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The Night I Tried Something Artsy Instead of Netflix Fixed My Evenings
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items Every night was the same — collapse on the couch, scroll for 20 minutes picking something to watch, fall asleep by episode two. I was bored with my own life and cranky about it. One random Tuesday I grabbed a cheap watercolor set instead of the remot...
Sections
12
Watercolor Painting Supplies for Beginners
Sketching and Drawing Kits
Adult Coloring Books That Don't Feel Childish
Colored Pencils Worth Owning
Clay and Sculpting Kits for Stress Relief
Calligraphy and Hand Lettering Supplies
Watercolor Painting Supplies for Beginners
That first Tuesday night I used a kids' paint set from the junk drawer and painted the worst lemon you've ever seen. But I was smiling. These are the upgrades that made me actually want to keep going.
Grab this if you want something small enough to leave on your coffee table — I kept mine next to the remote so I'd reach for it first. The colors mix way better than anything from the craft aisle.
Winsor & Newton Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Box
Use this instead of printer paper unless you enjoy watching your painting warp into a potato chip. Thick enough to handle mistakes, which you will make plenty of — I sure did.
Canson XL Watercolor Paper Pads 9x12 120lb 10 Sheets
Switched to these after my dollar store brushes started shedding bristles into every painting. For anyone who wants clean lines without spending art-school money, these hit the sweet spot.
Princeton Velvetouch Series 3950 Paint Brush Set
Keep these on your nightstand for when inspiration hits at weird hours. Fill them with water, squeeze, paint — no cup to knock over. I learned that lesson after soaking my library book.
SAKURA Koi Coloring Brush Pen Set
Sketching and Drawing Kits
Some nights I didn't want color, I just wanted to sit with a pencil and draw whatever was in front of me. My cat has been sketched approximately 47 times now. She does not care.
Try these before you convince yourself you need expensive pencils — the range from light to dark is ridiculous. Drew my first halfway-decent portrait of my dog with the 6B and almost cried.
Staedtler Mars Lumograph Pencil Set 12 Artist Drawing
Toss this in your bag for weekends at the coffee shop. The paper handles erasing without turning into confetti, which matters when you redraw the same eye six times.
Strathmore 400 Series Sketch Pad, Recycled Paper
Snag this if you want pencils, erasers, and blending stumps in one box — perfect for the person who has zero art supplies and doesn't know where to start. That was me eight months ago.
2-Pack - Prismacolor Scholar Graphite Pencil Drawing Set
Use the brush tip for thick lines and the S nib for details — I started doing ink sketches of my apartment and now I have this weird cool visual diary of my life. Wish I'd started sooner.
Faber-Castell Art & Graphic PITT Artist Pen Set Black
Adult Coloring Books That Don't Feel Childish
I resisted coloring books for years because they felt like giving up on real art. Then a friend left one at my place and I accidentally spent three hours on a single page. Zero regrets.
Pair this with a podcast and suddenly it's midnight and you've colored an entire garden scene. For anyone who needs something meditative but can't sit still for actual meditation.
The Secret Garden Johanna Basford Coloring Book
Get this if simple patterns bore you — the illustrations are dense and weird and satisfying. I brought it on a flight once and the person next to me asked to borrow a pencil.
Kerby Rosanes Animorphia (Paperback)
Swap your phone scrolling for this before bed — the animal designs are intricate enough to keep your brain busy but calm enough to wind you down. Fell asleep faster within the first week.
Millie Marotta Coloring Books
Try this one when you want something that looks impressive even with basic colored pencils. Finished pages look like they belong in a frame, not a recycling bin.
Hanna Karlzon Coloring Book
Colored Pencils Worth Owning
Dollar store colored pencils gave me hand cramps and patchy color. Once I upgraded, coloring went from frustrating to the thing I actually looked forward to after dinner.
Grab the 72 set — you think you won't need that many colors until you're trying to shade a sunset and realize you have three oranges that are basically the same. Buttery smooth on paper.
Prisma Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils Soft Core 72
Ditch the waxy cheap pencils for these if you layer colors a lot. They blend without getting muddy, and the cores don't snap every time you sharpen. Worth every penny I spent.
25+ Faber Castell Polychromos for sale | Updated Oct 2026
Splurge on these when you're ready to feel like a real artist. The pigment is so rich I actually gasped the first time I used the blue. For the person who's outgrown their starter set.
