By Shannin Prather
October 2015 | 2015 Fall Newsletter
As temperatures drop and the skies darken earlier each day, people tend to spend more time indoors, which may cause some to start feeling a little “stir crazy.” Spending larger amounts of time indoors due to weather, colder temperatures, and shorter days can sometimes lead to feelings of boredom, depression, and irritability.
Engaging in a creative hobby such as drawing, sewing, knitting, baking, wood carving, playing music, or making your own laundry soap is a great way to actually enjoy your time indoors. Creating something with your own hands and imagination, or even coming up with an idea for someone else to use, is a
great way to engage your mind and provide focus and enjoyment during the chilly times of autumn and winter. These creative activities, known as “crafting,” have been shown to help relieve anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Crafting can help people relax, builds confidence, improves motor skills, and even slow memory loss.
Crafting can be simple and inexpensive, and can easily involve using recycled items that have little to no cost. In fact, many household items that you might normally throw away can be repurposed to fit a new and imaginative purpose. For example, an old t-shirt can be refashioned into a reusable shopping bag: cut off the sleeves, sew the bottom hems together, widen the neck hole, and use the sleeve holes as handles. Voilà!
Here are a few more inexpensive and easy ideas:
- Gather glue, string, and a paper plate. Cut a hole in the middle of the plate. Collect fallen leaves, pine cones, or other natural items on a walk, then glue them to the plate. This will create a beautiful wreath to hang on the door or wall. When laid on the table, you have created a lovely natural centerpiece.
- Fill an empty glass jar with colorful pebbles or glass beads (available at a thrift store). Create a decorative winter tree by inserting a few small branches. You can leave the branches bare or hang ornaments or other small decorations.
- Cut and glue twigs around a straight-sided dolor store candle holder or vase to create a beautiful, rustic-looking item that can be showcased at home or given as a gift.
Whether you love painting with watercolors from the dollar store, building something out of twigs and leaves, or creating a poem or song for a loved one, let your creativity flow! It’s a great way to stay healthy and engaged during the fall and winter months.
To find more inspiration, check out craft books at your local library or browse the internet. You can find many wonderful ideas at pinterest.com, hometalk.com, hobbycraft.co.uk.com, or by typing “DIY” (Do it Yourself) into your internet search bar.
As temperatures drop and the skies darken earlier each day, people tend to spend more time indoors, which may cause some to start feeling a little “stir crazy.” Spending larger amounts of time indoors due to weather, colder temperatures, and shorter days can sometimes lead to feelings of boredom, depression, and irritability.
Engaging in a creative hobby such as drawing, sewing, knitting, baking, wood carving, playing music, or making your own laundry soap is a great way to actually enjoy your time indoors. Creating something with your own hands and imagination, or even coming up with an idea for someone else to use, is a great way to engage your mind and provide focus and enjoyment during the chilly times of autumn and winter. These creative activities, known as “crafting,” have been shown to help relieve anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Crafting can help people relax, builds confidence, improves motor skills, and even slow memory loss.
Crafting can be simple and inexpensive, and can easily involve using recycled items that have little to no cost. In fact, many household items that you might normally throw away can be repurposed to fit a new and imaginative purpose. For example, an old t-shirt can be refashioned into a reusable shopping bag: cut off the sleeves, sew the bottom hems together, widen the neck hole, and use the sleeve holes as handles. Voilà!
Here are a few more inexpensive and easy ideas:
- Gather glue, string, and a paper plate. Cut a hole in the middle of the plate. Collect fallen leaves, pine cones, or other natural items on a walk, then glue them to the plate. This will create a beautiful wreath to hang on the door or wall. When laid on the table, you have created a lovely natural centerpiece.
- Fill an empty glass jar with colorful pebbles or glass beads (available at a thrift store). Create a decorative winter tree by inserting a few small branches. You can leave the branches bare or hang ornaments or other small decorations.
- Cut and glue twigs around a straight-sided dolor store candle holder or vase to create a beautiful, rustic-looking item that can be showcased at home or given as a gift.
Whether you love painting with watercolors from the dollar store, building something out of twigs and leaves, or creating a poem or song for a loved one, let your creativity flow! It’s a great way to stay healthy and engaged during the fall and winter months.
To find more inspiration, check out craft books at your local library or browse the internet. You can find many wonderful ideas at pinterest.com, hometalk.com, hobbycraft.co.uk.com, or by typing “DIY” (Do it Yourself) into your internet search bar.