10 Calming Crafts for Adults to Lower Stress and Anxiety

These past couple of years have been some of the most stressful, confusing, and uncomfortable times for many of us. So much has changed and still is changing. With all of the talk about “unprecedented times” it is easy to get lost in the negative and let the days pass without doing anything enjoyable, and I am actively working to change that. I love creating things with my hands and have been looking for calming crafts for adults that I can do to relieve some stress and relax after a long day of work.

I have always been a crafter, ever since I learned how to crochet from my mom and knit from my sister. Crafting was always a family affair, as we sat by the fire watching a movie while creating various scarves, blankets, sweaters, and more.

From there, I became obsessed. With Pinterest and Instagram, I was introduced to a whole new world of crafts like sewing, painting, felting, and more. Everything I see, I want to try, with the number of craft supplies I have stored in my closet right now, I could start my very own craft supply store.

Add TikTok to this equation, and I am full to the brim with crafting ideas I want to try this year. I have a folder of saved TikToks dedicated to crafts I want to try. Social media has greatly increased my obsession with creating.

For me, crafting isn’t always about the end result, but about the experience of making something. There is something so satisfying about making an item with your own hands and watching as it slowly comes together. The simple act of creation has been so therapeutic over the years.

There is also something so relaxing about the repetitive act of crafting, and that is something I am looking forward to exploring more this year. Sitting, listening to some relaxing music, and crocheting is perhaps one of my favorite activities.

With all this in mind, my goal for 2023 is to do more that I love, including crafts. I am making this list of calming crafts for adults for both myself and anyone else who wants to find some calm this year. Some escape from the crazy world that we are living in.

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1. Crocheting/Knitting

As I mentioned above, I have been crocheting my entire life, and I have dabbled in knitting as well. I am a huge fan of the fiber arts specifically because you get to wear or use the finished project once you complete it.

I have made so many exciting projects throughout the years, but perhaps my very favorite was my Harry Styles cardigan that I created. If you don’t know the craze for the Harry Styles cardigan just look it up on Pinterest. It was a multi-colored cardigan that Harry Styles wore during a rehearsal for a performance on the Today Show in 2020. During the pandemic, there was a big trend on TikTok of fans recreating the cardigan, to the point where the original designer, JW Anderson, actually released the knitting pattern, which you can see here.

I am more of a crocheter than a knitter, so when I decided to create this piece, I chose to rework the pattern into crochet. I also changed the colors to pink, white, and blue, rather than the bright, primary colors of the original to better fit my aesthetic.

Once you get the hang of it, crochet can be both calming and relaxing. The best place to start is with some cheap yarn, a needle, and YouTube.

You can also start with a kit! They sell kits that provide instructions and everything you need to make a project. This one on Amazon allows you to crochet 4 different adorable succulent plants.

When you work with kits like the one shown above, don’t be afraid to look on youtube to see how certain stitches are done. As I mentioned, you will be able to find videos of pretty much every stitch ever used in crochet and knitting. There are so many resources available, you just have to look for them.

2. Needle Felting

This one is super random, but if you are the type of person who loves to take their emotions out on inanimate objects than this is the craft for you. With a little needle and a lot of stabbing, you turn some fluff into an adorable little creature like the birds pictured above.

This is probably one of the most satisfying crafts I have ever done. All of the stabbing and molding make the end product so much more satisfying. Each time the needle penetrates the wool, it creates knots that eventually turn loose fluff into an object.

And this craft is rather easy to start as well. There are premade kits on Amazon that include all the supplies you need as well as instructions to create something. For example, this adorable kit is used to create a felted orange cat. You can also get general kits that come with fluff, needles, and more, everything you need to create your very own project. A couple of years ago a purchased a kit similar to this one on Amazon. It comes with anything you need to start needle felting.

This craft is fun, easy, and cathartic! The perfect way to relax after a long day of work.

You can make little gifts for others, or little keychains for yourself! I can promise, this is one of the most cathartic, calming crafts for adults that I have tried, and I can highly recommend it.

3. Paint-by-Number

In terms of calming crafts for adults, this one is probably one of my favorites. We have all heard of paint-by-number, you have probably done one at some point in your life. I remember my very first one was a picture of a unicorn. It was back when I was in my horse/unicorn phase when I was a pre-teen.

Sometimes, I don’t want to have to think for myself after an entire day of thinking, and that is when I turn to paint-by-numbers.

You can simply look up, “paint by number” on Amazon and you will find thousands of different designs. Anything you want! I adore this mushroom kit shown below, which you can find here on Amazon!

The best thing about this is that at the end, you have a beautiful piece of art. You can put up in your home, give to a friend, or even throw away! Whatever you want!

4. Art Journaling

I have mentioned art journaling before on my blog, but it is one of my favorite calming crafts I have ever done. You can read more about it in this post, but basically, you use various mediums of art, including painting, drawing, collages, and more to express emotions and important events in your life.

I adore this craft because it is ongoing. It is so rewarding to look back on my various art journal entries and see what I was experiencing and the creativity I used to express that.

5. Coloring

Yes, I am talking about grabbing a coloring book and some colored pencils and spending your time coloring in little pre-drawn pictures. You probably remember doing this as a kid. It was one of my favorite activities as a creative young child, and I still love it to this day.

