Get started in a new craft for National Craft Month -Crafter's Companion US

Here at Crafter’s Companion, we’re all about promoting the benefits of crafting, shouting about our favourite products, and encouraging beginners to get stuck in and giving it their best go. Because March is National Craft Month, we thought we’d dedicate a whole post to the newbies amongst us and share some of our favourite beginner-friendly projects and posts to help them get inspired!

Beginner’s guides

Every month, we publish a brand new beginner’s guide across a variety of craft areas, so they’re the perfect pit stop if you’re totally new to crafting. Here are just some of our favourites!

The beginner’s guide to foiling

Foiling is one of the slightly more modern crafting techniques that we love talking about at Crafter’s Companion. It’s a craft that has dominated the Pinterest world and allows people to add a touch of luxury into their projects.

The beginner’s guide to stencilling

Stencilling is a craft and art form that has been around for years – 35,000 to be exact! It’s loved by children for making fun shapes in drawings and loved by adults for creating beautiful backgrounds for projects, but where exactly do you start?

The beginner’s guide to quilting

Quilting is a craft discipline that has stood the test of time. From Colonial quilts in the 17th century to quilting for the military in the Civil War, and from Crazy Quilts in the Victorian era to the Make and Mend movement during World War II, this is a craft that has developed throughout history and still proves to be popular in the modern day.

Click here to see more beginner’s guides

Die-cutting and cardmaking

If getting started in die-cutting and cardmaking tickles your fancy, we have a whole host of posts to help you get to grips with the basics. It’s so key to learn as much of the ground-level knowledge as possible before diving in, so take a look over these posts to begin!

Which die-cutting machine is best for you?

We’ve put together this handy post that gives you all the details that you need about our different Gemini die-cutting machines.

The sandwich menu – a guide to die-cutting and embossing sandwiches

If you’re hungry, you’ve come to wrong place because today, we’re not serving up BLTs or Club sandwiches. Instead, we’re giving you a handy guide to die-cutting and embossing sandwiches, so that you can create the most exquisite embellishments possible.

What is matting and layering?

In this post, we’re talking about matting and layering, which is a phrase that often leaves people scratching their heads, but the chances are that you use this technique in all your papercraft projects!

Die-cutting tips and tricks

We’ve put together this post with some of our favourite die-cutting tips and tricks and it’s the perfect post to read if you’re a beginner or an expert in the craft. It’s never too late to learn something new! Take a look through and see what you can discover about dies, die-cutting machines and die-cutting as a whole.

Which card or paperstock is best for my project?

When it comes to selecting card or paper for your project, it can be a little bit of a minefield. There’s a huge number of different finishes, weights and properties that can factor in, and deciding which pack to buy can be difficult!

Three easy cardmaking projects

Simple summer delights cards – while these simple cards were created with an exclusive Birthday Week embossing folder, you’ll be able to switch up the design by using a different folder of your choice
Christmas Cut and Emboss Peace stepper card – stepper cards are pretty basic bases, but they can be embellished in a whole variety of ways. This project uses a Cut and Emboss Folder to create a fun die-cut and embossed look with ease
Layered ice cream concertina card – try your hand at layering stamps in this project and create a sweet treat of a card. We love how simple, but effective this final piece is

See our other papercraft projects

Sewing and needlecraft

There are so many areas of stitching and needlecraft that have survived the test of time, like quilting, embroidery, cross-stitching and so much more. It’s almost impossible to scroll through Pinterest without seeing a needlecraft project! Jump into these pieces of content to learn some basics and be a part of the growing trend.

9 essentials for your sewing kit

We’ve put together a list of nine essential tools that we think you should have in your kit. It doesn’t matter whether you’re interested in sewing, quilting or patchwork – these bits and bobs can be used across all three disciplines.

Gemini Stitch or Lock Pro – which do you need?

With so many sewing-related machines on the market, it can be quite confusing and overwhelming when deciding which would be best for your projects, particularly if you’re a beginner.

An introduction to Foundation Paper Piecing

If you’re looking to create fun patchwork designs with accuracy and precision, then look no further than the fun and easy technique of foundation paper piecing! It’s also handy technique to master for creating patchwork designs that incorporate awkward or unusual shapes, and the best part is that you don’t need any fancy equipment to get started!

English Paper Piecing made easy

The unique method of English Paper Piecing is a hugely popular way of quilting, particularly for projects that you can take on the go. It’s also perfect for busting your stash, so it’s amazing that more sewists don’t do it!

Three easy sewing and needlecraft projects

Easy hair scrunchies – this is an easy peasy and functional project that will be loved by people of all ages. Make matching sets of scrunchies or make mismatched scrunchies for a bit more fun
Sunglasses pouch – the sunnier months are coming, so there has never been a better time to sew yourself a pretty sunglasses pouch. Not only does this pouch look great, but it will also keep your sunglasses away from dust and dirt!
Easy peasy drawstring bag – if this is your first time delving into the world of bags, don’t panic! This drawstring bag is a lot simpler to recreate than you think, so give it a go

See our other sewing and needlecraft projects

Art and colouring

Colouring is a hobby that has taken the world by storm, and while it can be just as simple as picking up your medium and jumping in, there are many techniques and products that can help you make the most of it. You’ll also find posts here to help with multi media art!

How to store your crafting collection

One problem that comes with having a huge crafty stash is having nowhere to store it. We’ve all been there – losing your favourite colouring pencil because you’ve put it down and forgotten to pick it back up, or that perfectly complementary thread has gone missing underneath a mountain of scraps.

Three easy art and colouring projects

Ink the rainbow card with Spectrum Noir Harmony Opaque Pigment Inkpads – this pretty card features stripes of rainbow shades to add a fun and unique look. Stamp over your favourite sentiment to truly make it your own
Pretty poppies with Spectrum Noir Water Reactive Inkpads – in this project, you will learn the basic method of turning your Water Reactive Inkpads into a watercolour medium
Spectrum Noir TriBlend butterfly card – discover how beautifully you can blend with these innovative marker pens. With three complementary shades in one, you’ll be able to add depth and dimension to any project

See our other art and colouring projects

If you would like any more guidance on how to start crafting, we’ve got tons of helpful content on our blog and video library, so make sure you take a look!

We can’t wait to see what you try your hand at, so make sure you share photos of your first project with us on Facebook UK, Facebook USA, Twitter, Instagram UK, Instagram US, Pinterest UK or Pinterest US using the hashtag #crafterscompanion.