As someone who prefers indoor activities, I am always magically – and predictably – drawn outside during the warm and sunny days of summer. There’s just so much to ignite my creativity (despite all those pesky bugs!) Regardless, I love exploring beaches and wooded areas, in large part because of the visual inspiration they hold. Whether I’m stumbling upon fallen pinecones and twigs, rolled up pieces of bark or driftwood with interesting shapes, nature never fails to inspire me. If you, too, are inspired by the creative possibilities found in the great outdoors, you’ll love today’s round-up of 10 Creative Nature Crafts to Kick-Start Your Summer.
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CREATIVE NATURE CRAFTS TO KICK-START YOUR SUMMER
1/ Pinecone Craft & Decor Ideas
For as long as I can remember, pinecones have been a part of my craft and decor projects. I quite literally have BAGFULS in my craft room! Pinecones are plentiful in wooded areas, but if you don’t have any nearby, you can most likely find them in your local craft store.
A couple of ways to use pinecones in crafts include a weath, like this all-white twist on a classic pinecone wreath or this simple decorative bowl filler idea (using a minimum of diy skills).
Pinecones are also a great starting point for creating an all-natural wall swag, a rustic branch and pinecone wall hanging or even some frosted ornaments that you can store away until Christmas.
If you’re looking to share something REALLY FUN FOR THE KIDDOS, these diy yarn-wrapped pinecones are an easy activity to plan (and makes a great display idea, too).
2/ Moss Art & Decor
Moss is such a versatile craft medium and adds a beautiful, natural touch to your home decor. Whether you collect it yourself or simply purchase preserved moss there are a wide range of applications for this natural material.
This includes making things like a moss terrarium or any number of beautiful moss centerpieces to add to a table display. If your walls need something more unique or unexpected, you may even try this really cool moss wall art idea.
Some of MY FAVOURITE MOSS CRAFTS FROM THIS BLOG include this diy rustic mixed-moss wreath, these elegant and easy-to-make moss-covered bowl fillers, as well as this simple moss-filled planter idea to elevate the look of a faux plant or tree.
3/ Pressed Flower Arts & Crafts
PRESSING FLOWERS to display in artful ways is another BEAUTIFUL METHOD OF CRAFTING WITH NATURE. Whether you prefer bold and saturated colours or soft and pale hues, you can find any number of florals to suit your personal aesthetic. Not to mention, preserving your summer blooms is a great way to enjoy them all through fall and winter.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN, you should become familiar with a few basic pressed flower techniques. Besides pressing flowers in books (also covered in the aforementioned article), you can find FLOWER PRESSING KITS online here and a wide range here. (If you’d prefer not to press your own flowers, you can even find PACKS OF PRESSED FLOWERS online here).
Once you’ve pressed (or purchased) your flowers, you can then decide how you’d like to display them. My all-time favourite is to FRAME YOUR PRESSED FLOWERS. A few tutorials to show you how, include this gorgeous, framed flower/botanical wall art diy, this pretty framed art idea here and this diy that uses a floating glass frame to display your pressed florals.
BESIDES FRAMING you can also try your hand at making pressed flower bookmarks (a perfect gift idea), a pressed flower lantern, pretty floral Christmas ornaments, pressed flower resin coasters, or even these floral clay heart coasters that combine pressed flowers with air dry clay (a great activitiy for the kiddos to learn multiple skills).
4/ Nature Weaving Ideas
As regular readers of the blog know, weaving is a staple craft of this blogger. But it’s only recently that I’ve begun incorporating found objects from nature into my weaving practice, as I shared in this post –> Weaving With Nature: Tips & Tutorial Using Supplies from Nature. But there are SO many other ways to WEAVE WITH NATURE, too, including branch weaving and twig loom weaving and even flower crown weaving for those wishing to wear their creations.
For those who want to take their nature weaving to the next level, BASKET WEAVING may be something you can explore. Tutorials like this ‘how-to’ video using pine needles or this step-by-step video using raffia (which you can purchase in bundles here).
5/ Rock Painting & Other Rock Crafts
I cannot think of a craft that is more ACCESSIBLE than one that incorporates rocks! Seriously, who doesn’t come across rocks in their everyday life, even in the most urban of environments. Rock crafts are also HIGHLY PORTABLE, easy to pick up and set aside, and a relaxing activity to do in front of the TV.
There are myriads of rock painting tutorials online, but here are just a couple that appeal to me personally, including these pretty painted flower rock ideas and these modern diy painted rock patterns.
Rocks offer a lot of BEAUTY, SHAPE AND INTEREST in and of themselves. They can make for some INTERESTING DECOR, both large and small in scale, such as these diy rock magnets, this modern framed rock art, or these unique diy natural stone cabinet knobs. I also love the look of this pretty diy rock-covered planter/bucket idea, and the unique use of pebbles in this elegant pebble trivet. Finally, if you’re looking to find more ways to weave (as I always am), then look no further than this introduction to rock weaving (a good video tutorial to get you started).
