Hand Crafting for Therapy

Have you ever thought of trying a new craft?  Hand crafting is the best therapy for stress, worry, or anxiety. Its calms the mind, soothes the nerves, and gives your hand something to do. As well as producing a fantastic product as a result. Its also scientifically proven that hand crafting is excellent therapy.

There are so many hand crafts to choose from. My own personal experience over the years is knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch, spinning, tapestry, and a dabble at weaving. I couldn’t live without them. Cannot do them all at once of course, but one tends to stride in for a while, then moves over for another to take its place.

 

Knitting for Therapy This is very well known, and its also scientifically proven to calm stress, anxiety, blood pressure, and many other things. But other crafts can be equally as good. It depends also on how much you delve into them. With knitting for example, yo can either buy the yarn and needles and just knit – or, you can go deeper and make your own yarn by spinning the fleece. It is Very satisfying either way. And going deeper still, you can dye your fleece or yarn. Its lots of fun to see what colours you produce from natural dyes, as well as playing with commercial dye colours.

 

 

At the moment, my mind is on Cross Stitching – and the Stamped (printed) variety, not counted cross stitch (where youhave to follow a chart, loose your place, stitch the wrong stitches and have to unpick and it again…lol). Many prefer counted cross stitch, and that’s fine. I now prefer stamped cross stitch as I can just sit and stitch by following the colours and symbols. It really is a good way to calm the mind – hours seem to just disappear when I am totally immersed.

Small projects

…such as bookmarks are ideal for beginners, and light relief for the more experienced. They are very quick and easy to do and complete, giving a good sense of accomplishment.

 

Whatever hand crafting for therapy you choose is right for you at the time – there is no right or wrong, just what you want to do.

If you were to start a new hand craft hobby, what would it be? 

 

Gorgeous view from which I often sit crafting…

But, whatever you do – HAVE FUN!