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Creative activities to try at home
We decided to start sharing Creative Activities for you to try at home when Lockdown was first introduced in the U.k., We wanted to help provide inspiration of creative ways to fill your days…
From March – June we posted weekly activities which you can see below. As the summer progressed and we returned to work we took a pause from posting and instead focussed on Craft Kits (creating and distributing bespoke craft kits for community groups)
We will continue to update the listings below as and when, with online activities organised by other artists / organisations which you can have a go at! If you’d like us to share your activity please email us and share the details!
We have always been passionate about craft and creative activities of all kinds and hopefully as you’ve made it this far you are too! But in case you (or a friend / family member / colleague) needs a little persuasion, we’ve listed some facts below that will make you realise why #CraftMatters…
So why something creative?
Regardless of whether you consider yourself artistically talented or not, a spark of creativity lies within us all, and the good news is that tapping into that spark gives you access to a variety of important health benefits, which in turn means happier people and a better home/work/school atmosphere!
Engaging in a creative activity will not only develop your skills but a great deal of satisfaction is derived from the sense of achievement that surrounds creating something yourself. This in turn has a positive impact on your self esteem! Did you know that a boost in self esteem can have a profound effect; motivating individuals to tackle activities and challenges in other areas of their life that they may not have previously considered possible? Amazing huh?
Taking part in creative activities together as a family also provides the opportunity for connecting with one another. Increased social connection leads to an improved sense of well being and belonging and will have a positive impact on everyone involved! The primary purpose of any artistic activity is to relax and have fun so this is why it’s a brilliant activity to try at during lockdown, when everyone is missing / mourning their normal life structure / friends / routine.
And whilst you can of course do all these activities on your own, why not try a group ‘make session’ with family at home or friends via social media etc? When engaging in and enjoying a creative activity as a group, the brain releases feel good endorphins and simultaneously the heart rate and hormone levels are stabilised leaving you feeling calm and content. It also helps keep the brain fit through cognitive stimulation as it utilises a part of the brain that isn’t necessarily used during your usual daily routine at work/school.
So…. Let’s create…
Hopefully by now you’re feeling utterly inspired and chomping at the bit to start making so check out the list of activities listed below. Some are our own suggested activities (inspired by general craft or our current projects; A Woman’s Space, Textile Transformation or Reach Out) We’ve also included some Young Designers Inspired Activities and others will be links to online tutorials by others that we think you might enjoy…
Click on the descriptions below, which also happen to be links, to open a more detailed blog post explaining the activity in-depth with photos, step by step guides, materials checklist and a video tutorial!
Don’t forget we would LOVE to see what you create and add it to our Lockdown Creations Gallery, so make sure you share your creations with us! You can email photos to outreach@makingspace.org or you can share online and tag us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!
Activities:
Please note that some of these activities are date/time specific (details will be given where appropriate) others aren’t and can be access at any time.
*5/8/20 | 18:00 – 19:30 | Drawing with Scissors | Romare Bearden
*25/6/20 | Textile Transformation Inspired Activity #18 | Repair a split seam
*19/6/20 | Discover at Home | Arts Award
*16/6/20 | Young Designers. At Home Activity #13 – Printed Garment Mini Project
*15/6/20 | At Home Activity #17 | Mini Pom Poms
*11/6/20 | Autumn Woodland Painting | Wow Art
*9/9/20 | Young Designers. At Home. Activity #12 – Letter Inspired Designs
*8/6/20 | DIY Macrame Plant Hanger | Soulful Notions
*5/6/20 | Woollen Flowers | Merry Craft
*2/6/20 | Young Designers. At Home. Activity #11 – Continuous Line Drawing Fashion Illustrations
*1/6/2020 | At Home Activity #16 | Silhouetted Moon Paintings
*28/5/2020 | Textile Transformation Inspired Activity #15 | Repair holes with decorative stitching
*26/5/2020 | Young Designers. At Home. Activity #10 – Double Experimental Design challenge
*25/5/2020 | My Planet My Photo | Planet Aware
*24/5/2020 | Creative Drawing / Painting ideas for kids | 5-Minute Crafts PLAY
*21/5/2020 | At Home Activity #14 | Tassel Keyrings
*20/5/2020 | Easy Dot Mandala Painted Rocks | Lydia May
*19/5/2020 | Young Designers. At Home. Activity #9 – Style Wardrobe Staples
*18/5/2020 | Sewing Projects for Scrap Fabric | Rosery Apparel
*15/5/2020 | At Home Activity #13 | Macrame Bracelets
*14/5/2020 | Sew Your Own Face Mask | The Big Community Sew
*13/5/2020 | Free Downloadable Colouring In Book | Portsmouth Creates
*12/5/2020 |Young Designers. At Home. Activity #8 – Trend Prediction
*11/5/2020 | At Home Activity #12 | Embroidered Cards
*8/5/2020 | VE Day Activities for kids by Mrs Mactivity
*7/5/2020 | At Home Activity #11 | VE Day Inspired Awards
*6/5/2020 | Union Jack Pillow by The Crafty Gemini
*5/5/2020 | Young Designers. At Home. Activity #7 – VE Day inspired Fashion Illustration
*4/5/2020 | At Home Activity #10 | VE Inspired Sewn Paper Bunting
*1/5/2020 | Great British Bunting in honour of VE Day
*30/4/20 | At Home Activity #9 | Creative Collage
*28/4/2020 | Young Designers| At Home. Activity #6 – Print Design Challenge
*27/4/2020 | Textile Transformation Inspired | At Home Activity #8 | Felt Decorations
*25/4/2020 | Kirstie: Keep Crafting and Carry On
*23/4/2020 | Creative Stitching Project by YASA & Chichester Cathedral
*21/4/20 | Young Designers | At Home. Activity #5 – Outfit of The Week – A visual fashion journal.
*20/4/2020 | Textile Transformation Inspired | Activity #7 | Fabric Flowers
*19/4/2020 | Make some Scrubs for our NHS by Scrub Hub
*16/4/2020 | Young Designers | At Home. Activity #4 – Painted Experimental Design Challenge
*16/4/2020| At Home Activity #6 | Polystyrene Printed Cards
*14/4/2020 | Textile Transformation Inspired | At Home Activity #5 | Weaving in the round
*9/4/2020 | At Home Activity #4 | Wax resist Easter Decor
*7/4/2020 | Young Designers | At Home. Activity #3 – Create a moodboard and design a collection inspired by a colour palette and theme
*7/4/2020 – Reach Out Inspired | Activity #3 Lego Animation Online Film Festival
*6/4/2020 – No Sew Sock Bunny by Handimania
*2/4/2020 – At Home Activity #2 – Woven Rainbows
*1/4/2020 – How to Draw Mandala Art by Vijayta Sharma
*31/3/2020 – Young Designers | At Home. Activity #2 – Collaged Creations
*26/3/2020 – At Home Activity #1 – Draw what you can see from your Window
*24/3/2020 – Young Designers | At Home Activity #1 – Mixed media design challenge
Thank you
Making Space would like to formally thank the Tesco Bags of Help COVID-19 Communities Fund who have supported this work and our aim to inspire people at home and share creative resources with our local community.
