Although I’d love to say that my roommate and I go out every night, the truth is we spend most evenings at home doing arts and crafts. I was never a crafty person growing up, but I’ve learned to love the therapeutic nature of sitting down and creating, even if the final product never resembles the image I had in my head. Here are the top crafts I’ve done with my roommate that I recommend for anyone looking to get their hands dirty and make some art.
Water coloring
I paint with watercolors at least once a week now, but before I got to college, I don’t think I had used them since elementary school. My roommate, who is much more artistic than I am, brought two palettes of watercolors, watercolor paper and paint brushes with her when she moved in and instantly got me hooked. One benefit of using watercolors as opposed to other paints is the efficiency. Watercolors take seconds to dry, diminishing the time wasted between layers of paint. This makes it much less of a commitment and makes the process a lot more enjoyable. Although I was lucky that my roommate already had all the materials, the brushes, proper paper and palettes can all be found on Amazon. Out of all the arts and crafts projects on this list, watercolor painting is my favorite because it is so accessible. I simply grab a cup of water, a palette, sheet of paper and some brushes whenever I just want to relax and paint all my stress away.
Pumpkin decorating with dried flowers
My roommate and I wanted to be festive and decorate pumpkins to adorn our apartment. We considered carving them in typical October fashion, but we didn’t trust our cheap knives to keep from breaking or ourselves to keep from staining everything orange. After coming across a video of someone decorating pumpkins with dried flowers, we instantly ordered the supplies, bought some pumpkins and began embellishing them. All you need is paint brushes, mod podge, dried flowers, which we ordered on Amazon and pumpkins, which we got from Publix. To start, dip your paintbrush into the mod podge and paint a layer where you want to place your flower. Then, gently place the flower on the pumpkin using the mod podge as an adhesive and brush on another layer over the flower. Repeat this process until you’re satisfied with your results. They make the perfect decor and are sure to get you in the mood for the fall weather.
Painting picture frames
One day, on a trip to Michaels, I spotted some plain wooden picture frames that were only 99 cents each. I grabbed a few and brought them back to my apartment, thinking they would make the perfect activity for a craft night. The great thing about these frames is their versatility and practicality. They can be decorated in any way and can be as simple or ornate as you want. We chose to decorate them with acrylic paint, but they can also be drawn on or accessorized with stickers or gems. When you’re done, they don’t have to be shoved in some drawer and forgotten about. They can be used to frame a picture, drawing or inspirational quote, acting as personalized decor. My roommate and I even decided to place one around our door’s peephole, taking inspiration from the famous purple door on the show Friends. If you don’t have time to make the trip to Michaels, you can find them on Amazon for just a dollar more.
Airdry clay pottery
My roommate and I saw a TikTok of someone who had created refrigerator magnets, coasters and dishes all using air-dry clay. Inspired, we bought a five-pound tub for only $10 and began crafting, but we were quickly disappointed to realize that molding clay is a lot harder than it looks. Our projects looked nothing like the ones in the TikTok, but it didn’t change how much we enjoyed making them. One recommendation I’d make is to wait until your pottery is 100% dry before painting it or the clay will continue to shrink and the paint will peel off (speaking from experience). I also recommend sealing them with a coat of resin to prevent them from breaking (again, speaking from experience). Our air-dry clay journey involved a lot of trial and error and a lot of pieces were lost in the process, but my roommate and I have no regrets.Â
As someone with little artistic talent, I never thought arts and crafts would be for me. I figured it was for professionals or little kids, but I’m so grateful my roommate showed me how wrong I was. It’s the perfect creative outlet and can be done with friends or alone, and I truly recommend that everyone give it a try.
