Master the Art of Relaxation with These Mindful Crafts

Making art isn’t just a form of self expression—it’s also a form of self care. Deeply focusing on a craft can help you step away from the busy and stressful outside world. One of the most beautiful things about art is that it provides a moment alone with yourself and your creativity.

If you’re finding yourself searching for some calm in your day to day, mindful crafts might be the perfect thing to add to your afternoon. As you take a break from your screen to bring a bouquet to life, create a torn paper collage or make a scrapbook, you’ll find yourself cultivating joy and reducing stress.

Alleviate Stress with Art

They don’t call it a “picture of health” for nothing. While eating well and exercise are two key ingredients to a healthy body, art is important for a healthy mind. So the next time you take or paint a picture, remember it’s not just about the final product, but about how you feel while doing it.

Torn Paper Art Class

Torn Paper Landscape Collages for Relaxation and Self-Care

A wide variety of torn paper art collages lay on a white table. Crafted with natural colors like grays, light blues, and greens, an artist has created a variety of scenes including mountains, waves, and the moon. — Tear one work of art and layer it into another. Still from Skillshare Class Torn Paper Landscape Collages for Relaxation and Self-Care by Ewa Rosa.

Making art can help ground you in the present moment. In this class, you’ll discover how creating a torn paper landscape can be both playful and healing. By focusing on shapes, colors, and the feeling of paper tearing in your fingers, you'll feel your stress-filled thoughts float away. You’ll be guided through choosing the right materials, tearing your paper apart, and then putting it back together into a masterpiece of your own.

Needlepoint Class

Introduction to Needlepoint: Relax and Stitch

Someone in a red sweater holds a framed needlepoint project. It’s an abstract work made of blues, oranges, pinks, and reds. In the background, a bookshelf with a few books and balls of yarn is visible. — A wonderful introduction to embroidery, needlepointing is a great project for beginners. Still from Skillshare Class Introduction to Needlepoint: Relax and Stitch by Floor Giebels.

Unwind your mind as you unroll balls of yarn in this needlepoint class. Both enjoyable and therapeutic, needlepoint keeps your brain in a flow state. By discovering all of the tools you need, basic stitches and how to take care of your canvas, you’ll learn exactly how to create a variety of needlepoint masterpieces. Follow a pattern to make an abstract piece and you’ll emerge with new feelings of calm and accomplishment.

Coffee Painting Class

Creative Caffeine: Painting with Coffee

On a bamboo placemat sits a tablet with a painting of a large green monstera leaf. Next to it is an open notebook, with a hand panting the outline of a monstera in various shades of brown. At the top of the frame sits a cup of coffee, and a saucer next to it with coffee spilled out on it. — Experience your daily coffee in more ways than one. Still from Skillshare Class Creative Caffeine: Painting with Coffee by Adam Palmeter.

You can enjoy coffee in hundreds of ways. Some people take it iced with oat milk. Others enjoy theirs with a sprinkle of brown sugar and a splash of whole milk. How about using it as an art medium to espresso yourself? As a quick, creative, and low-cost art project, painting with coffee is a relaxing craft that produces surprising results. Uncover skills like mixing, brush control and color contrast all while enjoying a cup of morning joe that turns into art.

Floral Dye Painting Class

From Nature to Paper: How to Craft Colorful Fine Art with Floral Dye

A horizontal sheet of paper sits on a white table surrounded by pink, purple, yellow, and orange flowers. On the paper, splats of multi-colored flower dye are visible under hand-drawn black floral outlines. — This floral-based art project will turn flowers into a new art medium. Still from Skillshare Class From Nature to Paper: How to Craft Colorful Fine Art with Floral Dye by Peggy Dean.

Pigment and color is all around you. Those gorgeous sunflower fields lining a country road boast brilliant yellows. Bright marigolds pop out of backyard gardens with their hues of orange. These beautiful colors can become the centerpiece for a calming craft. By using what’s right outside your door or in nearby nature, you’ll make a fine art piece using floral dye. You’ll learn how to source flowers, test them for pigment, and finish off your stamps of floral color with outlines.

