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@switchonthemoonlight (Instagram)
& @maycraft (Instagram)
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1. Batik painting
Batik colouring is a fun and relaxing activity not just for adults, but also for children. You can pick up a batik painting kit consisting of a pre-drawn wax design and three basic dyes that you can mix to form different colours. You can get as creative as you desire when filling in the batik motif, so the outcome will be your own unique creation!
What’s included in Te’ja Studio’s mini batik painting kit:
– A wax-painted batik motive canvas mounted on a wooden frame
– Three 30ml batik colour dyes (red, blue, and yellow)
– A paintbrush
Price:
RM20 – RM30
What’s included in Te’ja Studio’s full batik painting kit:
– 100% cotton cloth
– Three pieces of batik wax
– A paintbrush
– Three fabric dye powders (red, blue, and yellow)
– A colour palette
– A tratiditional canting pen
– Instructions
– A sample batik motif
Price:
RM89 – RM99
2. Cross-stitch
Cross-stitch is a form of needlework and embroidery technique in which X-shaped stitches are made in a tiled, raster-like pattern to form a picture. It’s one of the easiest forms of embroidery to pick up, and cross-stitch projects are usually sold as kits that come complete with Aida fabric, thread, needles, and easy-to-follow instructions.
3. Paint by numbers set
A paint by numbers kit is the safest entryway into the world of acrylic painting. All you need to do is colour in the numbered blocks with a corresponding paint colour, and you’ll have a beautiful, complete painting! You can opt for a less complicated starter set, then progress to a more elaborate design once you feel more confident. You can even get your own photo turned into a canvas numbers painting to truly make the art piece your own!
What’s included in The Paint Project’s kit:
– Pre-printed art canvas
– Acrylic paint set
– Three brushes of different sizes
– Hanging tools
– Brightener liquid
Price:
RM74 (20 x 25cm)
RM79 (30 x 30cm)
RM89 (30 x 40cm)
They can customise your favourite photo into a canvas numbers painting.
Check out their Instagram for more information.
4. Watercolour painting
Many Malaysian kids started out painting with watercolours in Pendidikan Seni classes during their schooling days. Even beginners can enjoy creating effortlessly lovely paintings with this versatile medium. If you don’t know how to get started, you can sign up for a watercolour class to learn how to correctly apply a range of techniques in your art.
What’s included in Joee Cheong Creative Studio’s (JCCS) beginner watercolour set:
– Four pans of JCCS handcrafted artisanal watercolours
– Vintage flower tin box
– A water brush
– A6 handbound watercolour sketchbook with cotton pages
– Two complimentary large dot colours
– Complimentary basic watercolour and mixing online class
Price:
RM368
Sign up for their online introductory watercolour class or seven-day watercolour course to learn more watercolour techniques.
5. Acrylic pouring art/fluid art
Acrylic pouring is an abstract art technique and a type of fluid painting that uses liquefied paint to create fascinating patterns. The paint is poured into each other in cups, or poured onto the canvas and distributed by tilting the painting surface. The beauty of acrylic pouring is that you have complete control over the design, and you can customise it with different techniques to achieve varying effects.
6. Quilting and patchwork
If you’re thinking of beginning a big needlework project, you might like to try your hand at sewing patchwork quilts. You can customise the patterns, shapes, and colours to sew blankets for babies or children, pillowcases, tablecloths… anything that tickles your fancy! It takes a lot of patience to individually cut out and sew each patch together, but the final piece will definitely leave you satisfied with all the hard work.
7. Embroidery
Embroidery is a therapeutic hobby that will keep your hands busy while you’re watching Netflix, listening to music, or waiting for your food to arrive. If you’re a beginner, you can find lots of pretty starter kits on Shopee that come with a pre-drawn pattern and colourful thread. After you’ve gotten the hang of it, you can even embroider your clothes, blankets, tablecloths, and anything else you can poke your needle through!
What’s included in this embroidery starter kit:
– Embroidery cloth
– Embroidery threads
– A needle
– A bamboo hoop
– Instructions
Price:
RM9 – RM9.45
Order one from this Shopee store.
What’s included in this embroidery starter kit:
– Cotton/linen fabric
– Embroidery threads
– A needle
– User guide
– An embroidery hoop
Price:
RM14.99
Order one from this Shopee store.
What’s included in Fabric Fanatics’ embroidery starter kit:
– PDF instructions
– DMC thread of required colours
– Pre-drawn pattern on cotton linen cloth
– A needle
– An embroidery hoop
Price:
RM46 – RM49
Alternatively, you can purchase embroidery thread, linen cloth, and bamboo hoops separately from Maycraft or Fabric Fanatics.
