Please inspire me with ideas for being creative!

[Bouncearound]

My problem is I have no imagination. I love being crafty and making things but I'm not really good at any one thing... I've got a sewing machine and can make basic things like curtains, bags etc and am ok-ish at drawing but I'd like a 'hobby' that I can pick up and put down again at will and pack away easily. I recently taught myself how to crochet and can do a simple stitch but cannot work out patterns or anything more elaborate!
Any ideas for easy, fun, cheap craft projects would be much appreciated (realise this is similar to a thread asking how long a piece of string is!)

I bought a few simple dress making patterns recently and ended up giving them to my mum as I just don't have the patience or concentration span!

I've learnt crochet over the last two years. My arthritic hands mean I'm slow. I would look for a teacher close to you, as it took me ages to get it, and now it's really easy. Look at atiic24 blog.

Thanks. I'll have a look. To be honest I can really only do things in the evenings after 8 so would rather start something that I don't need to be expert at and just do a little whenever I can. Might try doing some sketching as I enjoy that

Patchwork ? I know it sounds 'old ladyish' but I have found it therapeutic. A lot of the magazines show complicated patterns done on the machine but I prefer the traditional hand sewn hexagons. It is also know as English paper piecing. You can cut your own paper templates or buy ready cut ones on E Bay for a couple of pounds. Very simple but effective and doesn't take up much room ( and uses up scraps of material if you have lots - I do !). If you don't, then e bay again offers lots of affordable options ( try searching fat quarter bundles ) or my other on line favorite is the Eclectic Maker but this can be too tempting sometimes ....

How about making a rainbow tree. It doesn't require any special skills and quite fun. Have a look wp.me/p6ejFv-al

Could you try a project for Christmas or something?

Maybe make a set of gifts, or a set of decorations?

Have a look at Pinterest for ideas and see if you can put something together from that. A lot of people offer free patterns or tutorials.

I made a wall hanging for DS's teacher, out of felt and hung on a strand of bobble trim with stars at either end and a loop of ribbon on each star to hang it with.

I did the nativity characters, let DS choose the colours and bits they were decorated with, so various beads and sequins for the three kings, a sheep for the shepherd, the angel was holding a star, that kind of thing.

It was easy to pick up and put down as and when I could do a bit of sewing, and it didn't matter if I had ten minutes to spare or an hour or so.

I hand sewed all of it, mostly with blanket stitch, and really enjoyed seeing it slowly come together.

I've done a few others since then, a couple with characters from a fairy tale, one with characters from Alice in Wonderland, a halloween one, one like a set of old fashioned christmas lights (which DS calls the Snoopy Lights because they look like the ones in Peanuts cartoons). I normally have someone in mind that I'm making it for, which I find really helps.

I'm planning one now of VW camper vans for my cousin as a present as she has one of the vans herself. She has it decorated and I think she'd like it.

I'm also planning a Wizard of Oz one with the main characters and a couple of 'Oz' decorations (I'm thinking of the poppies and a small emerald city building, possibly the cyclone with the house on it) but I have no idea who that might be for, I just want to make it.

Felt is fairly cheap and easy to work with too, and individually the characters are quite small, so easy to pick up and put down or take from room to room with you if you don't have a dedicated workspace.

And I have to mention the Mumsnet Woolly Hugs and Woolly Hug Craft Sales.

Could you help the Woolly Hugs people out with crocheted squares? Or make something they can sell at one of their craft sales?

I buy more than I should at the craft sales, and was thrilled when something of mine sold at a craft sale with more than one bid on it. The craft sale things can be anything you've made, not necessarily knitted or crocheted, they have lots of other types of crafty items too.