Answers to DIY and craft questions submitted by readers of the Craftionary newsletter.

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Your Craft Questions Answered

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10. What are some easy crafts to start with as a beginner?

9. How do you find time to craft?

Finding time to craft can be tricky, especially with a busy schedule, but here are some strategies that can help:

1. Schedule it like an appointment: Block out 30–60 minutes on your calendar just for crafting. Treat it as non-negotiable “me time.”
2. Start small: Choose projects that can be completed in short bursts—like embroidery patches, paper crafts, or small DIYs—so you can make progress without needing hours at once.
3. Use pockets of free time: Craft while watching TV, waiting for appointments, or during lunch breaks. Keep a small project or kit handy.
4. Limit distractions: Put your phone on silent, create a dedicated crafting space, and let others know you need that time uninterrupted.
5. Involve others: Make crafting a social or family activity—great for bonding and staying committed.
6. Prioritize it: If crafting brings you joy or relaxation, make it a priority like any other self-care activity.

8. What’s the best way to break up old china to use in a mosaic project?

Breaking up old china for mosaic projects can be done safely and effectively with the right tools and precautions. Here’s the best method:

Materials:

• Safety goggles and gloves
• Towel or heavy cloth
• Hammer (or tile nippers for precise shapes)
• Plastic bag or heavy-duty freezer bag (optional)
• Marker (for pre-marking patterns, if needed)

Steps:

1. Safety First?: Wear safety goggles and gloves to protect your eyes and hands from sharp shards.
2. Wrap the China: ?Place the china inside a thick towel or wrap it in a heavy-duty plastic or freezer bag. This helps contain shards and dust.
3. Break It Gently?: Use a hammer to gently tap the china. Start light—you can always break it down further. For more control, hit near the edge rather than the center.
4. Check the broken pieces: Tip the broken china onto an old tray. Discard any fragments that aren’t suitable and put overly large pieces back in the bag and tap again. Note that the plate rims tend to be thinner than the bases, so bear this in mind if you want an even surface.
5. Shape and Trim: ?Use tile nippers or wheeled glass nippers to trim pieces into specific shapes and sizes for your mosaic.
6. Sort the Pieces: ?After breaking, lay out the pieces and sort them by color, shape, or size. Smooth any sharp edges using a sanding stone or tile file, if necessary.

Tips:

• Avoid hitting with full force—you want controlled breaks, not tiny shards.
• Use only lead-free china for projects involving food surfaces or garden soil.
• Save interesting design elements (florals, borders) to use as focal points in your mosaic.

Related: Make Mosaic Coasters – A Cool Beginner-Friendly DIY Project

7. My craft room looks a mess! Can you share any space saving tips?

• Shelving Units to accommodate items of different heights.
• Pegboards to hang tools and small supplies for accessibility.
• Wall-Mounted Organizers items like paint tubes, beads, and brushes.
• Over-the-Door Organizers for storing paper, tools, or fabric scraps.

• Storage Ottomans or Benches for yarn, fabric, or larger supplies.
• Craft Tables with Drawers or Shelves, storage cubes or bookshelves.
• Rolling Carts

• Clear Containers
• Stackable Drawers to organize smaller items like beads, buttons, and embellishments.
• Drawer Dividers to separate different types of supplies.
• Repurpose Items like old jars, tin cans, and even cutlery trays for craft storage.
• Label Everything

• Declutter Regularly to get rid of items you no longer need.
• Designate Zones for specific activities (e.g., a cutting area, a painting area).
• Utilize Corners with Corner shelves or rotating carousels

Related: How to get organized? Top Practical Home Tips

6. Is there a simple project the kids can craft without making a mess?

A great alternative is creating sticker storybooks. This activity is perfect for younger kids and only requires a few materials—blank notebooks or folded paper, sticker sheets, and optional crayons or colored pencils. Children can use stickers to build scenes and characters on each page, then write or dictate a short story to go along with their illustrations. It’s a creative, screen-free activity that encourages storytelling and fine motor skills without the need for glue, paint, or scissors.

For parents who are tired of the cleanup that often comes with arts and crafts, this is a stress-free option that still sparks imagination. You can even customize the theme based on your child’s interests—like animals, outer space, or fairy tales—and turn it into a fun afternoon project. If you’re looking for even more mess-free options, consider paper weaving with pre-cut strips, scratch art sheets, or reusable activity books that use water pens instead of ink. These alternatives keep things neat while still offering plenty of fun and learning.

