12 best craft ideas for adults for some much-needed fun and me-time

Tie-dye was big in the 60s but it's very much made a comeback and actually very fun to do. T-shirts aren't the only thing you can tie-dye; cushion covers, tea towels, reusable fabric shopping bags, curtains, scrunchies, tablecloths, hats, hankies, sheets, swaddle blankets… you get the idea. This popular tie-dye set from Desire Deluxe on Amazon has everything you need to start tie-dying, including nine vibrant premium dyes and an instruction manual.

Paper crafts are all the rage in the crafting world. Whether making cards, collages, or wall art, origami, decoupage, or paper flowers, good quality, and beautiful craft paper can make all the difference. We're loving the Craft Consortium 'Tell the Bees' premium paper pad designed by Orkney-based illustrator, Katy Hackney. The book has 40 double-sided pages of different bee-themed paper, and you can also get a cute bee stamp set to go with it. If bees aren't your thing, there are other equally elegant designs to choose from like English Garden and Wildflower Meadow.

Ideal for calligraphy, writing invitations, cards, labels, or place-cards, this set of 10 assorted metallic pens that are simple to use and don't leave a mess are a best-selling Amazon's choice product with thousands of rave reviews from happy crafters. "Excellent for all sorts of craft work including rock painting," one reviewer wrote, and another explained, "I like to do arts and crafts and these really add to my collection of tools! They easily draw on wood, stones and other materials. Great buy!"

Everyone loves a yummy smelling bath bomb and once you get the art of making them down, you'll never have to buy one again. Learn how to make your own colourful, fizzing bath bombs with this Limino 12-piece set which includes six different bomb moulds in various sizes and 12 food colouring bottles. The ingredients are not included so make sure you have baking soda, critic acid, and any essential fragranced oils you'd like to add to your creations. A touch of coconut or hemp oil can also be added to help the mixture stay together.

Whether you've dabbled in painting or are a complete novice, this 48-piece acrylic paint set is sure to whet your palette (get it?). Included in this high-quality art set by Shuttle Art are 30 acrylic paints, 10 brushes of various sizes and styles, five canvasses, a paint knife, and a sponge. Watching YouTube tutorials is a great way to learn acrylic painting basics and techniques or get some painting ideas. All you need are a few more good canvasses to keep you going and you're good to go.

If you're after a non-messy, relaxing hobby that you can even do in front of the TV, crocheting just might be for you. You can make blankets, cushion covers, hats, scarves, hot water bottle covers, cuddly toys — the list goes on and on. This 85-piece crochet set is suitable for beginners and pros alike, with all the tools needed to get cracking and even a cute little canvas storage bag to keep everything in. For complete novices, this book, 'Crochet for Beginners', will tell you all you need to know.

Many avid craft hobbyists own Bedazzlers simply because there are just so many things you can decorate with them, like clothes, accessories, jewellery, candle holders, ornaments, phone cases, wall art, throw pillows, cards, lamps, napkin holders, picture frames… we could go on. This Hotfix applicator is Amazon's choice for best Bedazzler and comes with over 4,000 gemstones in different sizes and colours.

"I have too many candles," said no one, ever… Whether you want to make them for yourself or to give them as gifts, candles are always appreciated — especially hand-made 100 per cent natural soy candles that smell scrumptious. "The Rose scent is amazing," wrote one happy buyer of this JulWshisper complete candle-making set. "The instructions [were] easy to follow… I liked this so much that I've started up my own candle making business."

Fun to make, lush to use, and enjoyable to gift, soap-making is the craft that keeps on giving. FineGood's set of 13 premium food-grade silicone soap making moulds in six different shapes are highly durable so you can use them again and again. To get started, you'll also need a good soap base, some soap fragrance oils and our comprehensive guide on how to make soap at home.

Resin casting with Jesmonite became hugely popular during the lockdowns of 2020 and whilst it looks very technical, it's a great craft to try as a beginner (and we're speaking from experience here!) Simply mix the right ratios of 2.5 parts powder to 1 part liquid, add in your choice of colour pigment, and pour into the provided coaster moulds. Once set, sanded, and sealed you'll be left with fun and colourful coasters that you can use or gift to friends and family - something we did last Christmas. You can play around with swirled colour patterns and terrazzo tiles - this video tutorial from Claire's Crafty Corner is a great guide to getting you going.If you like the idea of this, you might also like these resin craft ideas, including jewellery, hair-clips, and photo frames.

The term pyrography means 'writing with fire', which is just as fun as it sounds! It's the art of using a controlled heated object to freehand draw and decorate materials with burn marks so you can create beautifully intricate designs on wood, leather, and more. This pyrography kit is great for beginners and includes the soldering iron pen, five soldering iron tips, 10 wood carving tips, 10 wood burning tips, five wood embossing tips, clipper head, two stencils, an iron stand with sponge, PU box, and instruction manual. All you need is your materials and PPE to get started. You can find out more by reading about our best pyrography kits for beginners.

These giant chunky-knit blankets win the award for The Cosiest Things Ever and despite their hefty price tag in the shops, are quite easy to make. All you need is suitable yarn, like this MeriWoolArt 100 per cent merino wool super soft chunky yarn, the instructions and… your hands! The below video provides a step-by-step guide on how to make your own blanket but be warned; once you start telling people you made it yourself, they'll all want you to make one for them too.