Ah, the Great British summer, how reliable she is. It sometimes feels like our seasons have shifted. Grey skies are on the horizon and to be honest, we’re not sure if they ever left. May is the new scorcher, August showers making it the new April and September the Indian summer savour. This can be bad news for those of us who have booked holidays at home in hopes of catching a British tan out in the garden or down at the coast. If rain does stop play, and you can’t get outside, then here are four IDEAL craft ideas to beat the boredom.
Make space for your memories
That scrapbook you’ve been meaning to make? A rainy day is the perfect excuse to start. Dig out all of those old receipts, tickets, photos, cards and odds and ends that bring back your favourite memories, reach for the glue stick and create your dream scrapbook.
To prepare for this activity, you’ll need to find a frame – a memory book that takes your fancy. There are so many beautiful stationary options online, so have a trawl of the web. Alternatively, visit the high street in search for find the perfect notebook. Embellish pages with doodles and notes about the day, and dates to remind yourself of why it was so special. The older you will thank the raingods for preserving some nostalgia forever.
Transform your coffee table
If you have a coffee table that’s looking a bit worse for wear, why not give it a new lease of life by covering it in photography, book pages or maps? The process is really simple; all you need to do is decide on photos or perhaps pages from your favourite book (a copy of course) then, reach for your Mod Podge, a specialist craft glue perfect for occasions like this.
Take some time to cover the entire surface of your table with this before adding the new covering. You then need to apply a couple more layers over the top to act as a protective surface. Mod Podge works best if you leave at least 30 minutes in-between coats, to allow it to dry properly. To get prepared for this task in advance, order your Mod Podge from Homecrafts, figure out the imagery you’re going to use and get sticking.
Read: 6 sustainable DIY home decor ideas from Cleanzen to craft this year
Make your own cards
Sending thank you cards has become a little old fashioned, but it’s still so appreciated when you do, so why not use a rainy day as an excuse to create your own. All you need is card, some spray paint in a colour of your choice, and some scissors. Cut the card to the size of an envelope then create a stencil with another piece of card. You could go for a simple star and your initials, or even your favourite animal, just make sure that once you’ve sprayed on your design, you have left enough room to write a thank you note. Or why not get a head start on making your own Christmas cards? There’s nothing like early preparation.
Give a light some new life
Upcycling is the new shopping and lamps work really well for this. Find a lamp, either in your own home or at a charity shop, that is lacking in lustre and prepare yourself for a transformation.
You’ll need around one metre of fire-resistant fabric and any other decorations, such as pompoms for skirting, or cord for a trim. To get the job done you only really need some scissors and a glue gun. Measure the lampshade to fit to the material and leave a cm each side where you can tuck the material in and fix with glue. Make sure you pull it really tight when you’re gluing each side down so that it looks professional. To finish off, fix your skirting around the base of the lampshade with your glue gun and you are done. Easy.
Plan to have all the things you need to fit these activities into your rainy day schedule next time you find yourself stuck inside – amongst all the biscuit eating, tea drinking and film watching such a day requires, of course!