Caran D Ache Luminance Colored Pencils
Keep this tin on your desk for quick creative breaks — they're soft enough to cover large areas fast. Perfect if you're impatient like me and want to see results in 15 minutes.
Derwent Coloursoft 24 Soft Multicolor Colour Pencils Tin
Clay and Sculpting Kits for Stress Relief
Working with my hands turned out to be the thing my brain needed to stop racing at night. There's something about squishing clay that just resets whatever anxiety loop I'm stuck in.
Toss this in the oven when you're done and you've got an actual thing you made. I've given away so many tiny mushrooms and weird little bowls as gifts. People love them more than store-bought stuff.
Sculpey III Polyform Oven Bake Clay- CLASSICS
Use this if you want to sculpt without a time limit — it doesn't dry out so you can rework it over multiple evenings. Made a gargoyle head over two weeks and it sits on my bookshelf now.
Monster Clay Premium Grade Modeling Clay - Medium
Snag these before you try sculpting with a butter knife like I did. The loop tools and needles make details actually possible, and they're small enough to store in a drawer.
Kemper Pottery Tool Kit The Original 8-Piece
Try this if you don't want to deal with an oven — just let it air dry overnight. Made a set of coasters my first week and they've held up for six months of daily coffee mugs.
Activa Plus Black Clay 1.1lb
Calligraphy and Hand Lettering Supplies
Started practicing letters one night because I wanted to make a birthday card that didn't look like a kindergartner wrote it. Three months later I was addressing wedding envelopes for friends.
Grab the pastel set first — they're forgiving for beginners because the soft colors hide shaky lines. Used these to make my own wall art and people genuinely think I bought it somewhere.
Tombow Dual Brush Pen Set
Switch to these once you want that crisp italic look. The flat nib takes practice but the results are dramatic — my handwriting went from doctor's scrawl to something I'm actually proud of.
Elegant Parallel Calligraphy Pen Set
Use dot grid paper instead of lined — it guides your letters without showing through. For anyone whose practice sheets end up looking messy, this pad keeps things clean.
Rhodia Head Stapled Pad, No16 A5, Dot - Black
Get this when you're ready for real dip-pen calligraphy. The angle felt weird for the first hour, then suddenly my letters had that flowing wedding-invitation look. Incredibly satisfying.
Genuine Speedball Oblique Nib Holder Pen
Embroidery Kits for Complete Beginners
Never thought I'd be the person stitching on a Wednesday night, but here I am. It started as a joke gift from my sister and now I have four finished hoops hanging in my hallway.
Try this exact kit if you've never held a needle — it comes with printed fabric so you literally just follow the dots. Finished my first one during a single movie and felt unreasonably accomplished.
Dimensions Learn A Craft Embroidery Kit
Stock up on these because you will run out of colors faster than you expect. The quality difference between DMC and random bulk thread is night and day — no tangles, no fraying.
DMC Variegated Embroidery Floss Pack 36 Skeins 8.7
Snag the multi-pack because once you finish one, you immediately want to start another. Gave away stitched hoops as housewarming gifts and people reacted like I'd handed them something expensive.
Caydo 24 Pieces 5 Inch Embroidery Hoops Bulk Cross Stitch
Swap this in when regular embroidery feels slow — punch needle is faster and the textured result looks professional. Made a small landscape in one evening and hung it above my desk the next morning.
Pllieay 3 Set Punch Needle Embroidery Starter Kits Include
Journaling and Scrapbooking Supplies
Writing three sentences about my day before bed turned into full spreads with photos and stickers. Now I have actual records of my life instead of a camera roll I never look at.
Bring this everywhere — the paper doesn't bleed through with markers and the numbered pages make it feel organized without being rigid. Filled three of these in one year and they're basically my autobiography.
Leuchtturm1917 Dotted A5
Use this instead of glue sticks unless you enjoy wrinkled photos and sticky fingers. Clean application, no mess, dries instantly. Wish someone had told me about these before I ruined my first journal.
Tombow MONO Removable Adhesive Applicator 1/3 inch
Toss these vintage-looking paper pieces into your spreads when a page feels empty. They add character without requiring any artistic skill — just stick them down and suddenly the page looks intentional.
Tim Holtz ~ EPHEMERA PACK ~ Memoir~ Idea-ology
Keep these in a basket by your journaling spot — rip off a piece to border photos or section off days. For anyone who thinks their pages look boring, washi tape is the fastest fix that actually works.
