that I learned to make during the pandemic

Who knew the beginning of 2020 and the COVID pandemic would bring new talents in the arts and craft department. If one thing is fore sure, I know many of us explored and discovered our hidden talents with a bit more free time on our hands.

Being confined in our homes encouraged us to find new distractions and I want to share with you a few things that I dived into and continue to make 2 years later.

1. Macramé

I would say learning macramé is probably the most fun thing I learned to do. Christmas time was creeping up and I searched youtube tutorials and learned the knots as I created my very first piece: the Christmas tree wall hanging. This looks like an ornament, but its size is great enough to hang on your door or wall. I really was a lot of fun to make and I even sold a couple after posting to my hand-made shop De Mar A Monte, based here in Medellin, Colombia.

This is honestly a very therapeutic activity and once you learn the basic knots and how to measure the length of the cords, you’ll be making home decor for yourself and friends in no time.

Macramé pieces I’ve made: (click text for photo)

1. Christmas tree wall hanging

2. Christmas tree ornaments

3. Layered wall hanging

4. iPhone usb cord wrap

5. Plant pot garland

For most pieces I used 3mm macramé cord. If you’d like to give it a try, I found a great starter kit here where you can choose from a bunch of fun colors!

Supplies I recommend to get started!

1. 3mm macramé cord starter kit

2. Metal hoop wreaths

3. 12 inch wood dowels

4. Foam macramé board

2. Resin

You know when you watch one youtube tutorial and you go down a spiral binge and end up watching something completely irrelevant to the first video? Same.

I came across a tutorial for coasters using natural dried flowers and thought they were so pretty. Don’t get me wrong. They look easy but they have their trick! I tried long and hard to avoid getting bubbles. I bought my resin and hardener from Michaels using their coupon for an extra discount. But here’s a similar find on Amazon ;)

Suggested items from Amazon:

1. Crystal clear resin epoxy

2. Heat gun for popping bubbles

3. Silicone coasters molds

4. Silicone tray mold

5. Gold flakes for fillers

6. Natural dried pressed flowers and leaves for fillers

7. Plastic measuring cups for resin and hardener

8. 3M respirator mask

Be sure to protect yourself from the vapors by using the appropriate mask and well ventilated area.

3. Clay ornaments

The holiday season is all about gift-giving and making it personal is what makes it special. After my macramé frenzy, I thought about creating something I could easily monetize. That’s when I went to Youtube University (lol) and discovered the process to create customized clay ornaments. My customers were able to choose the name and tassel color and this really was a hit Christmas 2021.

The profit is high because the material is so affordable, but the labor is long and exhausting. You have to consider drying time, since the clay I use is air-dried clay. Warm days vs rainy days fluctuated the drying time. Then the sanding, omg! The dust was so harmful and although I covered my mouth and nose, my allergies were through the roof during this time. So beware!

However, the outcome was totally worth it. Families would order 10+ ornaments to gift to their loved ones and even a small business ordered a large batch with a custom phrase I had 3D printed from my husband’s coworker. If you’re looking for a side hustle, this is definitely one.

Everything I used from Amazon:

1. DAS air-hardening modeling clay - white

2. Adjustable thickness rolling pin

3. Alphabet stamps

4. Letter, number and punctuation stamps

5. Hollow hole punch clay cutters

6. Cooling rack

7. Wax paper

4. Sewing

Big fan of Kaekoo Pillow Shop here! Because of her, I fell in love with the idea of creating my very own throw pillow cases. Having the freedom of choosing my own fabric to create my cozy vibe, now that’s adulting.

My husband gifted me my very first sewing machine (similar one here!). Growing up, I had some familiarity with sewing. My mom’s friend taught me to sew napkins. In middle school I took home ec. In high school, fashion design elective.

Trust me. I went crazy at the fabric store wanting to stock up on so many pretty fabrics. I controlled myself and bought a few different pieces that would allow me to make 1-2 pillow cases of each. THEN, I went to Joann and found the discounted scrap pieces in the most beautiful designs and colors. Don’t forget to look for the end cap shelf ;)

Supplies I recommend to get started!

1. Singer 203 stitch sewing machine

2. Heat erasable fabric marking pens

3. Fiskars rotary cutter and scissors starter kit

4. Omnigrip non-slip quilter’s ruler

5. 12 inch YKK white and gold brass metal zippers

All images shown on this page are of items created by me. I hope you enjoy them and share for inspiration!

5. Hand Embroidery

With social distancing came innovative ways to keep businesses running and side hustles for extra cash. My sister in law and I signed up for a Saturday zoom class to learn hand embroidery and our instructor sent all our materials to our door. This is such a great idea to sell on Etsy or to friends and family. Once you get the hang of it, you have the potential to create some really cute gifts or home decor. As you can see, after I practiced a few designs and patterns, I created my very own name initial ‘J’.

If you’re up for it, here are some materials I found to get started:

1. 3-pack cactus starter kit

2. Embroidery hoop rings

3. Multi-size embroidery needles

4. Embroidery floss 50-pack

5. Floss bobbins