55 Simple yet Sophisticated Adult Craft Ideas
Exercise your creativity with DIYs of all kinds.
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From simple painting projects to more complex household DIYs, crafting can reduce stress and boost creativity. While you might automatically think of kid-friendly materials like tissue paper, popsicle sticks, and pipe cleaners when it comes to crafting, there are plenty of genius adult craft ideas and upcycling projects that are a bit more complex.
Whether you're hoping to create DIY home decor, personalize a homemade holiday gift for a friend, or simply stimulate your mind with a fun new project, crafting is the way to go. While we've included a few more complicated crafts on this list, there are plenty that can be done in just a few hours—or even minutes—with materials you might already having lying around the house.
Keep in mind, these crafts are intended for adults, but if you want to get your little ones involved, explore our list of crafts for kids. And if you're looking for seasonal craft ideas, we've got you covered with our roundups of summer crafts, fall DIYs, and even homemade Christmas decorations.
Flower Fabric
Flower pounding is a unique way to preserve a special bouquet without actually holding onto the flowers afterwards. Customize any tablecloths, napkins, or decorative towels by pounding the flowers (with a piece of wax paper on top as a barrier) with a hammer onto the fabric of your choice.
Floral Wreath
Transform a boxwood wreath with just a few dried flowers for a simple yet elegant DIY. Use hot glue to attach larger flowers, then tuck in the smaller ones throughout.
Stitched Floral Purse
A vintage purse for a portion of the price? Count us in! This blogger transformed an $11 bag into a stitched floral masterpiece in just a couple of days.
Crystal Ball Centerpiece
Create a crystal glowing ball with just a round glass vase and some LED fairy lights. Once the lights are inside, turn them on to complete the look.
RELATED: 75 Best Halloween Crafts for Kids
Paper Mache Clay Pedestal Bowl
DIY your own paper mache fruit pedestal bowl for a vintage look everyone will love. You'll need paper mache clay—or if you'd prefer to make your own, this blogger includes step by step instructions.
DIY Tulipiere
A tulipiere is a tiered vessel used for flower arranging. To get the vintage-inspired look, simply stack flat-bottomed vases of various sizes inside each other. Fill each layer with water and freshly cut flowers of your choice.
Drawstring Pouches
Get organized (and creative!) with this colorful drawstring craft. Whether you need a pouch for coins, jewelry, or craft supplies, this quick craft results in a practical end product. You can even make a larger one as a purse if you desire—no sewing required!
Mason Jar Desk Organizers
Unorganized desks can be overwhelming. Thankfully, there's a craft for that. Simply decorate mason jars with wrapping paper and label them with whatever you plan to store inside. It's that simple!
Cup Wraps
If you're part of the cup craze, you're definitely not alone. Instead of purchasing predesigned glasses, why not make your own? This blogger transfers patterns of her choosing onto tumblers and mugs. You can even accessorize plain cups or glasses you already have lying around.
Leaf Imprint Jewelry Dish
Collect a few cuttings from your favorite houseplants or neighborhood trees, then use them to create beautiful jewelry dishes. The hardest part is rolling the imprint onto air dry clay using a rolling pin.
Floral Stencil Tote Bag
Turn a solid tote bag into a one-of-a-kind accessory with a few floral stencils and acrylic craft paint. You can also invest in alphabet stencils to spell out an inspirational message or name of a loved one, like "Mom."
Rose Petal Bath Salts
Turn your bathroom into a luxurious spa by making your own bath salts. Not to mention, this recipe will give your dying rose bouquet a second purpose!
Rainbow Doormat
Every time guests step through your charming entryway, you can point out your handcrafted doormat. All you need is a natural coir mat and a few outdoor acrylic paints, plus paint brushes to draw on the design!
Colorful Jenga Game
Give this classic wood game a colorful upgrade! Using small foam paintbrushes and acrylic paints, simply paint the sides of each Jenga block. It shouldn't take longer than 30 minutes.
Paper Flower Gift Topper
Whether it's for a birthday or special holiday, these striking paper flower toppers make any present feel more personal. Once you nail it, you'll use this easy paper folding technique all of the time!
Mid-Century Modern Side Table
Most mid-century modern side tables cost at least $100—but this DIY option is way less. There's even a round cake pan, which can be painted any color of your choice, that provides hidden storage.
Rainbow Bangles
Let your imagination run while as you paint and stencil your favorite patterns onto wood bangles. They're so fun to wear knowing you've made them yourself, but you can also paint one for a friend.
Pressed Flower Lanterns
Decorate your home with these gorgeous flower lanterns — or make them in bulk for an upcoming party. You can definitely press your own flowers, but save yourself time by picking up a pack online.
Cubby Cabinet
Inspired by vintage apothecary cabinets, this farmhouse wall shelf costs less than $15 to recreate. Dress it up with everything from seasonal decor and office supplies to vintage trinkets.
Bumble Bee Bookmark
Bookworms will adore marking pages with this smiling bumble bee bookmark. Plus, this tiny craft is a great way to use up any felt scraps you have lying around from previous projects.
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the associate lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications including ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine and LODGING Magazine, in addition to crafting product copy for home brands like BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
Laura Millar (she/her) is the assistant lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home design. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she wrote for NBC's TODAY.com, where she covered everything from entertainment news to pop culture updates.
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