Fun craft kits for adults
As a crafty person, and one who dreams of world domination, I like to spread the love of crafting to others. Creative play boosts your brain power and mental health, yet we don’t tend to engage in it when we’re adults. This holiday season, force some creative play on your loved ones, for their own sake, in the form of a craft kit.
I chose a variety of crafts for the list. Some of the crafts are ones I know and love, like mosaics and cross stitch, and others I haven’t tried. Most of the kits are all-inclusive of the supplies you need, and none of them requires shopping on Amazon.
If you’re also shopping for creative kids, you’ll find options here; the craft kits are suitable for teens, and many of them can be enjoyed by younger kids with adult supervision.
LED Light Frame Alcohol Ink Kit
You can get some stunning results blending alcohol inks in craft projects. Better yet, they are “extremely forgiving,” according to the makers at Adults & Crafts, which is always a nice thing to hear when you’re trying something new. With their kit, you get supplies to make three alcohol ink crafts: an LED light-up frame, four glass coasters, and Yupo paper, plus inks and blending solution.
Available at Adults and Crafts, $37
Fake Cake Craft Kit
If you’ve ever seen a cake that you thought was too pretty to eat, you’ll appreciate crafting a fancy faux cake. Ban.do’s Fake Cake Craft kit, available in three colors, includes the supplies you need to make a cake that lasts forever. If you’re not already an expert with a piping tool, they provide instructions on that too.
Sculpd Candle Making Kit
I love the idea of a candle in a container you make yourself. With Sculpd’s candle kit, you create your candle dish from air-dry clay in whatever design you choose, paint it, then pour the candle. The kits come in different color palettes for the paint, or with no paint if you prefer. You also have your choice of wax in several scents.
Available from Sculpd, starting at $65
Pasta Art Kit
Global Grub’s Pasta Art Kit includes everything you need except the eggs. With powdered dyes from natural ingredients like spirulina, plus a dough cutter set in cute shapes, you can transform your pasta into mini pieces of art.
Available at Global Grub, $44.99
Paint By Number Girl Crying Pop Art
I enjoy painting, but I can’t paint anything besides a lopsided tree with a sun in the corner. If you are also artisically challenged but want to paint something you’d hang on your walls, try a paint by number from Adult Paint by Numbers. Being a pop art fan, I was particularly drawn to “Girl Crying.” Paint and brushes are included, plus a hanging kit for wall display.
Available at Adult Paint by Numbers, $47.70
Cross Stitch Crime
I love cross stitch and I enjoy mysteries, so I think Cross Stitch Crime is a fun concept. Each month they have a different kit with a mystery to solve and a cross stitch to complete. The cross stitch is not part of the mystery; it’s just a bonus. You can purchase a monthly subscription or purchase the current month’s box on its own.
Available at Cratejoy, $49.99
Felt Succulents Kit
As someone who can’t keep plants alive, I have a particular fondness for plants that can’t die. With the Felt Succulents Kit from Craft Crush, you get all the supplies you need to make a frame of felt succulents in a rainbow of colors. The kit also comes with three chalk pastels to add additional colorful details to your plants. It’s “a fun craft that’ll grow on you” (their words; I would have tried harder).
Available at PlayMonster, $19.99
Mosaic Votive Kit
I used to mosaic a lot, and it’s a very relaxing. The Votive Kit from Zetamari Mosaic Artworks includes precut glass tiles, beads, and four glass votive bases. You’ll still need adhesive and grouting supplies (which you can buy in a separate kit.) There are six color combinations to choose from; I like the blue the best.
Available at Zetamari Mosaic Artworks, $48
Crochet T-Rex
I’ve never been able to learn to crochet, but maybe my day has finally come with a Fred the Dino Kit from The Woobles. The kit features yarn that is specially made for beginners and a pre-started crochet piece, plus they’ve created video tutorials that will walk you through each step. From the product description: “Once you master the magic loop with Fred the Dino, you’ll be partying it up like it’s 1999 B.C.”
Available on Etsy, $30 ($25 without the crochet hook)
DIY Backyard Bat House
You’ve probably heard that a home for bats in your backyard can be beneficial to the ecosystem. The DIY Backyard Bat House kit from Habitat Heroes includes not only the materials for the house, but a live virtual class where “you’ll learn the truth about bats” (ominous!) and can follow along to build your own house.