If you are looking for fun activities for your next girls’ night in that won’t break the bank and require no artistic ability, look no further!
I have been a craft enthusiast for a couple of years now, and through this time, I have figured out which crafts are worth the time and money and which are not. I love being able to craft with my friends and share our creations. I find it much more enriching when my friends and I do crafts together as opposed to being distracted by our phones. We are always so engaged in conversation while we craft it up on the dorm room floor, and I am so grateful for that.
Starting strong with my personal favorite, clay magnets! This craft has been an obsession of mine for a couple of months now, and I have learned some tips and tricks in this time. First, my favorite choice of clay to use is Sculptey. This brand is super affordable and easy to work with. Unlike other clay I have used that dries out if left out, this clay stays easy to mold until it is baked. As for baking, I usually put smaller items in for 10 to 15 minutes at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. As for some of my more significant creations, adding an extra 10 minutes can help ensure they are hardened all the way through. For many of the creations my friends and I made, we sealed them with modpodge gloss, but varnish or clear nail polish also does the trick.
As for adding magnets, any that are the adequate size will work; it does not matter if there is a sticky back because using E6000 to glue creates a much stronger and more effective hold. I have found that using just the sticky back on the magnet is often not strong enough to hold for more extensive creations. My roommate and I have had fun making magnets to add to our mini fridge in the dorm, as pictured below.
Working with oven-bake clay can require much attention to detail and yield small creations. If this is not your speed, air-dry clay is another excellent activity if you want to make more functional pieces or are interested in painting! I enjoy Crayola’s air-dry clay, and you can get a 5-pound bucket for under 15 dollars at Michaels or Hobby Lobby. A couple of things to remember when working with this type of clay: it is very impressionable, so I like to work slowly, making intentional movements when forming the clay.
To smooth out the clay, mix a pinch with a splash of warm water and use this as your “slip”. You can put this slip on a paintbrush and smooth out that way, or I dip my fingers in the slip and use as much as needed until I have my desired smoothness. As for tools, Hobby Lobby has a great deal of tool kits to choose from. I have used one of the 3 dollar packs with about ten plastic tools for detail work. As I have improved, I have found that metal tools allow for much better precision but are unnecessary unless you are looking to increase precision on your pieces. Leave pieces in a dry, room-temperature room for optimal drying. For further smoothness, you can use a sanding cube to sand out any bumps gently, but be careful as pieces are breakable.
For painting, Apple Barrel acrylic paint works great and has many shades, and I find that sealing with the same gloss used for the clay magnets works fine. I love airdry clay because you can make functional pieces like bowls or mugs or have fun by creating something like a tic-tac-toe board or a fun jewelry holder!
If clay is not your speed, don’t worry! Another great project, and likely the most affordable, is collaging! I love collaging for making vision boards at the end of each year, or pieces that match my personality to put in my room. My favorite places for cheap magazines are Reader’s Corner on Hillsborough Street or McKay’s.
Unless you have specific magazines in mind, I do not see a point in paying full price for magazines when you can find them highly discounted. For a background for my collage, I like to use something thicker than regular paper or construction paper like cardstock. Since cardstock is expensive, I have also used the side of a folder, a piece of cardboard, and even the cover of a coloring book once. I do not have a method for making collages. I usually think of a general vibe I want to go for and then cut out everything I see that fits that vibe. I do not usually use everything I cut out, but having many options to create the most cohesive collage is nice. I love that in collaging, you can move things around as much as you want until they reach your desired goal. As for putting it all together, I just used Elmer’s glue and a light layer of the Mod Podge used for the previous two projects to help it look glossy.
Overall, there is no need to break the bank on expensive craft supplies to have a fun night in with your friends, or simply pick up a new hobby!