Crafting isn’t just for kids, and neither are the benefits of crafting! If you’re anything like me, when you think of crafting, you might remember gluing macaroni to a can or making a handprint in plaster of paris to bring home to your mom for Mother’s Day. But did you know we can reap the benefits of crafting no matter what our age? Let’s take a look at some of the awesome benefits of crafting!
Benefits of Crafting
Finding a craft you love to do can provide a long list of benefits including:
- Reducing stress – being in the moment and focusing on what you are creating lets you forget about the day’s stress. It is so relaxing when you get immersed in your project and forget about everything else!
- Building community – crafting allows you to connect with others who share your interests and hobbies! Taking a class or finding a group to craft with lets you make new friends and find your tribe!
- Helping the environment – make crafting a sustainable activity by reusing, repurposing, recycling and upcycling things you have on hand! A great challenge all crafters should take occasionally is to refrain from buying any new craft supplies until you’ve used up what you have!
- Improving your mood – doing crafts stimulates the production of dopamine, which is a “feel good” chemical messenger that plays a role in feelings of pleasure and enjoyment. Doing crafts is a natural way to boost your mood!
- Improving self-confidence – when you complete a craft project or learn a new skill, you will feel a sense of accomplishment! It’s a real boost to your self-esteem when someone asks where you got that, and you answer “I made it myself!”
- Reducing anxiety and depression – focusing on a task gives your mind less time to dwell on negative thoughts and feelings. Crafting is also an outlet for emotions and creativity allowing you to express yourself!
- Improving brain function – crafting requires concentration, attention to detail and using fine motor skills which stimulates the brain. Learning something new is also great for your brain and can help ward off age-related problems. Read more in this short article from the Mayo Clinic on how activities, including crafts, can help your brain.
There are so many ways you can craft and create to reap these benefits. If you don’t already have a favorite craft or hobby, try something out to see if you’ll like it! Chalk Couture is an easy craft that you can do exactly as the design team intended or you can put your own spin on things. Use portions of a stencil, combine stencils, or incorporate chalking with other things you love to do. Some examples of using Chalk Couture with other crafts are furniture restoration, card making, embroidery, and watercolor “painting”. Find different ways to use Chalk Couture by checking out the 10 Hottest Chalk Couture Techniques.
I can’t wait to see what you create!
Luana