Related: DIY Shadow show for kids

5. How to make the hankies not wilt or flop over for a craft project?

Cornstarch, fabric stiffener and modpodge (or PVA glue) work great. Try Mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 cups of water. Boil until it thickens slightly and let it cool. Dip the hanky, wring out the excess, and lay flat to dry. Iron for a crisp finish.

Alternatively, you can mist the hanky with a starch spray. You can also use glue stiffener (1:1 ratio mod podge and water) or gelatin stiffener (dissolve 1 tsp of gelatin in 2 cups of hot water). Method is the same as for cornstarch stiffener.

Related: How to Make a Handkerchief Wreath

4. How you get the marbleized glasses to be see-through in the end?

Holly tested out opaque and translucent paints mixed with different amounts of glazing medium on a glass removed from old frame to give you varying see-through glass painting results. You can find all the details for the quantity mixes and their results to choose the one that works best for you.

Details: DIY Easy Glass Painting

3. Driftwood: Where can I sell driftwood that I find on the lake driftwood that has not been touched by an artist fresh off the lake?

You can sell it at a variety of places. Hoping someone who is interest can reach you directly when they read this article. Other than this, you can sell fresh driftwood from the lake through several different platforms, depending on your target market:

1. Online Marketplaces – Platforms like Etsy, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace are great for selling raw driftwood to artists, crafters, and furniture makers. Etsy, in particular, has a strong market for natural materials used in decor and art projects.

2. Local Craft Stores and Artisans – Reach out to local woodworkers, interior designers, and artists who might be interested in high-quality, untouched driftwood for their projects. Some might be willing to buy in bulk.

3. Garden and Landscaping Businesses – Many landscaping companies and garden centers use driftwood for decorative purposes, especially for aquariums, terrariums, and coastal-themed designs.

4. Farmers Markets and Craft Fairs – If your area has a farmers market or artisan fair, you could sell driftwood directly to customers looking for rustic home decor materials.

5. Consignment Shops and Home Decor Boutiques – Some home decor stores specializing in rustic or coastal themes may take driftwood on consignment.

6. Wholesale to Large Suppliers – If you collect large quantities, you can sell wholesale to businesses that resell driftwood for artistic and commercial use.

7. Social Media and Niche Groups – Join Facebook groups, Instagram pages, and Pinterest communities that focus on natural decor, DIY projects, or woodworking. These platforms can help you connect directly with buyers.

Related: 50 Creative Driftwood art and decor ideas

2. Resin: So I’m going to be giving resin crafting another go and would like a couple of questions helped with if possible.

First off is bubbles. I don’t have the money for a pressure pot as of right now so I’m looking into all different ways to remove bubbles from thin as well as thick molds. I know about a flame for surface bubbles and thin pouring to help eliminate adding bubbles in the first place but want to know if there are any other methods to help.

Mix resin slowly for amounted time, to avoid bubbles and make sure the working area is at normal temperature if not warm. A lot of resin problems are related to humid or cold area. You can also spray a little bit of isopropyl alcohol on the mold before pouring resin. Let your resin settle in the mixing cup for a few minutes before your pour it into the mold. After pouring you can either spritz it with the alcohol or once you poured it go around edges with flat end of skewer gently and then a few minute spritz on the resin in the mold. DO NOT TORCH AFTER ALCOHOL!!! Learn more about Beginners guide to resin crafts

1. Resin: I have a question about drying. I did 2 resin pours yesterday and the first batched was perfectly hardened this morning. The second batch is sticky. Did I not stir long enough? Is there something that can be done to harden the second one?

There are a few reasons for this happening, #1 being mixing ratio. Make sure to measure the hardener and resin accurately while you mix it. Secondly, any scraps from previous batch if not cleaned properly may lead to improper mixing of the second batch. So, always clean the mixing cups properly. The space where you allow the batches to be cured must be warm and not cold. It is also quiet possible as a final note that the colorant mixed should not exceed a certain amount. For example, a 100ml mixture should require 6ml of colorant.

For your second question, you can completely remove the sticky resin and pour fresh resin into a completely dry area and allow it to cure again! Learn more about resin crafting.