5 Art Kits to Inspire You

Try Your Hand at a New Hobby

By Tory Irmeger

Whether you consider yourself a dabbler or a master of the arts, everyone has something to gain from a creative project. Creative hobbies are an opportunity to slow down, embrace imperfection, and be curious about new ways of interacting with the world around you. Here, we’ve reviewed five art kits that might just be the key to getting you started on a new creative journey.

For the Nature Lover:

Flower Pressing Kit by Cate Paper Co.

If you’ve ever decided to preserve a special flower and promptly forgotten which book you stuck it in, this kit is for you. The 4-by-6-inch flower press allows for multiple layers of flowers to be preserved at once, while bamboo tweezers assist with handling the delicate materials. Also included in this kit is a floater frame to show off your colorful pressed flowers.

For the Papercrafter:

Crafters Block Printing Kit by Kikkerland

Infuse original design into your stationery, journals, or fabrics with this stamp-making kit. Using the carving tools and rubber blocks in the kit, you can create leaf stamps or apply your own sketch to the stamp. This is a great entry point for anyone wanting to learn how to create original prints using relief printing methods.

For the Sewist:

Embroidery Stitch Sampler by Kiriki Press

This embroidery sampler kit is a fantastic project for sewists of all skill levels. The quaint Victorian house is worked in the style of blackwork embroidery, which includes only one color and simple geometric stitches to create a three-dimensional effect. The fabric comes ready-to-stitch and can be made into an ornament or wall décor.

For the Detail-oriented:

Book Nook Kit by Rolife

Foray into model building with this book nook kit to create a decorative feature for your shelves. These kits come with pre-designed and pre-cut wooden pieces, so all you have to worry about is the assembly of this three-dimensional scene.

For the Experimental:

Cyanotype Kit by Jacquard

It’s not mad science – it’s cyanotype! This process of printmaking includes applying a chemical solution to paper or fabric that turns blue in the sun’s rays. Use flowers, leaves, lace, and other bits and bobs to create one-of-a-kind prints. This kit includes materials to make up to 12 prints along with easy-to-follow instructions.