Cyanotypes Class

Intro to Cyanotypes: Creating Beautiful Botanical Prints with Ease

A white fern is visible on a deep blue background. Around it is an irregular white frame. — Turn nature’s art into your own. Still from Skillshare Class Intro to Cyanotypes: Creating Beautiful Botanical Prints with Ease by Sarah Rafferty

One of the oldest forms of photography, cyanotypes are a photographic printing technique that produces prints in a stunning deep blue color. You can create these blue and white botanical prints to hang in your own home or give to a loved one. Unlock the magic of cyanotypes through a step-by-step process that includes coating your paper, finding the right natural specimen, and exposing a set of prints. If you love being in nature and exploring new artistic possibilities, this mindful crafting class just might be a perfect fit for you!

Scrapbooking Class

Turning Memories into Artwork: A Beginner’s Guide to Scrapbooking

An open scrapbook sits on a white background. On the left page is a photo and a watercolor painting of a stone, pedestrian street. On the right are three polaroid pictures and a variety of stickers, writings, and other paper-based cutouts. — Cut, color, and paste your memories into a scrapbook you can cherish forever. Still from Skillshare Class Turning Memories into Artwork: A Beginner’s Guide to Scrapbooking by Mei-Ying Chow.

Scrapbooking isn’t just about creating a unique work of art—it’s also about giving yourself some time to reflect on past experiences. This craft can help you work through old emotions and cherish all those moments you want to relive. While the idea of scrapbooking can often feel overwhelming or expensive, this class offers careful guidance and a focus on resourceful scrapbooking by using items you probably already own. Plus, you’ll discover how to capture the energy of a place, person, or event onto each page of your scrapbook.

Flower Arrangement Class

Everyday Flowers: Simple, Stunning Arrangements for Any Occasion

Close up of a floral bouquet featuring flowers in various shades of pinks, whites, yellows, and an abundance of greenery. — Spark creativity and calm by building your own bouquet. Still from Skillshare Class Everyday Flowers: Simple, Stunning Arrangements for Any Occasion by Spencer Falls.

Floral arranging can feel off-limits for those who aren’t florists by profession. But building a bouquet is an accessible art medium that is open to anyone ready to explore this sensory experience. tStart with a trip to the flower market or a walk in your backyard and end with two floral arrangement projects. From crafting a bouquet to creating a permanent wall hanging, this class will change your perspective on what you are capable of making with greenery and flowers.

Knitting Class

Knitting 101: Everything You Need to Knit With Confidence

An artist in a yellow sweater sits in a living room holding a green, knitted cowl. To the left a few rolls of yarn sit on a wicker table. The right two bags of yarn are visible. — Knit a cozy cowl that inspires you. Still from Skillshare Class Knitting 101: Everything You Need to Knit With Confidence by Vincent Williams.

Fall into the rhythm of knitting all while enjoying a moment to yourself. The repetitive nature of knitting makes it great for those looking for a restorative and relaxing art form. Create your own cowl as you learn about tools and yarn, plus how to cast on and perfect a variety of stitches.

Jewelry Class

Jewelry Making for Beginners: Making Color Pencil Jewelry at Home

Two dangle earrings, three stud earrings, and a necklace sit on a white background. Each is made with a variety of colored pencil pieces that are red, white, green, yellow, and blue. — Color your world with a piece of jewelry made from colored pencils. Still from Skillshare Class Jewelry Making for Beginners: Making Color Pencil Jewelry at Home by Huiyi Tan.

Learn professional jewelry making techniques right from the comfort of your home with this colored pencil jewelry project. Transform leftover or new colored pencils into studs, dangle earrings, and necklaces completely from scratch. With basic wire work and a few expert jewelry techniques, you’ll leave this class with an art piece you can gift to loved ones or to yourself.

Design and Unwind

Art can give you the power to separate your thoughts from any stress and anxiety. As you dive deeper into your work, the minutes seem to tick by more quickly as that day’s worries slowly disappear.

Some artists find more comfort in certain art forms compared to others. If scrapbooking isn’t your thing, you might prefer floral arrangement. Take some time to get to know a few options, and then you’ll be ready to sink into self-care practices any time you need it.

Written By

Calli Zarpas

Producer & Writer by occupation. Ceramicist & Newsletter Editor by avocation.