Well, would you look at that, crafters: It seems almost impossible to believe, but another year has whipped on by.
Nothing inspires reflection like switching the calendar to a new year. So before we greet 2022, let’s all take a moment for a mental stroll amid our crafting accomplishments from 2021. Not bad, right? Well, with that reverie in the rearview, it’s time to move on. So break out your cutting mat because we’re about to hit you with a big ask.
Why not take your crafting game to new heights in 2022? There’s no better way to do that than by hitting the ground running and kicking off the new year with a list of crafting resolutions.
You’ll find a list of fun recommendations below. You can follow them to a T or let your crafty side take over and add a little twist.
So say goodbye to 2021, crafters. And let’s greet 2022 with our creative juices flowing.
Expand Your Repertoire
It’s not necessarily a bad thing if you find yourself returning to the same kinds of crafts time and again. But taking on a new challenge or gaining a new crafting skill is a good way to stimulate those creative juices.
Maybe you’ve long admired those who make art from found objects. Maybe you haven’t joined their ranks because that’s not your thing. Well, make it your thing in 2022. Or perhaps you’ve held a special regard for those with knitting skills. See where we’re going here?
Gain new crafting skills in 2022. And we are certainly not telling you to abandon your go-to crafts. But we can promise you that when you go back to the bread and butter, you’ll find yourself a little better at it if you’ve taken the time to try your hand at something new.
Redevote Yourself to the Crafting Life
Why do you craft? Because you have an artistic side. Because humans are naturally driven toward creation. Because it’s good for your daggum soul.
Those are just facts. Here’s another fact — this one unfortunate: So many crafters get waylaid by the busyness of life and gradually put crafting on the back burner. Is that you? If so, it’s a near certainty that you routinely feel a tug to break out the crafting supplies and create something. Perhaps you try to suppress the desire, but if you’re truly a crafter, the compulsion to make something simply isn’t going away. Maybe it’ll temporarily go dormant, but that’s not a good thing because when the need to create goes quiet, you aren’t living your best life.
Crafting is not some frivolous waste of time. Not for you, it’s not. So if life has become hectic, find something else to ditch (like spending an hour a day on your phone) because you’re a crafter.
Invest in High-Quality Tools
Crafters tend to be exceedingly thrifty. That’s a good thing. But if you deprive yourself by operating with inferior tools, all that thriftiness can be a bad thing, too.
Because if you’re devoted to your hobby — and we know you are — you deserve hand tools that will help you work as efficiently and effectively as possible.
This year, go ahead and reward yourself. Get those top-notch craft scissors and all the other high-quality tools you’ve been eyeing. If you go for it, your projects come out better than ever.
Don’t deprive yourself in 2022.
Use Crafts to Connect with Others
With remote work becoming increasingly common and a societal smartphone addiction that just keeps on getting worse, too many of us are losing our connections to others. That’s a shame, and it needs to stop. Of course, crafting can be a solitary pursuit. But it doesn’t have to be — and in 2022, we encourage you to use crafts as a vehicle for unity.
How do you go about it? There are all sorts of ways. For example, you can host regular craft nights for your friends and family. Invite neighbors over to craft decorations you can all proudly display on your porch. Host simple, kid-friendly crafting events.
If you are an advanced crafter, you may have to opt for less daunting crafts when you bring others in. Don’t let that bore you. Relish the connection and use the opportunity to teach.
Tackle Your Dream Project
While we just encouraged you to open yourself to easier tasks with the previous resolution, here we’re asking you to turn it up to 11. There is no better time than now to take on a daunting project that’s been on your list for years. When we shy away from the crafts that intimidate us, we don’t grow. And when you keep delaying that difficult project, is it not always in the back of your mind, taunting you? Trust us, we know it is.
So in 2022, it’s time to go for it. Even if the project doesn’t turn out the way you envisioned, you’ll emerge a better crafter.
