With most of us spending the bulk of our time at home these days, the hours can seem long and tedious. One simply can’t watch Netflix the whole day (although you could take a break with these Asian comedians), and while work is a necessary distraction, the nights and weekends can seem immensely boring. Still, your time at home does not need to be unfruitful; why not relieve your boredom by getting creative with these fabulous DIY craft kits? They are entertaining – and you get to learn a new skill at the same time. Here’s a list of of fun stay home DIY kits that will keep you occupied and engaged.
1. To knit: ITB
Knitting is an intricate process of interlocking loops of yarn to create beautiful textiles ranging from apparel to home decor and accessories. Taking up the skill might seem daunting, but really, there are only just a few items beginners require: knitting needles, a ball of yarn, a pair of scissors and a sewing needle. Purchase a knit kit from this local knitting business – which comprises these tools and a pattern for you to complete items such as a swanky clutch, cardigan or statement scarf – and you’d get unlimited access to all of its knit parties – where you get step-by-step guidance for your pattern – until you complete your project. Alternatively, you can view Youtube videos such as this beginner tutorial by KnittingHelpcom.
2. To embroider: Deer Folks
Much like knitting, embroidery can be meditative and soothing, not to mention beneficial in releasing stress and anxiety. The art form has been around for ages; for centuries people used hand embroidery to decorate, mark and mend their apparel as well as religious objects and household objects. These days, it has taken a more contemporary turn, with designs becoming more trendy and very much a reflection of our personality. They also work perfectly as decorative gifts. Purchase a DIY kit from Deer Folks which includes all instructions and materials for you to start on the project right away. The kit will include tips and tricks as well as pictures and instructions of stitches.
3. To make your own bubble tea: Gulp SG and The HangoverSG
Residents of Singapore were left with severe withdrawal when standalone bubble tea shops had to close during the Circuit Breaker last year. To mitigate that loss, LiHo launched its own bubble tea DIY kit comprising a pack of black tea leaves, dairy creamer, golden tapioca pearls, raw sugar and even LiHO cups and straws, so you can mimic the real experience at home. The kits sold out in nearly three days, but since then, many companies have come onboard with their own kits. Gulp SG has a range of beverage kits that allows you to make your own cocktail, cold brew or mocktail, but we recommend its boba tea kits that are available in three flavours: honey green tea, oolong milk tea and lychee oolong tea. If you prefer a more fruity treat, The Hangover SG has a fruit tea kit that allows you to choose a type of fruit syrup (either peach, lychee or passionfruit) to go with your choice of tea leaves. Other kits include the classic milk tea kit or the taro kit that comes with taro powder. You can add on other toppings such as aloe vera or nata de coco for an extra fee.
4. To create a tiny garden: The Green Capsule or Lush Glass Door
If your home office needs a little sprucing up, consider adding a terrarium on your desk. These self-sustaining, small-scale ecosystems bring a touch of nature and greenery inside your home, are relatively low maintenance, and are adorable to boot. Try an ornamental terrarium DIY kit from The Green Capsule that comes with a glass jar, pre-packed soil, pebbles and moss, a figurine of choice, a mini potted plant and step-by-step instructions. Lush Glass Door also offers a range of kits with various types of plants (such as succulents and air plants) and containers (from glass bowls to minimalist geometric shapes.
5. For a popiah party: Fortune Food
If you’re having a mini party with your loved ones at home and you are all popiah fiends, Fortune Food has a popiah set that can make either nine or 15 pieces. Each set comes with ingredients such as handmade popiah skin, cooked turnip with carrot, sweet sauce, sambal chilli, minced garlic, crispy bits, grated peanuts, eggs and shredded cucumber as well a specially designed placemat to make rolling these morsels fuss-free. To make it a real fun hands-on party, you can also try the Kueh Pie Ti set that comes with handmade Kueh Pie Ti shells and assorted ingredients.
6. To mix your own fragrance: Maison 21G or Oo La Lab
Fragrances can be so profoundly subjective and personal, shaping how others feel about us and showcasing how we feel about ourselves. But with so many scents to choose from, you might find it hard to pin down the perfect one that feels precisely, well, you. Enter customised perfumes. By getting to control what goes into it, you can create a perfect blend of scents that suits your preferences and is something you’d wear comfortably for years. Bespoke perfume house Maison 21G allows you to create your own perfume through a personality test. After answering a few questions that includes choosing your favourite perfume family and preferred strength of scents, you’d get a test result and the opportunity to decorate your own fragrance bottle before having it delivered to your doorstep. Oo La Lab, a craft fragrance lab, offers a more hands-on option where you’re able to create your signature scent with their Fragrance Mixology Kit. Inside this kit is a guided instruction manual and 12 fragrance notes in individual 5ml dropper bottles.
7. For an art jamming session: Epic Workshops
Channel your inner van Gogh with Epic Workshops’ Art Jamming kit that includes materials such as an art canvas, 12 acrylic paints, paintbrushes, aprons, gloves, a table cover and plate palette, as well as a video demonstration to guide you on the process. It will also teach you simple techniques such as gradient blending and playing with colours. If you wish to unleash your creativity in other ways, there are also other kits such as a Terrazzo Coaster DIY Kit where the finished product promises to be Insta-worthy; a tote bag painting kit; and a tile painting kit.
8. To make resin craft: Resin Play
Resin is a composite blend which can be moulded into strong and pliable products. By adding bits and bobs such as inks, pigments, glitter, gold leaf, dried flowers and charms, the finished product, whether it be crafts or jewellery, can turn out to be incredibly stunning. Resin Play has DIY kits where you can create personalised star-studded coasters, pretty trinket trays and earrings. Each kit comprises a silicone mould or coaster bases, high quality resin, accessories and other essential materials such as protective gloves and a live video demonstration.
