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The Summer I Turned Crafty: All My Favorite Crafts I Did This Summer

Jessa Kimble Student Contributor, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

air dry clay

If you’re looking for the perfect low scale craft this was one of my favorite things to sit down and work on for little pockets of time this summer. Air dry class is the perfect way to tap into your creative energy and there’s no limit to what you can do. I turned my lovely little clay creations into magnets for my fridge but using Pinterest as inspiration you can find millions of ways to create little goodies with your clay!

beading

For anyone on the crafty girl side of TikTok I’m sure you’ve seen the thousands of tutorials of people making beaded fish from tiny little seed beads. Now this craft is not for the faint of heart and don’t be scared if you break the wire once or twice trying to get the hang of it (trust me I know from experience). As intricate of a craft as this is you’ll end up with the cutest little beaded creations that you can turn into anything from keychains to earrings. Be warned you may start with fish and expand your horizons to all animals of the world!

Crocheting

Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t that a grandma hobby? While crocheting is a very common tradition among the older lady gang don’t let this deter you. I spent my whole summer making this cute star granny squares that have now become coasters in my apartment. The best thing about crocheting is once you learn the stitches you can make just about anything! It’s as simple as that and is a very good mindless craft that’s becoming more and more popular.

Water coloring

This one is for the girls who want a low commitment craft that doesn’t take up too much time. All you need is some paint, water, paper and a brush and you can let your creativity flow. As someone who is not very artistic this craft can be a little daunting but it super fun to just experiment and lose yourself on the paper. I watercolored some cute paintings for my friends new apartment which is a great way to help spice up your apartment wall decor.

wheel throwing pottery

Last but not least, this may have been the hardest craft I did this summer but it was definitely the coolest experience. I have wanted to take a wheel throwing pottery class for ages and finally signed myself up for one this summer and boy am I so glad I did. If you’re up for the challenge this is a highly engaging craft and after all the hard work it’s very rewarding to leave as the end with pieces of your own creation. My biggest piece of advice with this one is take this as a sign to try something new because you’ll never know unless you try!

Jessa Kimble

Illinois '26

Hi! I am a senior majoring in social work. In my free time I love reading, baking, hanging out with family and friends, going to cute coffee shops to get coffee or matcha, I absolutely love crafting and journaling, and I love being outside and going on hot girl walks! I love scrolling on Pinterest and creating cute Pinterest boards to help inspire me and my creativity. I love going shopping and getting to explore my own fashion and am a huge believer of “I feel good if I like my outfit.” I love hosting dinner parties and planning fun social activities with my friends.