Fun Crafts That Don't Require A Lot of Supplies

Whether you’re on a budget or live in a small space, you may not want a big craft supply stash, so here are some great crafts that don’t require a lot of supplies!

pad of white paper two paintbrushes and four small pots of paint in primary colors on a light pink tabletop

As a person who writes about crafts for a living, I kind of have a lot of craft supplies. I really do TRY to keep it manageable, but sometimes it gets the better of me. Living in a very old house without a lot of storage does help limit it naturally.

But there are lots of other reasons you might not want a lot of craft supplies. Why do you want to do craft projects that don’t require a lot of supplies? Here are some totally valid reasons:

I’m new to crafting and don’t want to buy a lot of supplies until I know if I like it.
I don’t have very much storage space in my home.
I don’t have the budget for a lot of craft supplies.
I live somewhere where craft supplies are more difficult to acquire.
I don’t have a lot of time to devote to crafting, I just want to do it occasionally.
I am a minimalist/don’t like clutter.
I want a craft project I can take with me on the go or when I travel.

If any of these are you, that’s totally fine! There’s room for everyone here, welcome! There are lots of lists of easy crafts for kids, but we’re specifically talking about craft projects for adults. Today I’m going to give you some ideas of crafts that don’t require a lot of supplies so that whatever your reason, you can find a new craft to try out.

CraftsThat Don’t Require a lot of Supplies

Macrame – just cord and yourself, that’s all you need!
Drawing – drawing pad/paper and either pencils, chalks, or pens and you’re all set
Sashiko – this kid of Japanese embroidery usually uses navy blue fabric and only white thread so it’s a perfect low-supply craft!
Finger knitting – Like macrame, just yarn and your fingers!
Arm knitting – I don’t know if those jumbo arm knit blankets truly qualify, but all you really need is that super bulky yarn and your own arms!
Friendship bracelets – I remember making these with nothing more than embroidery floss and a safety pin to pin them to my jeans. This is a great craft for on-the-go.
Sunprints/Cyanotype – This cool photo sensitive paper only requires, itself, the sun and whatever objects (either found or in nature) you want.
Collage – I feel like collage gets a bad rap as random pictures cut out of magazine, but you can make true artwork by collaging all kinds of found materials and all you really need is glue!
Rock Painting- rock painting is kind of trendy right now and I agree that it’s fun. All you need is some rocks (duh) and some acrylic paint pens. That’s it!
There are, of course, about a million things you can make with upcycled and recycled things you find around your home, the only limit is your imagination!
Zentangles – did you ever hear about zentangles, they’re kind of like intentional doodling to create pretty artwork! All you need is a paper and pen!
Knit or Crochet dishcloths – Unlike many other knit or crochet projects, dishcloths are low stakes, high satisfaction. You only need one set of needles and one kind of yarn (cotton)!

Those are off the top of my head, do you have any other ideas for crafts that don’t require a lot of supplies? Share with me!

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Cassie May

Craft and Knitwear Designer at Little Red Window Design

Welcome to Little Red Window! I’m Cassie, a professional craft and knitwear designer working in the field for more than 10 years. I have a degree in Art History from Northwestern University and a Master's Degree in Architecture and Design from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I've designed more than 300 separate knitting patterns, hundreds of craft projects, and I love to bring joy to your crafts and knitting with well-designed, easy to understand tutorials and patterns.

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