14 Crafty Ways to Forget It's Winter

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Winter is craft season in our home. With fewer outdoor tasks on the to-do list, there is more time to indulge in creative indoor projects. Start with a beginner kit (below) and happily distract yourself until spring.

Also see these 10 Winter Hibernation Tips for Gardeners to make your next comfy and cozy.

Craft projects including embroidery and knitting.

Crafty Kits for Artful Souls

I am an Etsy affiliate and want to thank Etsy Canada for sponsoring this post. It’s a lot of fun putting these lists together and I hope you find ideas for your winter crafting.

Winter is indoor craft season and it’s time to indulge in some creative projects.

To keep it simple, I’ve searched Etsy for craft kits—most of them for beginners—so you can pick a favorite and dive in.

Why use a craft kit?

With the materials ready and measured, you can get right to the fun part: making something wonderful.

Plus, kits give you just what you need without excess or waste, which is one drawback to buying supplies individually.

Use a kit to get comfortable with the craft, and, once you’ve got the hang of it, the sky is the limit.

Tips for Choosing the Right Craft for You

1 Love What You’re Making

Crafting is a journey and a destination.
Choose a craft that makes you say, I’ve always wanted to try that!
For me, I love working with natural materials like cotton and wool. If a knitting kit includes scratchy acrylic yarns, I would not choose it.

2 Match Your Skill Level

Crafting is not something to whip through. When you find a good match, it’s a lifelong hobby and de-stresser. Plus you’ll get better as you go.
When you find a kit you like, check the listing and reviews to see if it sounds like something you’ll enjoy without it being too simplistic or difficult.

3 Is it Portable?

Some of these crafts like knitting can fit in your bag and travel with you.
Others, like mosaic making, are best done at a table where you can set everything up and leave it undisturbed.
During the winter, I love anything I can do while parked on the sofa while my family watches movies.

4 Check What is Included

While many craft kits are ‘complete’, there are always other basic supplies needed.
Expect to provide things like scissors, knitting needles, embroidery hoops and so on unless included.
A kit may have instructions for the specific project but not the craft itself.
For example, a rug hooking kit will a have a pattern to follow, but assumes you know how to hook rugs or will watch YouTube videos to learn.
Also, always note the final size of the project so you know that scarf will fit.
Want your kit right away? Select ‘Ready to Ship’ in the sidebar to filter your search.

See All the Kits Here at Etsy

1Knitting

If you are brand new to knitting, a basic scarf is an excellent first project.

Beginners Knit Kit | LaurenAstonDesigns

Beginners Faux Fox Scarf Knitting Kit | sincerelylouise

Flower Basket Tea Cozy | BunnyFriends

2Embroidery & Cross Stitch

These projects can all fit in your bag or sit by the sofa, ready when you have a few minutes to stitch.

Horned Owl – Embroidery Kit | kirikipress

Beginner Embroidery Kit | DIYOrder

Gardening Cross Stitch | PigeonCoopDesigns

3Quilting & Appliqué

I was an obsessive quilt-maker for many years. If you are new to patchwork quilting, a pattern like the one below (a log cabin quilt) is an excellent beginner project if you have some sewing experience.

Sweet Escape Quilt Kit | CherryCreekCraftCo

Dance of the Dragonflies | FabricUtopia

4Felting

This adorable mouse is what I would consider an advanced felting project. If you’re new to it, start with a project like the bees (below).

Mouse Needle Felting Kit | VenusshopGoods

Bee Needle Felting Kit | GreyFoxFelting

Owl Needle Felting Kit | GreyFoxFelting

5Paint by Numbers

How pretty are these? If you have a careful hand and patience, here you go! I’m doing white peonies paint-by-numbers this winter.

Pink Flowers Paint by Numbers | DIYPaintByNumberKit

Iris Paint by Numbers | 1Supply2018(listing says ‘Lavender’ but it’s not)

6Rug Hooking

I am a huge folkart fan and hooked rugs are a good example. I’m doing the oriole project with strips of wool fabrics . The two finished projects here could be used as chair seat pads.

Bluebird Rug Hooking Kit | DesignsInWool

Oriole Rug Hooking | DesignsInWool

7Stuffed Toy Making

Sew along with your kids or grandkids and use them as toys or decorations. I look for kits with 100% wool felt, not synthetics because they are not as soft or easy to work with.

Hummingbird Craft Kit | madeknownloved

Felix Fox Kit | CynthiaTreenStudio

Finnian and O’Malley Dog Kit | jennifercarson

8Moccasin Making

Be sure to check for the right size!

Moccasin Kit | AmbersLeather

9Candle Making

Here’s a project for an afternoon in the kitchen. Make your own candles and add dried botanicals.

Candle Making Kit | PopShopAmerica

10Weaving

With this kit, you could either make a woven piece and hang the whole thing up, or reuse the frame for more weaving.

Beginners Weaving Loom Kit | Handiworkyourlove

11Basket Making

There are lots of different kits for basket making using textiles and natural materials.

Coil Rope Bowl Kit | LostPropertyHongKong

12Needle Punch

This is a cousin of rug hooking where you use yarn on a needle instead of strips of fabric to create the design.

Oxford Needle Punch Kit | MidnightCreative

13Shibori Dyeing

If you love textiles and exploring color, fabric dyeing is a good fit. I got so obsessed with it, it turned into a business for me (many years ago). Start with a small indigo or tie-dye project and see what you think. The dyed fabric can be used for any sewing project.

Natural Indigo Shibori Dye Kit | TheWildDyery

14 Mosaic Making

A kit is an excellent way to get started in mosaics so you don’t have to hunt for the right colors, materials, or tools. Start with a small project and see if it’s your thing.