Feel like you “aren't creative”? Everyone has a creative side! EVERYONE. And this post is full of the best ideas to unlock your creativity with easy projects.
Recently, many of you have reached out to me on Instagram saying you love the idea of doing creative things like painting and punch needling to keep you sane while you are stuck at home, but that you “aren't creative” or you don't know where to start.
Here's the thing… I firmly believe that everyone has creativity inside of them. Many people just haven't learned how to unlock it yet. And unlocking your creative side is less scary and easier than you may think.
So I've put a lot of thought into simple projects to help everyone tap into their own creativity without getting overwhelmed or frustrated.
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Take an online class!
First things first… When I am trying to learn something new, I ALWAYS find a good video tutorial and watch it several times. The best tutorials I have found are on Bluprint and they are fairly inexpensive (and you can get a free 7-day trial). But if it's not in your budget right now, YouTube has loads of incredible tutorials FOR FREE! (Speaking of which, have you checked out my YouTube channel???)
I recently learned how to punch needle through an awesome Bluprint course and it was pretty easy! It's also seriously fun. And as someone who has tried to learn to knit before (and failed epically), I can tell you that punch needle is NOT hard. Even my 9-year-old girls learned how to do it easily.
Take the guesswork out of it.
One of the most simple ways to unlock your creativity is by taking the guesswork (and need for raw talent) out of the equation! I have two favorite ways of doing this.
First, I have fallen in love with the transfers and chalk paste from Chalk Couture. You may remember that my girls made these adorable Christmas signs themselves using these products. That is how simple they are to use! Best of all, the transfers are reusable and the chalk paste wipes right off when you want to change your design to something else!
And just the other day we made this cute sign for our new puppy, Riggins, using this transfer and a bunch of different chalk pastes from Chalk Couture.
My second favorite way to take all guesswork and talent out of the equation is with paint by number kits. They are incredibly fun–my entire family loves them. And they take every bit of guesswork and “natural talent” out of the mix. You just use the color where they tell you to, and you wind up with a beautiful painting! We ordered these paint-by-number postcards for our girls last year and we all had fun painting them together. We even put them in little frames when we were done. And I love this colorful deer canvas, though we haven't tried it yet.
Watercolor is a great place to start.
I also recommend trying watercolor painting. I am NOT artistic at all. At all. I cannot draw or paint pictures to save my life. But over a year ago I took an online watercolor class with my girls and loved it! And I have to say, some of the art we created with it turned out beautifully. We even enlarged some of them and hung them in our downstairs hallway.
Consider a cutting machine…
And if you love the idea of making pretty things, but don't feel confident in your own skills, chances are you would LOVE a cutting machine. I have used both Silhouette and Cricut machines to make some incredible things over the years and pull my favorite machine out regularly. Oh, and if you are wondering which machine I prefer (I get that question a lot) check out this post.
Pre-made kits make it easy.
One of the stumbling blocks for a lot of people is not knowing what supplies to order or where to get them. That is why I looooove kits that include everything you need and get shipped straight to your door. Here are some of my absolute favorites. Just scroll through the images and click on any image for full product details.
Just try SOMETHING!
Bottom line is this… JUST TRY SOMETHING that you have admired when you see someone else doing it. Some of the most popular posts on my blog are the easiest, like my DIY pom pom wreath (though I won't lie to you, it's time-consuming but that almost makes it perfect for quarantine)!
And these felt ball letters I made for my girls are sooooooo simple even my girls could do them.
And these DIY sharpie mugs are beyond simple–they are actually a perfect craft for young kids! Best of all, you can order supplies for pretty much all of these projects online.
That's it, y'all! I hope you are feeling inspired to unlock your creativity now. Before you head out, I'd love for you to become a V.I.P. for free! You get access to all kinds of good stuff when you do!