It may be surprising, but the month of March is National Craft Month. You’re not the only student who did not know this was a thing. You may be thinking, “Who wants to make jewelry or crochet scarves, especially when we’ve got homework?” Though March may be coming to an end, it might be the perfect time to begin a new hobby.

Crafting can also help you relieve stress, according to CNN, and it can also benefit your mental health. Allowing yourself to do something besides homework would be a nice treat for your mind, body, and soul. 

Normally, most of us have very little time after school to devote to embroidery when we have 3 AP classes to worry about. It just isn’t likely that a student who cares about their grades is going to ignore their homework for hours to enjoy their actual life. Many students have hobbies or crafts that they like to keep up with but haven’t been able to simply because of time constraints. Maddy Moe, a senior, said, “I like to embroider,” when asked if she had any crafts she loved. When asked if she would be able to participate in National Craft Month, she said, “I would like to, but I don’t have time.” Well, now that we are in a quarantine, you do indeed have time to indulge. 

Take your time to try new things. Here are a few resources for you to explore:

Craft Project Ideas

This site offers step-by-step tutorials. Many of the supplies are the kinds of things you just have laying around the house. Some of these crafts would also occupy some of your younger siblings.

JoAnn’s Craft Projects

Some of these crafts might require a trip to the store, but the site is easy to navigate and can be filtered by interests and skill level. There’s actually some really fun projects on this site.

Video Tutorials

If you learn better with video, you can check out this compilation of crafty tutorials.

If you’re intimated to start a new craft, focus on the process of making something and maybe not so much on the final product, especially if it’s your first time to attempt a new craft.