopamine hits in one item.
Press-on nails
I was looking for press on nails for my teen, but the cheapest I could find were $10 plus shipping, and that was for plain colors of polish. I have a long history of buying niche nail polishes, so I decided to dig into my stash. I ordered plain press on nails, magnetic nail stands (these are important), and nail prep kits. I was able to put together several sets, and package them up for stocking stuffers.
Felt embroidered mushroom beret
Also for my teen's stocking. I saw someone on etsy doing berets that looked like a mushroom. I ordered a red beret, white felt, white embroidery thread and needles. I am not a skilled tailor, but I can sew a basic stitch. I cut white circles out of the felt and sewed them on.
Air dry clay magnets
These only work if you actually get them into the oven and glue a magnet to them, and I often can't complete that step. But, they're fun to make regardless. You'll need air dry clay, magnets and glue. Check out etsy for ideas, but think small fruits, vegetables, bread, bowls of noodles.
Tiny Paintings
I can't commit to doing anything full time, but I really like doing tiny paintings. For this you'll need, 3x3 canvases, paint brushes, and acrylic paint. If you are someone who needs inspiration, search for simple painting tutorials on YouTube. A Christmas tree is an easy place to start. I like making just pretty swirls.
DIY stickers
I am hopefully not the only person left with an actual printer. I recently learned that I can use my regular printer to print stickers, with only switching to sticker paper. Use basic designs from Canva, draw your own, trace something, the world is your oyster.
Hand Embroidery
I like having things to do with my hands and after I made the beret, thought I'd try embroidery. I personally found the kits overwhelming, but my friend Sue-Jan embroiders in a much more casual manner and it inspired me to give it a go. You'll need embroidery needles, embroidery thread, an embroidery hoop and fabric. I like the mini hoops because again, I love tiny crafts.
