Crafting is a hobby with a wide scope: It can include everything from friendship bracelets to hand-sewn quilts. But the best part is that if you enjoy tinkering around on creative projects, crafting can easily evolve to match your budget, current interests, and the season.
These summer crafts as seen on TikTok go well beyond typical paint-by-numbers—they’re unexpected, customizable, and genuinely fun. Here are the ideas worth trying this season, along with tips to take each project to the next level.
Paint Unexpected Items
The quickest way to embrace your inner crafter? Head to a local craft shop (sorry, no more Joann Fabrics) for a basic set of acrylic paints and brushes. TikTok is full of ideas for painting charming, personalized motifs on everything from seashells to upcycled CDs and wooden hairbrushes.
Compile several hand-painted shells on a canvas for some summer-inspired wall art, or simply add your name to your favorite brush. Turn the CDs you’ve been keeping in your basement for the last two decades into painted sun catchers.
Turn Altoid Tins into Wallets
No good tin should go to waste. So, if you aren’t going to recycle that empty Altoid case, repurpose it into a wallet that will keep those small essentials from getting lost in your purse.
Make the top lid (both inside and out) look like a scrapbook that speaks to your personality. A delicately decorated case could include floral wallpaper-inspired paper, pearl-like beads, and tiny bows. A vintage academia version might feature yellowed book pages, old postage stamps, and a wax seal sticker.
Create Bead Paintings
You heard it here first: Small beads are the new decoupage. For this summer craft idea, stencil an image on a canvas (or find a simple paint-by-numbers), then glue down different colored beads to create a mosaic-like piece of wall art.
Keep your design and color palette simple to take out some of the guesswork. TikTok shows sparkly, textured versions of an ace card, a martini glass, seashells, and some dice. But you could also try a minimalist sun, a retro flower, or your zodiac sign.
Shape Clever Tic-Tac-Toe Boards Out of Clay
Tic-tac-toe is undoubtedly a family-friendly summer activity, especially on those rainy evenings spent inside. And while it’s perfectly fine to play the game on a sheet of paper, we know you can make it more creative. Reimagine your clay into a themed game board. Here are a few TikTok-inspired ideas to get you started:
A waffle with butter and blueberry game pieces
A seashell with fish and starfish game pieces
A heart with X and O game pieces
A piece of French toast with butter and strawberry game pieces
Journey Through a Summer Scrapbook
Scrapbooking has very few rules, but one guideline you can set for yourself is to make a book that is summer-themed. And, perhaps most importantly, work on it consistently.
Start with one page at a time instead of trying to piece together the entire project at the end of the season, and let each chapter evolve as you explore new activities or visit new places. You’ll need a solid inventory of scraps on hand, and month-old magazines (like those from Better Homes & Gardens) are an inexpensive place to start.
Bedazzle Hair Accessories
Take some of those leftover beads from your wall art project and use them to glam up your hair clips. If you grew up in the ‘90s, you already know you can bedazzle just about anything with a little glue—or, in the case of fabric, you can break out the original Bedazzler.
Try layering pearl beads, rhinestones, or even mini cabochons onto simple metal clips or claw-style barrettes for a one-of-a-kind accessory that feels special because you made it so.
Read more at Better Homes & Gardens
Related Links
Why Buying Real Estate Is Still the Best Long-Term Investment
Mortgage rates fall on ADP report. Will jobs Friday push rates even lower?
The Rooms That Matter Most When You Sell
If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.
