Calm & Creative: Mindfulness Practice for Crafters
The practice of mindfulness is designed to help us regulate our thoughts and feelings, ease our anxiety, and train us to enjoy the ‘now’ without worrying about the things outside of our control. For the creative and crafty among us, mindful crafts can have a wonderfully therapeutic value, encouraging us to channel our energy into something positive, and keep us from getting carried away with negative thought trains. These hand-decorated rocks are the perfect opportunity to tap into the moment and channel your creativity; check out Penelope Quinn’s step-by-step tutorial below, and treat yourself to an afternoon of tranquility!
You Will Need:
- Smooth river rocks, around 8 – 10cm in diameter
- Metallic marker pens
- Double sided tape
- Masking tape
- Gold leaf
- Metallic paint
- Paint brush
- Sticky back paper
- Heart hole punch
- Soap and water
Step 1:
First, gather some rocks and give them a good wash in warm soapy water. Use a toothbrush if you need to get all the dirt off. Let them dry completely.
Step 2:
Use sticky back paper and a hole punch to create a stencil, apply to your rock (making sure it sits flush) then apply a few coats of metallic paint. Remove the sticky back paper when the paint is dry.
Step 3:
Wrap half your rock in painters tape, and give one coat of metallic spray paint. Wait until dry, and peel off the tape.
Step 4:
You can also create metallic stripes using gold leaf and double sided tape. Simply apply the double sided tape around the rock, remove the backing, and apply the gold leaf using a tapping motion with your finger. Use a stiff brush to remove excess
Step 5:
Use a variety of these techniques alone or together, and then get creative with Sharpie pens. These could be spirals, leaves, scales, arrows, dots, inspirational words or phrases… Anything you like! Get lost in the repetitive patterns as you create them, and simply enjoy the process.
Once complete, you will have not only enjoyed a calming afternoon of creativity, but you also now have a beautiful selection of decorative pebbles that you can use to decorate windowsills, plant pots and more – or even give as gifts to friends in need of a little pick-me-up!
For more inspiration on creative mindfulness and wellbeing, check out our Self Care Journal article right here, and keep an eye on the blog for more articles on the practice of mindfulness to come!
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