8. Paper quilling
Quilling or paper filigree is an art form in which strips of paper are rolled, looped, curled, twisted, and glued together to create all kinds of shapes. These pieces are used to decorate greeting cards and scrapbook pages, make jewellery and models, and even create abstract art or 3D miniatures. Quilling techniques are simple, and you can purchase special tools to help make the process easier and quicker.
What’s included in this quilling kit:
– 200 pieces of colourful quilling paper
– 40 pearly pins
– Quilling paper mould
– A pair of tweezers
– A pointed glue bottle
– Frame
Price:
RM2.55 – RM13.99
Order one from this Shopee store.
9. Tie-dye kits
If you enjoy wearing clothes that are one-of-a-kind, then you should try making your own tie-dye tees! You can customise it to be as colourful as a rainbow, or play with different designs to achieve stunning patterns. Dyes only bond well with natural fabrics, so you can tie-dye anything as long as the cloth you’re working with is made from 100% cotton, silk, or rayon.
10. Clay art
You can create cute miniatures, jewellery, or decorative art pieces with clay. Polymer clay, or oven-bake clay, needs to be baked for it to permanently retain its shape, whereas air-dry clay will harden when exposed to air. Some air-dry clay brands are made with a natural stone-based formula, some are paper-based, and others are even polymer-based. You can buy clay in different colours, or paint over your designs with acrylic paint after it hardens.
11. Crochet
Crocheting is done with a crochet hook, and the stitches look like small knots. You can pick up crocheting as a hobby if you want to make your own hats, scarves, tops, bags, pouches, and more. If you’re a beginner, you could order a crochet kit to DIY your own bucket hat or handbag, as these kits come complete with all the materials, tools, and instructions you’ll need to begin your project.
12. Beading
You can learn how to make simple or intricate beadwork patterns and jewellery from a colourful assortment of beads. Aside from funky rainbow bracelets and necklaces, you can also create detailed beadwork embroidery for cushions and clothes. The design is completely up to you, so you can have fun stringing beads together to create something new and different each time you pick up your beading kit.
13. Resin art
If you’re a TikTok user, you’ve probably come across videos of people making gorgeous resin art like pendants, pyramids, and bookmarks. Whereas epoxy resin takes at least 24 hours to fully cure/harden, UV resin only cures under UV radiation. Resin is a tricky substance to use, and it gives off toxic fumes that can cause serious damage to your body. If you’re working with resin, you should take extra safety precautions and protective measures.
14. Calligraphy
If you’re interested in picking up calligraphy and hand-lettering as a hobby, but are confused with the many varieties of nibs, inks, and fountain pens, you might like to order a calligraphy starter set that has all the basic tools. You don’t need great handwriting to learn calligraphy, but it does take lots of practice if you want to improve and hone your skill. However, it’s a rewarding process, and you’ll soon learn new and different lettering styles.
What’s included in Stickerrific’s beginner’s calligraphy starter kit:
– Nikko G nib
– Brause Steno nib
– Wooden straight holder/adjustable oblique holder with metal flange
– Walnut ink (20ml)
– Moon Palace Sumi ink (20ml)
– Kaimei Vermillion Sumi ink (20ml)
– Rhodia A5 grid spiral pad
– Nib holder
– Alphabet and nib care guide
Price:
RM79.90 – RM89.90
15. Macrame
Macrame, or knotting, is an ancient fibre art form that has resurfaced as a trendy and contemporary craft. Macrame techniques are used to make textured Bohemian-style wall hangings, decorative plant hangers, jewellery, ornaments, and bags. Macrame crafters use simple and versatile materials like cotton twine, yarn, rope, jute, or hemp, and embellish their projects with wooden beads and dyed threads.
You can order macrame rope and other accessories from this Shopee store.
16. Candle-making
Scented candles add warmth and light to a room, and make your house cosy and fragrant. However, candles don’t last very long, and most are expensive. Hence, if you love using candles, you might want to start making your own. You just need a few basic supplies to make homemade candles, and you can experiment with different ingredients and scents to suit your preferences and needs.
What’s included in Craftiviti’s candle-making kit:
– Natural soy wax
– Concentrated candle dyes
– Fragrance oils
– Five candle jars with lids (100ml)
– Five candle wicks
– Superglue
– 50ml plastic beaker
– 10 large wooden stir bars
– Stainless steel cup
– Thermometer
– A pair of gloves
– Recipe card
– Video demonstration
– Five label stickers
– Extra tealight and wicks
Price:
RM160
You can purchase individual candle-making supplies from Craftiviti, or order a full candle making kit from this Shopee store.