Beginners' guide
New to crafting? Start here
Choosing your first craft, what to buy (and what not to buy yet), and the jargon you'll meet in every craft shop.
1. Choose a craft that fits your life
The best first craft is the one you'll actually do. Think about how much space you have, how much mess you can tolerate, and whether you want something portable for the train or the sofa.
| Craft | Space needed | Mess | Portable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knitting & crochet | A comfy chair | Very low | Yes |
| Embroidery & cross-stitch | A lap and good light | Very low | Yes |
| Cardmaking | Part of a table | Low | Partly |
| Painting & drawing | A table | Low to medium | Sketching, yes |
| Jewellery making | A tray on a table | Low | Partly |
| Sewing & quilting | A table for a machine, plus cutting space | Medium | Hand sewing only |
| Cutting machines | A desk near a device | Low | No |
| Candles & soap | Kitchen-style worktop and hob | Medium | No |
| Resin | A level, ventilated, warm space | High | No |
2. Buy for one project, not for a whole hobby
It's tempting to fill a basket with everything in a starter list. Instead, pick one simple project, buy exactly what it needs, and finish it. You'll learn which tools you really use, and your second shopping trip will be far better informed. Kits are ideal for this: they include the right materials in the right amounts.
3. The universal toolkit
A few things turn up in almost every craft, so they're worth buying well:
- A good pair of general craft scissors, plus a separate pair for fabric if you sew
- A metal ruler and a self-healing cutting mat
- A pencil, a putty rubber and a fine black pen
- Double-sided tape and a reliable glue
- A tape measure (soft for sewing and knitting)
- Somewhere to keep it all: see craft storage
4. Jargon buster
- gsm
- Grams per square metre: the weight of paper or card. Higher means thicker.
- DK / aran / chunky
- UK yarn weights, from thinner to thicker.
- Fat quarter
- A pre-cut piece of fabric made by cutting half a metre in two across the width, giving a squarer, more useful shape than a long quarter-metre strip.
- Findings
- The metal components used to assemble jewellery: clasps, jump rings, earring hooks.
- HTV
- Heat transfer vinyl, also called iron-on, used with cutting machines to decorate fabric.
- Aida count
- The number of squares per inch on cross-stitch fabric.
- Melt and pour
- A ready-made soap base you melt, customise and set; no lye handling needed.
5. Learn from others
Local libraries, community centres and independent craft shops across the UK often run workshops, knit-and-natter groups and sewing cafés. They're a friendly way to get help, and many are free or low cost. Online video tutorials are brilliant too; just check whether a crochet tutorial uses UK or US terms.
Explore more crafts
Just starting out? Read the beginners' guide or pick a weekend project.