We all like to keep ourselves busy in the summer. One hobby that remains popular regardless of age is arts and crafts. The creative expression involved can help to promote positive mental health as well as being a great way to pass the time. For grandparents, these summer craft ideas could also help keep the grandkids occupied over the summer holidays.
Summer Craft Ideas
Getting involved with craft ideas is a great way to pass the time over summer. Moreover, you can continue engaging in these activities throughout the year. If you are looking for something to do when it’s a little too hot for walks outside, these summer craft ideas may be for you.
Create a Collage
Do you have lots of photographs laying around that you don’t know what to do with? They could be the beginning of your next summer craft project. A photo collage is the perfect solution to the dilemma of deciding which pictures you want to hang on your walls – now you can hang them all in a single frame!
You can do one collage or several, using as many photos as you want. Cut them down to just the focus on the image, such as loved ones, and start overlapping them on a piece of paper. Try out a few different arrangements, and once you’re happy with the layout start gluing the images down.
Once your collage has been completed, all you need is to find a frame to fit it in and somewhere to hang it. And if you have more photos leftover, you can create another.
Another option is to create a piece of artwork by taking newspaper or magazine clippings and arranging the images. Line them up on a piece of paper and see what image you can create. It could be a sunrise, a cityscape, or something far more abstract. Experiment with your collages and see what you can create.
Tie-Dye Clothing
Summer is the ideal time for wearing bright clothes, but what if the clothes in shops aren’t colourful enough for you? The answer is simple: make your own. Tie-dye clothes have seen renewed interest in recent years. Kits are easy to buy and tend to be quite affordable. Then all you need is a plain shirt or dress in your size.
Tie-dyeing can be an entertaining way of passing the time. Moreover, it gives you some exciting new clothes to wear. Plus, your creation will be unique. If you enjoy making one piece of tie-dye clothing, then this is a summer craft that can be repeated over and over again.
The more tie-dye clothes you make, the better you will get, and the more exciting your designs will become.
Flower Pressing
Do you want to find a way to preserve the beautiful flowers you see throughout summer? Flower pressing could be the answer. Pressed flowers can then be used for other summer craft ideas such as card-making; you could even simply frame one of your pressed flowers.
When pressing flowers, you will need some heavy books to ensure it turns out well. The pressing process is designed to remove moisture from the flower without it decaying or going mouldy. To accomplish this, you place some newspaper inside a book, sit your flower on top of it as flat as you can, and then carefully close the book. More books, or other heavy objects, should then be used to apply pressure on the book.
You should then store this book and its weights in a warm dry place. Check your flowers daily. Some flowers will dry out sooner than others, and you should be mindful of mould. If mould does form, you should dispose of the flower.
Once the flowers are dry and flat, you can carefully remove them from the newspaper. Now they are ready to be used for craft activities. To affix them to paper or card, all you need is some glue.
You can find more tips for pressing plants on the Natural History Museum website.
Painted Plant Pots
For something more straightforward but just as enjoyable, you can add an extra splash of colour to your garden. Instead of growing all your plants in plain pots, grab a paintbrush and create some new designs. The only limit is your own creativity.
Brightening up your garden with painted plant pots is also a great way to express your personality. You can paint designs that represent your interests, or maybe you want to see more of your favourite colour. Draw some patterns on your pots to ensure they catch the eye. If you have grandkids, perhaps you could hide fun images on some flowerpots that they can look for. Or perhaps they could get involved with this summer craft idea themselves. This could be just what you need to keep them bust on hot summer day while you sit in the shade.
Adult Colouring Books
When it comes to summer craft ideas, not everything has to involve getting hands-on and creating things from scratch. Buying an adult colouring book from a stationary shop or online could be the beginning of another artistic project.
There is a huge market for adult colouring books, which provide more intricate designs. Many of these have been created with mental health in mind, providing calming images that you can colour in your free time. The process has been found to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Filling an adult colouring book is great for awakening your creativity ready for other summer crafts. You may even get some ideas for producing your own drawings, which you can colour in afterwards. Or perhaps you want to encourage the grandkids to colour in. If they see it’s something that adults do too, they might be less reluctant to get involved.
Embroidery
For those who possess good hand-eye coordination, embroidery could be your next big summer craft. Embroidery involves using a needle and thread to decorate fabric, or possibly other materials. Most often you will use thread or yarn, but can embroidery can also involve the use of sequins or beads.
You may be familiar with embroidery as a summer craft idea using small wooden rings. However, embroidery can be done on any piece of fabric; the ring can help to stabilise the fabric you are embroidering.
There are many online resources for embroidery, such as this beginners’ guide by Craftsy:
You can also purchase kits and guidebooks to help introduce you to embroidery. After enough practice, you could start decorating shirts or hats, too.
More Summer Craft Ideas
There is no limit to the crafty ideas you can try your hand at this summer. There’s no harm in sticking with the old favourites like painting or basket weaving. You can produce decorations for your home or gifts for your loved ones and learn some new techniques in the process.
Sometimes the simplest summer craft ideas are the most entertaining. It saves on stress, and can be more affordable, than undertaking a whole new hobby.
So, if you aren’t drawn to any new hobbies, think about the summer crafts you have done in the past. Some of these may prove engaging over the summer season.
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Editor’s Note: This article was updated on 11th June 2024.
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