As you’ll discover, there are SO MANY ROCK CRAFT IDEAS out there to try that are both PRACTICAL AND DECORATIVE.
6/ Twig & Branch Crafted Decor
Using twigs or branches in your crafts adds instant rustic appeal. Whether they are the prominent feature or simply the frame for something else, these WOODY SHOOTS add a variety of TEXTURES that have a lot of VISUAL INTEREST.
Many of the twig crafts out there are more suitable to those who lean more rustic than modern. But even if you lean more modern (as I do), you can find plenty of twig crafts to use in seasonal decorating, outdoor decorating, or in small doses indoors.
Some of my favourite twig crafts include these DIY twig triangle wreaths these twig picture frames, this DIY twig candle holder (and along the same lines, this DIY twig flower pot), as well as these sliced wood coasters made of branches.
(And if you are looking for a beginner-level JEWELRY CRAFT idea, I came across this diy twig bangle tutorial that looks really neat!).
7/ Feather Art & Decor Ideas
Feathers are another lovely item to add to your nature crafts, whether embellishing a piece or making feathers the central feature. Their SHAPE AND VARIED PATTERN make them a BEAUTIFUL CRAFTING MATERIAL.
I’ve dabbled with feather crafts only a little. Ones I’ve shared on the blog include these minimal hoop feather ornaments and this minimalist feather vase filler (more a decor idea than anything else)
But as far as FEATHER CRAFTS THAT I’VE BEEN INSPIRED TO TRY my favourites include WREATHS AND WALL ART, such as this rustic-style feather wreath and this beautiful, fluffy feather wreath. I also love this stunning framed feathers wall art idea, this simple elegant feather centerpiece, and this Juju-hat-inspired feather wall art idea that makes a great statement.
8/ Driftwood Art & Decor Ideas
If a beachy touch of rusticity is what you are looking for, there are plenty of wonderful tutorials online that incorporate driftwood.
BEFORE YOU START, make sure to clean and disinfect your driftwood finds so you don’t accidentally bring any small critters into your home.
Once you’ve prepped your driftwood, then try some of these CHARMING CRAFT AND DECOR ideas like this driftwood succulent planter, this hand-lettered driftwood sign, this rustic leather and driftwood sign, or this vertical hanging driftwood garland (for use indoors or out).
Some of my other favourite uses for driftwood also include this really cool driftwood clock diy, this diy driftwood mirror, or these driftwood wreath ideas, such as this welcome sign using a cricut machine or this driftwood wreath with LOADS of rustic interest.
9/ Leaf Art & Craft Ideas
The beauty, variety, and depth of colour that leaves provide make them another lovely craft medium. Although fallen leaves are not available until late summer and fall, I wanted to include them in this round-up. Here are just a few tutorials that I’ve bookmarked here for future reference:
First, you’ll want to review this easy-to-follow tutorial on pressing and preserving leaves.
Once pressed, you can DISPLAY YOUR PRESSED LEAVES in all sorts of creative ways, including as framed botanical art, elegant diy placecards, or in a variety of coaster crafts like these pressed square coasters or these pressed round leaf clay coasters.
If LEAF STAMPING is your thing, then you might want to explore using leaf designs to create keepsakes or pretty decor, such as these leaf-stamped napkins or this leaf patterned tote. Of course, if you like the idea of using leaf patterns without stamping, these air dry clay leaf-patterned bowls are so lovely!
Finally, WREATH-MAKING USING LEAVES can add a lot of decorative appeal on your front door. While there are lots of faux leaf wreath options online, here are a couple of tutorials that use FOUND AND PRESERVED LEAVES in their final creations:
● The Secret To Making a Fall Wreath With Preserved Leaves
● How To Make An Autumn Leaf Wreath
10/ NATURE DYEING
In recent years, I’ve noticed an increasing interest in DYEING FABRICS AND FIBRES using SUPPLIES FROM NATURE. I think it’s such a wonderful method of incorporating natural colours from our environment into a wide variety of sewing, craft, and decor projects. Not to mention, it’s another avenue for connecting with the natural world and using our resources wisely.
Here are just a handful of FREE ONLINE INTRODUCTIONS I’ve stumbled upon that may interest you, too:
● The Ultimate Guide To Nature Dyeing
● Experimenting With Natural Dyes
● The Art of Natural Dyeing + 6 Colors To Start With
I hope you enjoyed this round-up of creative nature crafts. Personally, I’ve been really excited to explore nature crafting a bit more this season. Learning new skills while appreciating the natural world is a wonderful way to enjoy the coming season.
Happy crafting 🙂
For more nature craft and decor ideas, check out the following:
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