Washi Tape Set 40 Rolls 15mm Decorative Masking
Pottery Wheel and Ceramic Tools
Bought a tiny pottery wheel on impulse after watching one too many ceramics videos. The first bowl looked like a crime scene. The tenth one holds my keys by the front door every day.
Get this compact wheel if you live in an apartment — it fits on a kitchen table and runs quiet enough to use at night. My neighbors have no idea I'm throwing clay at 10pm on a Thursday.
Vevor Pottery Wheel
Grab the full set because you don't know what you need yet. The ribbon tools and sponges made the difference between lumpy blobs and things that actually look like bowls.
US Art Supply 14-piece Pottery Clay & Ceramics Tool Set
Switch to stoneware once you're past the air-dry stage — the weight and texture feel real. Found a local studio that lets me use their kiln for five bucks, and now I'm making actual mugs.
AMACO Earthenware Clay Ceramic Clays
Dip your dried pieces in these and they come out of the kiln looking like something from a pottery shop. The speckled blue on my first successful mug made me embarrassingly emotional.
Duncan Inkit-1 Envision Glaze Kit for Ceramics
Candle Making Kits and Supplies
Poured my first candle because I was tired of paying eighteen dollars for something that smelled like chemicals. Now my apartment smells exactly how I want it to and I made it myself.
Try this starter kit before buying supplies separately — it comes with wicks, tins, and wax so you can pour your first candle tonight. Made four in one sitting and gave three away immediately.
Hearts & Crafts Complete DIY Soy Wax Premium Candle
Pair two scents together for custom blends — mixed lavender and vanilla and it smells better than any forty-dollar candle I've bought. For anyone who's picky about home fragrance, this is the move.
Virginia Candle Supply Patch Scented Fragrance Oil
Stock up on this wax because once you start making candles you won't stop. Melts clean, holds scent well, and the ten-pound bag lasts longer than you'd think. Already on my second order.
464 Soy Wax
Snag the bulk pack — you'll test different sizes before finding what works for your containers. Pre-tabbed so you just stick them down and pour. Saved me from the frustration of wicks that won't stay centered.
EricX Light 100 Pack 8 Inch Pre-Waxed Cotton Candle
Macramé and Fiber Art Supplies
Knotting cord while listening to music became my version of meditation. Hung my first wall piece above the bed and my partner thought I ordered it online. Nope, Tuesday night, two hours, my hands.
Get the natural cotton — it's soft on your hands during long sessions and unravels into beautiful fringe. One spool made three wall hangings and I still had cord left over.
BOCHIKNOT 5mm Macrame Cord, 330 Yards
Use these as practice projects before attempting bigger pieces — they teach you the basic knots and you end up with something useful. Hung all five in my kitchen window within a week.
Mkono Macrame Plant Hangers Set of 4 Indoor Hanging
Switch to weaving when you want something more structured — this loom is small enough for a lap desk and the included yarn gets you started immediately. Made a wall piece my first evening.
Wool Couture Wall Hanging Weaving KIT & LOOM 28cm x
Grab extra dowels because every macramé project needs something to hang from. These are smooth, sturdy, and cheap enough that you won't stress about cutting them to odd sizes for different walls.
Wooden Dowel Rods for Craft
Art Storage and Organization
My creative supplies were scattered across three rooms until I corralled everything into one spot. Having a dedicated space meant I actually used the stuff instead of forgetting I owned it.
Toss all your pens, brushes, and small tools in here — the adjustable compartments fit everything and the lid actually latches shut. Carried it from the couch to the patio without a single spill.
ArtBin Super Satchel Double Deep Storage Box
Wheel this next to wherever you sit at night — one shelf for paints, one for paper, one for finished pieces. Rolls back into the corner when company comes over. My apartment still looks like an adult lives here.
IKEA Raskog Utility Cart Black 903.339.76 for sale online
Keep your thread, washi tape, and small supplies in the clear drawers so you can see everything without digging. For anyone whose craft supplies end up in a tangled pile — this fixed that instantly.
$10 Honey Can Do 12 Drawer Rolling Storage Cart
Prop this on your desk or table when you paint — tilting the surface makes a bigger difference than I expected. Folds flat and slides behind a bookshelf when you're done. Bought it eight months ago, use it weekly.
U.S. Art Supply 10.5" Small Wooden Tabletop Easel