5 winter crafts you can enjoy at home

Winter is a time for relaxing, spending time with friends and making memories, but as the weather gets colder and the nights are darker and wetter, it can be tricky to know what to do to keep yourself occupied, especially if you struggle with your mobility and find it difficult to get outside as you require aids like stair lifts or walking aids to move around.

In this article we look at some of the top 5 winter crafts you can get stuck into over the winter months to keep you occupied, not only are they great for passing the time, but they are the perfect activity to enjoy with grandchildren and younger members of your family.

5 winter crafts you can enjoy at home:

• Photo frame decorating
• Pinecone painting
• Winter crochet
• Winter wreath making
• Christmas card decorating

Photo frame decorating

Photos hold unforgettable memories that can be treasured for a lifetime, so why not get creative with some old photo frames. You can use an old photo frame you already have or buy a new one and find festive foliage and materials to create a unique and hand-made frame that you can then gift to a loved one at Christmas. This craft is also great for those who have grandchildren and want to enjoy a craft together over the coming months. It is something that Kaz from The 3am Diary recommends:

“We love to make photo frames during winter as they're great for family birthday and Christmas presents at this time of year. Now my daughter is a bit older, she can cut them by herself, but I'm always around to keep an eye on her with the children's scissors, then we get her to decorate the frames with colours, nature finds, stickers and anything else from her craft box - buttons are some of her favourite things to decorate the frames with! We then print out photos for the frames and can wrap them up as very special presents.”

Items you can decorate your frame with:

• Twigs
• Fern leaves
• Fallen tree leaves
• Holly
• Dried berries
• Dried flowers
• Buttons
• Stickers

Pinecone painting

Pinecones can easily be found around towns and countryside areas and are a great and affordable way to make your home feel festive this Christmas. This is an activity you could do alone or with the grandchildren and can be as easy or as complicated as you like. Pinecones look wonderful when painted and covered in glitter or made into tree decorations. Pinecone painting is one of the crafts that Catherine Hughes, blogger at Growing Family recommended, among other fun crafts:  

“Nature provides some wonderful materials for crafting at home in winter - and as a bonus, using natural materials is a low-cost and eco-friendly way to craft. Nature crafts are also perfect for children to get involved with; a book on nature play is a great way to get lots of fun seasonal ideas. You could arrange sticks in a vase or jug to create a mini-indoor tree which you can then decorate with other natural items such as berries, strips of coloured tissue paper, or even some of your Christmas tree decorations. Another simple but effective way to make your own rustic decorations is to paint pinecones and thread them with string or arrange small twigs into star shapes and secure them with string. And of course, nature provides the perfect materials for making a winter wreath for your front door to welcome visitors.”

READ MORE: The ultimate Christmas gift guide for your grandchildren

Winter crochet

Crocheting is a craft recommended all year round, but one that is especially great to try over the winter months when getting out of the house maybe a little more difficult. There are so many unique and wonderful items you can make when crocheting and it doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a skilled knitter already.

Jo from Tea and Cake For The Soul recommended Crochet and thinks it is a great craft for the winter months. “Crochet is all the rage now and is a perfect craft for winter. Why not turn your talent into something to benefit the local community by carrying out random acts of crochet kindness? If you're a beginner, you could try making crochet flowers, hearts, or worry worms to leave out for strangers to find. It's guaranteed to make people smile. If you're already experienced, try creating a seasonal post box topper. These are being enjoyed up and down the country. I'm sure it will earn you brownie points with the posties too.”

Items to crochet over the winter:

• Scarf
• Bobble hat
• Phone case
• Shopping bag
• Gloves
• Mug cosy

Winter wreath making

Wreaths are a lovely way to decorate your front door or even in your home over December and the festive period, so why not try and make your own or add flourishes to an existing wreath to suit your colour schemes and preferences. You can often buy wreath-making kits from the likes of Hobby Craft, or your local garden centre and they come complete with all the materials and instructions you should need to make your very own homemade door wreath.

If you already have a wreath and want to add a colourful flourish to the offerings, then why not add items like dried berries, pinecones, cinnamon sticks, dried oranges, or eucalyptus to really make it extra special. If you don’t want to create a wreath in your home, then there are often wreath making courses that you can book online and enjoy with other members of your family or friends.

READ MORE: The top money-saving Christmas tips you need to follow

Christmas card decorating

Making Christmas cards is a craft that many people come back to year after year and is a wonderful way to make your Christmas wishes even more special and thoughtful. There really are no rules with making Christmas cards, you can draw images, write special messages, add foliage, or leaves or stick on a special photo that has meaning to the recipient.

Christmas cards can be whatever you wish, just fold some A4 paper in half and let your creative juices flow. People often treasure crafty or homemade cards due to their extra special meaning and the effort the maker put into them.

If you’re looking for a craft or hobby that’ll keep you occupied over the winter months, then hopefully some of these crafts have given you some inspiration. For more tips and blogs like these then head to our news section.

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