Recently, there has been a surge of adults realizing how calming and relaxing coloring can be. There are so many adult coloring books out on the market with intricately designed coloring pages to work on.

I am absolutely obsessed with the coloring books created by Johanna Basford. They have created so many different themed coloring books from Rooms of Wonder to World of Flowers. All of the coloring books are absolutely gorgeous, you can check them out here on Amazon!

6. Creating a Terrarium

I personally love gardening. I find it incredibly relaxing and I enjoy being in nature. However, sometimes I don’t always feel like getting dirty and sweaty while moving pots and pouring soil. Therefore, I like to take this to a much smaller scale with terrariums.

Terrariums are small enclosed environments where plants can live and thrive. They require a little knowledge, which you can get from internet sources like this post from Terrarium Tribe. But once you know how they work and what you need, it becomes one of the most rewarding and calming crafts for adults.

You can get adorable terrariums at your local craft store or online. I adore this one shown below from Amazon because it looks like a little house for plants. Absolutely adorable!

You can also get kits of all the soil, rocks, and moss you need to create a successful terrarium. Or, if you don’t feel like keeping plants alive, get some fake succulents from your local craft store!

In the end, you will have a beautiful home decor piece that will have everyone who visits your house talking.

Related: How to Make a Cemeterrarium, the perfect Terrarium for Halloween!

7. Cross Stitch

I am not much of a sewer, it tends to look pretty messy when I attempt it. However, I do think cross stitch is a really relaxing and comfy craft to do when I am feeling stressed. Different from embroidery, cross stitch is much easier and more structured. You use a needle and thread to create small crosses in the fabric until you have a complete design.

There are so many beginner cross stitch kits at craft stores and online, it is an incredibly easy craft to start.

This one from Amazon gives you everything you need, along with instructions, to make these four beautiful flower designs.

Once you get good at cross stitch, you can move to embroidery which is a bit more advanced but is such a beautiful craft. The results of cross stitch and embroidery are gorgeous, I love doing crafts that give me a beautiful end product.

8. Painting “Kindness Rocks”

If you have never heard of them, Kindness Rocks was a project that had the goal of spreading happiness and kindness in the world. To do so, they encourage people to leave small painted rocks around their community with joyful images and inspiring quotes on them. You can learn more about them on their official website, here.

My first experience with Kindness Rocks was when I was on a walk with my mom. We suddenly came upon a rock on the side of a large grassy field that was painted bright yellow and read, “you are sunshine.” I immediately had the biggest smile on my face. I was amazed that something so simple could have such a large impact on me.

From there on, I loved to create and spread Kindness Rocks. I put them in random places around my town, hoping I can put a smile on someone else’s face.

If you want to start spreading love as well, all you need are a couple of rocks and some paint. You can search “Kindness Rocks ideas” on Pinterest to get a ton of inspiration, or you can do your own thing! This might be one of my favorite calming crafts for adults simply because of the joyous and communal nature of it.

9. Latch Hook

My first latch hook project was when I was very young. I received a kit for Christmas and the end result was a small tapestry of a unicorn, and I loved it! What can I say, I was a unicorn superfan back then! Being able to make something so wonderful with a couple of simple instructions was very exciting, and probably prompted my obsession with crafting.

Latch hook is difficult to explain, but it is basically using a hook to pull short pieces of yarn through a mesh base to create a rug. If that doesn’t make sense, that is okay! I recommend checking out YouTube and Pinterest for a better idea of what latch hook is.

If you are just starting out with this craft, I would recommend using a kit. You could do one that creates a unicorn if you want! Or you can select something a little different like this gorgeous sunflower rug latch hook kit on Amazon!

With a little practice, you can create a piece just like this! It is a simple process that is very repetitive. The perfect craft to do while watching TV or listening to an audiobook.

10. Clay Sculpting

Do you remember when you were young and you would create various shapes and structures with play-dough? I remember creating entire stories out of play-dough animals and people, it was one of my favorite activities. This was such a fun experience when we were younger, and it can still be fun as an adult!

Whether you want to sculpt some beads for necklaces or you want to create some pottery for your home, there is so much you can do with clay. And you don’t need a kiln to do it, all you need is your hands and some air-dry clay! Create some fun vases for your home or make some gifts for friends.

It’s like going back to grade school, playing with squishy stuff for hours. I honestly think I enjoy this so much simply because I love the feeling of squishing clay in my hands but who knows?

They do have sets of various colors of air-dry clay, but I personally love this Activa clay from Amazon. It is easy to work with and dries really nicely. Once it dries, I will go back and paint it however I want. It’s like two art projects in one!

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I can’t understate how amazing and beneficial doing crafts can have for your mental health. There is something so nice about sitting down, working on something, and coming out of it with a product you can display or gift to friends and family.

This list of calming crafts for adults only included some of the thousands of crafts out there. I recommend checking out this post by Artisan shopper with even more calming crafts for adults for you to try.

A lot of the crafts on this list relate to connecting with your inner child, something I am super passionate about. You can read more about it here! When adults are stressed about adult problems, sometimes it’s nice to stop and slow down, doing something that you used to love as a child. Try it, you might just find something you really enjoy doing!