It’s time to romanticise having no plans and spending your weekend at home with a low-stress creative project. Turn a quiet weekend at home into a relaxing craft and sip afternoon with a simple craft kit, nice drinks, excellent snacks and a cosy playlist.
You can make it a solo afternoon of crafting, sipping and snacking, or invite a few friends over and turn it into a relaxed social activity. The key is to keep everything easy and low stress so you can actually enjoy yourself. Here’s how I put together my own solo craft and sip afternoon at home.
This post contains PR gifted items
Choose a Craft Kit You Can Finish in One Sitting
I’m often found working on some sort of craft project, but for a dedicated craft and sip session, I think it’s worth choosing something that you can realistically complete in one afternoon/evening. Look for a craft kit suited to your existing crafting skills that can be completed in around two to three hours.
I chose a DIY Mosaic Round Serving Board Kit from Little Creations, as I’ve been wanting to try mosaic making for a while. It came with pre-cut tile pieces, the board, glue, grout powder and the other bits and pieces needed to complete the project. I particularly liked that everything was already prepared for me so there was no need to spend the afternoon measuring, cutting or hunting down supplies, which made it perfect for a lazy weekend crafting session.
Little Creations has a great selection of mosaic kits, including serving boards, photo frames, coasters, plant pots, vases, plaques and bowls, each available in a range of colours. If you’re hosting a craft and sip session with friends, this means everyone can choose a slightly different project while still learning and enjoying the same crafting technique together.
Set Up a Cosy Crafting Space
Before you start, take the time to prepare your space. You’ll want enough table space for your craft project, as well as your drinks, snacks and anything else you need. If you’re working on something potentially messy, keep a cloth or some paper towels nearby so you don’t have to interrupt your crafting session to clean up. And if you’re planning your craft and sip afternoon for autumn or winter, embrace the cosy atmosphere. Light a few scented candles and and make sure you have enough task lighting to see what you’re doing.
Get the Drinks In
No craft and sip afternoon would be complete without something nice to drink. For my solo afternoon, I went for my favourite fizzy Italian red wine from Colderove. It felt like a little bit of luxury without being too formal – exactly the sort of drink I wanted to sip while working on my mosaic.
If you’re having friends over, you could also make things a little more celebratory with a signature cocktail. Pick something that can be prepared in advance, so you’re not stuck behind the kitchen counter while everyone else is crafting. Or simply pop the prosecco!
(You can easily make this a non-alcoholic occasion too. A fancy soft drink, sparkling water or an elaborate mocktail works just as well.)
Keep the Snacks Simple
Crafting and complicated food are not the best combination. Choose snacks that are easy to grab, don’t require much preparation and won’t leave your fingers covered in sauce or crumbs halfway through your project. I went slightly fancy with my snacks because, honestly, nothing beats an M&S snack haul for a cosy afternoon at home.
Put everything out before you start so you can graze as you craft. It’s much more enjoyable than repeatedly getting up to prepare food, and it means you can keep the creative flow going.
Add a Playlist (or an Audiobook)
Music is an easy way to set the mood, particularly if you’re inviting friends over. For a social craft afternoon, choose an engaging playlist that can become the soundtrack to the session. Nothing too distracting – something upbeat works well in the background while everyone chats.
For my solo crafting session, I did something slightly different and put on an audiobook using BookBeat. I’m not usually an audiobook listener, but it was the perfect pairing – something to listen to whilst having something to do with my hands.
My Craft and Sip Afternoon: The Verdict
The whole experience was exactly what I wanted from a slow weekend afternoon: around two to three hours of solo crafting, sipping and snacking fun.
The mosaic kit was easy to follow and didn’t require too much concentration. The tiling stage was very relaxing and I could zone out and enjoy putting it together without having to think too hard about it.
The only genuinely messy part was applying the grout at the end, mixing the powder with water and spreading it over my tiled piece. I can imagine this being particularly fun if you were doing it with a group of friends! Just make sure you have plenty of cloths or paper towels ready for the clean-up.
And, most importantly, I absolutely love my finished piece! This mosaic serving board looks perfect in my green kitchen colour scheme and will be lovely at future social gatherings.
Would I Do a Craft and Sip Afternoon Again?
Absolutely! The beauty of a DIY craft afternoon at home is that you can make it whatever you want it to be. It can be a completely solo activity when you need some quiet time, or you can invite a few friends over, open a bottle of something nice and make an afternoon of it. The secret is choosing a craft that feels enjoyable rather than demanding, preparing your space beforehand and having plenty of snacks and drinks within reach.
It’s a simple way to romanticise staying home, make your weekend feel a little more special and, at the end of it, have something you’ve made yourself to show for the afternoon!.
English Rose from Manchester's Blog 