These top 10 surprising tips and tricks for faster craft projects won’t sacrifice quality for speed, your craft projects will be better and quicker than ever!
I know that being efficient and speedy is not for everyone. Personally, that’s me to a T. I’m a little bit type A, I don’t like “wasting” my time or waiting around for things, and I like to do things as quickly and as efficiently as possible (most of the time). Seems weird, but this applies to craft projects for me as well. I find it satisfying.
If you do not care about speed in crafting, that’s totally ok too. Some of us like a more leisurely wander through the crafting landscape and get their enjoyment from that. Totally fine. I always always always say, “you do you”, around here.
But today we’re talking about my top 10 tips and tricks for faster craft projects. And no, none of the tips are “just work faster”. There are lots of other ways to set yourself up for success and craft more quickly that hopefully you haven’t heard before. If you have any other tips for crafting faster, be sure to let us know!
Top 10 Surprising Tips & Tricks for Faster Craft Projects
- Read the directions. Yes, read all of the instructions ahead of time. Then you won’t have to stop mid-project because you’re confused or missing a supply. It’s always worth it!
- Assemble tools and supplies. Get out everything you will need for your craft project before you start. Bonus points if you arrange them in the order you will need them. This will save you time fumbling around looking for supplies or tools that you need mid-project.
- Have a tool kit. Pre-assembling a crafting tool kit can help you become a faster crafter over and over every time you craft. You can assemble a kit or bin or bag of commonly used general crafting tools that you keep together. Or you can assemble a crafting toolkit for each type of craft. For example, if you like to make paper cards, having one box with a craft knife and a bone folder, the kind of glue you like and your special edge scissors that you always keep together will make crafting, in general, much faster. If you like to do more than one kind of craft, you may need some repeat tools in each type of kit, but it will be worth it to have a craft knife in more than one bin than go hunting for it each time you need it!
- Make sure you have enough space. Seriously, if you’re constantly moving things around on your work surface trying to make room, you’re wasting a lot of time. Consider moving to your dining table or your kitchen island or even a folding table so you have plenty of room. When you can see all of your supplies and tools and your whole project in one glance, you’ll be able to craft faster. Don’t forget to protect your work surface before you start!
- Move special tools closer. In addition to standard craft tools, scissors, glue etc., if you need any special crafting tools like power tools or a Silhouette or Cricut cutting machine, or your iron and ironing board, and you can move them closer to your crafting work area, you will save time walking back and forth. Every little bit of efficiency helps!
- Have extra materials on hand. Seriously, from scrapbook paper to yarn, running out of craft supplies is the fastest way to come to a screeching halt in your craft project. Always have a little extra on hand. You can either use it later in other craft projects, or, if it’s unopened, return it to the store later.
- Measure twice. It’s an adage for a reason. Measure twice, cut once. Having to redo a cutting step will take extra time. Measuring is faster, might as well double check!
- Batch steps. If you are not familiar with the concept of batching, it’s a fantastic efficiency tool where you group like-tasks together. For example, if I was crafting 5 similar ornaments and they each needed to be painted, then glued, then have vinyl added, then sealed. Instead of making each ornament all the way through one at a time, first I would do all of the painting, then all of the gluing, then all of the vinyl, then all the sealing. It will save you a lot of time practically and also save time mentally by not having to constantly shift your focus.
- Don’t rush. I know it sounds counterintuitive in a post about how to craft faster, to say, “don’t rush”. I’m not saying go super slow, just make sure you aren’t going SO fast that you make silly mistakes. That will save you time in the end and you’ll end up with a better craft project result. You want to be a little faster than the tortoise but not as fast as the hare.
- Think smarter. If you can buy some of the supplies or materials already completed and ready to use, instead of starting from scratch, there’s no shame in doing that! Some examples might be pre-mixed fondant icing, pre-made scrapbook embellishments, or bows that area already tied. No one will EVER know.
BONUS TIP: Use craft kits. Craft kits are awesome. I have tons of suggestions for craft kits for adults and craft kits for kids. Craft kits are great because they already include everything you need which will save you a lot of time. They also include detailed instructions which, again, will save you time. PLEASE keep in mind, if you feel like craft kits cramp your style and don’t let you be creative enough, you can absolutely use a craft kit and make something different than the picture. You can also add or takeaway supplies from it to change it up. There are no rules in crafting!
If you liked this, you may also like some of my other posts…
- Easy DIY Knit Halloween Costumes (Just Add Pajamas) - October 10, 2024
- Witchy Black Cat Hat Knitting Pattern - October 7, 2024
- Big Squishy Pumpkin Knitting Pattern - October 2, 2024
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