If you’re anything like me, then spending less and staying home has become the new normal. And while I love to support small, local businesses whenever I can, expenses just need to be watched more closely. This means we need to find more ways to entertain ourselves at home. And easy crafts (for adults) like these are a great distraction that don’t break the bank. The secret? Thrifting and upcycling!
Thrifted Gallery Wall
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Keep your eye out at the thrift store for flat, easy-to-hang baskets and woven trivets for this easy craft idea. Creating an inexpensive basket gallery wall like this is a fabulous way to freshen up a room without spending much money at all.
Easy Crafts for Adults Who Love to Garden
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Depending on the shape, a magazine rack can be easily transformed into a planter. This one, made of metal, just needed some coco liner to keep the soil and flowers in place. And it looks FABULOUS on the front porch all summer long.
Upcycled Earring Tree
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Ok, so not *everyone* needs an earring holder. But if you do, you can upcycle something pretty common these days. Need a hint? It’s meant to go hand-in-hand with a certain type of coffeemaker…
Easy Crafts for Adults Who Need to Relax
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A Zen garden is a wonderful tool in relaxation practices, allowing you to focus on creating calming movements and shapes in the sand. And while there are plenty of ready-made versions available for purchase, you can also create one like this yourself.
Textured Vases
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Pottery is such a cool thing to display around your home. But, take it from me, learning how to throw your own bowls and vases is no easy feat! But upcycling a thrift store staple can be a great alternative. Textured paint, like the kind used on this clear glass vase, is a great fake-out option.
Scarf Sun Catchers
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These sun catchers and bird deterrents look awfully pretty hanging in your largest picture windows- and they won’t break if they come tumbling down. Not only are they an easy project to make with a semi-sheer scarf, but they can help prevent bird collisions in your large, shiny windows by breaking up the reflection, too. Talk about easy crafts for adults that are truly beneficial to all parties involved…
Boho Planters
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If you’re a lover of interesting planters to use around your home (especially for fake plants), then this recycle bin project is perfect for you. Tin cans from your kitchen are transformed into gorgeous Boho-style planters with the help of something else that is reclaimed/salvaged. But any sort of fabric would work, too- whatever you love or resonates with your home and style.
Garage Organizer
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Staying home is a great opportunity to clean and organize neglected spaces in your home. And this garden tool organizer is as simple as it gets in the world of easy crafts for adults. I used a small drawer front from Habitat ReStore for mine, but scrap wood would work just as well, too.
Collected Shadow Box
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A nostalgic collection of vintage ephemera, odds, and ends looks fabulous in a shadow box. ESPECIALLY if you grew up in the era of smoking and have matchbooks from favorite restaurants that may be long gone. I took an extra step while creating my nostalgic shadow box just to put it over the top.
Happy Hour at Home
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A cold bottle of rosé on a warm day needs a little help staying cool. Thankfully, there’s an easy upcycle for that: a DIY wine chiller! And I’m not saying you need to add a little stenciled flair to it, but then again, this means it’s always 5 o’clock, so…
Easy Crafts for Adults with Cats
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When it comes to upcycled clothing projects for your pets, they couldn’t care less about stains or rips. Stretch an old t-shirt over a moving/shipping box and your cat (or small dog) will absolutely love their new tent.
Weaving on Weird Looms
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Weaving has made a huge comeback in recent years, albeit with a contemporary twist. Which means that woven wall hangings are found in a lot of boho-decorated homes. This version is actually a pizza pan that has been updated into a DIY loom that doubles as a frame- isn’t that wild? I promise you, anyone can do this- I had basically zero weaving experience before giving this a go.
Easy Christmas Crafts for Adults
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We haven’t had much worth celebrating in a while- I’ll admit. But when we do, I’ll definitely be hanging onto the champagne cork. Because look how cute it can be as a mushroom Christmas ornament! For what it’s worth, we *do* keep a bottle of bubbly in the fridge at all times…just in case.
Upcycled Sweater Pillows
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Unique and fun, these colorful pillow covers started as sweaters hanging on a thrift store rack. Even the pillow inserts came from the thrift store, which makes these boho throw pillows an extremely thrifty way to add pops of color on furniture. AND they’re sincerely easy to make.
Easy Crafts for Adults Who Need to Smash Something
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Vintage metal buttons are often found by the jar load at antiques shops and even thrift stores. They just don’t draw the eye quite like colorful buttons in interesting shapes. But they are ideal for transforming into “coins” like these to make eclectic, globally-inspired jewelry crafts such as bracelets and necklaces. Love the craft idea but not as jewelry? You can turn them into bottle charms, too.
Recycled Candles
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My love of crafting from the recycling bin is as good a reason as any to treat myself to Oui yogurt from time to time. Because those little glass jars are ideal for transforming into easy, DIY candles.
Geometric Wall Hanging
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A collage picture frame in the right design can almost look like Brutalist-style mid-century modern wall decor. At least, that’s what this one looked like to me when I spotted it at the thrift store. It just needed a little upcycling TLC to make it shine- but not too shabby for a $2 thrifted frame that was originally purchased from Walmart (based on the tag), eh?
Easy Crafts for Readers
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I’m a reader and I have a LOT of random vintage jewelry- some I’ve thrifted, some from my mom’s collection. And this was a great (and easy) way to repurpose a few pieces into pretty bookmarks for my books.
Mirrored Jewelry Tray
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
There is a specialty spray paint that can give plain glass a mirror-like (or mirror-esque) finish. Which means it’s incredibly easy to turn any old picture frame into a dresser-worthy jewelry tray like this. This easy upcycle craft is a great DIY gift idea, as well.
Easy Crafts for Adults
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I tried to find a little something for everyone while gathering crafts for this collection. Ok, maybe not everyone- but for a lot of you who enjoy a thrifty upcycled craft project. Either way, I hope one of these simple, straight-forward projects catches your eye. AND makes a cheap day at home more enjoyable…and crafty.
Craft on!
S
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Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.
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