Now that we’re all stuck at home for most of the day, it’s a great time to develop our artistic skills, pick up a new hobby, or do anything else to provide a creative outlet for quarantine-induced boredom! You could even sell some of your artistic projects online to raise money for the Black Lives Matter movement, COVID-19 relief efforts, or another important cause.
Upcycle an old clothing item!
Whether you have access to a sewing machine, a needle and thread, or even just some safety pins or a hot glue gun, it’s totally possible to give an old or unsightly garment a makeover and turn it into something you’d actually enjoy wearing. You could try cropping it, making cutouts, adding pockets or a belt, or even applying some patches, appliqué, or paint!
Make a mask!
Now is a great time to make cute and functional masks, either for yourself, your family, or to donate to medical workers! It’s pretty simple — use two layers of fabric, ideally tightly-woven cotton, make a rectangle, sew around the perimeter incorporating two pieces of elastic or string on either side to catch the ears, and add three folds! There’s a great pattern at the link below and you can find even simpler ones online.
https://sarahmaker.com/how-to-sew-a-surgical-face-mask-for-hospitals-free-pattern/
Create a caricature!
A caricature is a comical, cartoonish, and exaggerated portrait of someone. They can be super fun to draw as you don’t have to worry about achieving perfect realism! The purpose is to make people laugh and create a cool piece of art — just be careful not to make someone feel uncomfortable by pointing out their biggest insecurities or anything like that.
Start a scrapbook!
Scrapbooking is a super fun hobby and a great way to preserve happy memories so you can look back on them later. It’s also something you can do with whatever you have lying around your house. Scraps of paper, fabric, or ribbon, old ticket stubs or newspaper clippings, printed photos, random stickers or tape, you name it, you can scrapbook with it! It’s a great opportunity to turn things that could be considered “trash” into something beautiful that you’ll actually appreciate.
Try abstract art!
Drawing realistically or in your own style is always great, but it can also be fun and relaxing to create a piece that expresses reality in a different, more abstract way, using shapes and colors. You could also create something that looks beautiful for the sake of looking beautiful — art doesn’t always have to have a deep meaning or portray reality objectively! Whether it’s painting, collaging, doodling, or anything else, making abstract art can be really therapeutic and freeing.