Why Crafting for Me Is More Like Medicine

I've often wondered what it is about crafting that keeps pulling me back. I've been making things since I was a kid. Crochet, paper crafts, cardmaking, sewing, knitting, felt stitching—I've tried quite a few things over the years even jewelry making, weaving and loom knitting. Some stayed with me, some came and went, and I know there are other crafts I could try, but I'm careful to stay in my own wheelhouse for now! It's true that "makers want to make everything!"

But I've realized something along the way. For me, crafting is about much more than making something. It's like medicine. Not medicine in the literal sense, of course. But there is a mental and emotional healing that happens when I sit down with a crochet hook, a piece of fabric, some cardstock or a needle and thread. Something inside me seems to settle. It lets my mind wander and dream, and it quiets my rapid heartbeat.

I struggle with anxiety and crafting slows me down and helps me breathe. I can be quiet with my thoughts, pray silently and let my mind think of the project in my hands and how it's shaping into what it will become when I'm finished making it.

When I'm working with my hands, I'm focused on what's right in front of me.

For a while, the rest of the world can become a little quieter. I don't have to think about everything that needs to be done tomorrow. I don't have to solve a problem or meet a deadline. I can simply concentrate on what I'm making. And sometimes, that's exactly what I need. 

I've also learned that crafting doesn't have to mean spending an entire afternoon—or even months—on one project. Sometimes crafting can just be trimming cardstock to make cardbases and putting them into a drawer ready for when I want to make a card. Crocheting doesn't have to mean a long-term project either. I can pick up a ball of yarn and make a flower, place it on a hair clip, and now I have a hair ornament to wear!

I've sewn things like pincushions, small drawstring bags and mini pouches in a day. These are useful, great for gift giving and fun to make! I recently learned how to make pillowcase covers with a back envelope enclosure so I made a few to fit my 18"x18" pillows. That means I can decorate our pillows for upcoming seasons and holidays with new pillowcase covers instead of buying new pillows. And, making covers for pillows is easy and doesn't take a long time to make.

The making itself can be enough, but there's always this special feeling about making something with your own hands. I think that's one of the things I love most. We live in a world where so much of what we see and use is manufactured, packaged and shipped to us. But when I make something myself, I get to see it come together one little piece at a time. It might not be perfect. In fact, it probably won't be perfect. 😂 

But when I finish and hold that handmade thing in my hands, I get a little feeling of accomplishment that is difficult to explain. It's knowing that I took supplies—thread, yarn, needles, cardstock, paints and other materials—and, in the end, created something beautiful: a card, a blanket, a placemat. It can be functional, it can be home decor, it can be for a friend's birthday. 

The pride I feel inside comes from knowing I made that with my own hands. And I think there's something pretty wonderful about that. Long ago, I remember praying to God and asking Him to give me a hobby where I could create with my hands. My jobs have always been centered around designing on the computer. And while I love that, I still longed to use just my hands. 

My relationship with crafting has changed over the years. There were times when I made things simply because I loved making them. There were times when I made cards by the hundreds. 😂 There were seasons when certain crafts weren't possible for me, so I found other creative outlets.

And there have also been difficult seasons when crafting gave me something positive to focus on. Cardmaking became especially important during one particularly difficult period in my life. Sitting at my craft table and creating gave me somewhere to put my attention when life was overwhelming.

I wasn't trying to accomplish anything extraordinary. I was simply making something. And sometimes, simply making something was enough to get me through another day. 

Retirement has changed my relationship with crafting again. Also, money is an issue. With the rising prices of essentials, I can't just purchase everything I want, so learning to be frugal and use the products I have is key. Some of my items are discontinued and won't be restocked, but that doesn't mean I stop using them.

Rediscovering oldies but goodies gives them new life, and sometimes they can even be repurposed into an entirely different finished project. The thing is I'm not trying to turn every project into something productive or fill every shelf in my house with things I've made. In fact, I'm not doing that anymore. One of my crafty goals for 2026 is to be more intentional with my making. 

So I concentrate on creating with purpose. I might make something useful, like the hot pads and bowl cozies for our kitchen. Or, something for our home, like the fabric strawberries and tomatoes for bowl fillers, or crochet a blanket to keep us warm in the wintertime.

And, there is no deadline, no more boss waiting for the finished product or status report. It's just me, my project and some quiet time in my craft space, watching a Christmas movie or a YT video. And honestly, I think that's pretty good medicine.

Creating is my lifeline. It's a gift God has given me and it is an answered prayer. Now that I have time to really pursue it, I want to see how far I can go. And after working for more than three-quarters of my life, I'm discovering that I don't need every activity in my life to have a measurable purpose. I just want to make what inspires me. 

Now that hubby and I have our first home, I have a blank canvas to create for. And I can't tell you the feeling I get when I walk into a room in our houses and I see that set of pillows on the couch that I made or to see my hubby use my bowl cozies to carry his hot bowl of soup from the microwave. I get to see that folded crochet lap blanket waiting to be wrapped around us. It blesses me everyday. 

I also love to learn new things, which is why I've been teaching myself how to sew. Now, I'm learning how to mend things. I learned how to do a hem and used it to shorten the kitchen skirt we hang on our dishwasher. It's amazing to me every time I learn something new. I love making little gifts for friends. When I send them a handmade card with a little gift in the mail and they tell me how much they loved it, it brings me such joy. That's what crafting has become for me. 

And, maybe that's the part I never expected. It's a creative outlet. A little escape. A source of joy. And, in its own funny little way...a kind of medicine. 🌸