15 Common Crafting Techniques You’re Doing Wrong

This post may contain affiliate links.

Crafting can be a surprisingly beautiful, rewarding and fulfilling way to express yourself. But even the most enthusiastic DIYer can fall into a few traps, and every seasoned crafter knows this. These are little mistakes that can throw a wrench in your creative process.

Whatever the case, we’re going to show you 15 of the most common crafting mistakes you might be making, and how to fix them and transform your next project into a masterpiece!

Not Prepping Your Materials

A rookie mistake is jumping straight into a project without preparing your materials. If you are sewing, painting, or working with wood, taking some extra time to prepare will save you a world of hassle later. To avoid fabrics shrinking and surfaces like wood, sanding should be used to achieve smoother finish. You want to get started right away, but a little prep goes a long way.

Skipping the Test Swatch

So if you’re working with paint or dye, you can’t afford to skip the test swatch. That gorgeous color in the jar may not look the same when applied, particularly onto different materials. Before starting your main project, it’s always worth taking a moment to test your colors or materials. This means you don’t have to say “Oops, that’s not the shade I wanted!” moment.

Using Dull Tools

15 Hot Items Boomers Should Consider Selling in Retirement — Image Credit: Antoni Shkraba/Pexels

Dull scissors, knives or rotary cutters will ruin your precision and make you frustrated. Snagging, tearing, or irregular cutting are the last things you want when you’re trying to craft something beautiful, and dull blades will do this. Sharp tools will do the heavy lifting for you — no extra elbow grease needed.

Overloading Glue

We’ve all done it, thinking you’ll make something extra secure with a little extra glue. The problem is that you can get too much glue, which oozes out, leaves unsightly lumps, or can even weaken the bond you want to strengthen. Less is more, it’s a classic case. Use enough to do the job and let it dry completely afterwards.

Not Allowing the Paint or Glue to Dry

Crafting is a patience game, and a virtue. In a hurry to get to the end, it’s tempting to skip out on drying time, but this is a fast track to paint smudges or items that won’t hold together. Let your projects have enough time to completely set or dry before going to the next step.

Cutting Corners on Measuring

While it may appear faster to eyeball most measurements, it results in uneven parts and an uneven final product. Measuring accurately is important whether you’re cutting fabric, paper, or wood. Your best friend here is going to be a ruler or measuring tape. We promise you’ll be glad you took those extra minutes when your project comes out looking perfect.

Grain Direction in Fabric and Wood Is Ignored

If you don’t pay attention to grain direction in fabric and wood, you’re not going to get the right look, and you’re going to hurt the longevity of your project. If you don’t take care of it, it can result in warped shapes, stretched seams or wood that suddenly splits. Cut and sew or work with the grain for the best results.

Needles and Thread Are Used Incorrectly

When it comes to sewing, the needle and thread aren’t ‘one size fits all.’ The wrong combination will break your thread, cause your stitches to pucker, or tear your fabric. Make sure to check what type of fabric you’re sewing with and select the right needle and thread for a trouble free sewing experience.

Failing to Clean Your Tools

Paintbrushes, scissors, and glue guns are tools that you use constantly, and need to be cleaned regularly to keep in good shape. Build up of dried paint, glue or fabric fibers can dull your tools or create rough finishes on your projects. A little regular maintenance will go a long way to keeping your tools in tip top shape.

Cutting Stretching Fabric

Cutting fabric is easy to pull on, but this causes distortion of the shape, and the pieces won’t fit together as they’re supposed to. Don’t stretch the fabric while cutting, and keep it flat. With more accurate pieces, you’ll end up with a better final product.

Overworking Your Material

Inspired young male engineer in glasses drawing draft on paper bending over table against white wall — Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio/ Pexels

Less handling is better sometimes. Too much manipulation can weaken your material no matter if it is clay, paper, or fabric and make it more likely to tear, break, or become misshapen. Be gentle and let your materials do what they’re supposed to be doing without any extra force.

Forget Seam Allowance

Seam allowance is the space between your seam and the edge of your fabric. Missing out on this crucial step of sewing can land you with clothes or projects that either don’t fit or fall apart. When cutting your fabric, always add that little extra space so you have room for seams; it’ll save you lots of frustration later.

Overfilling or under filling stuffed items

Things You Should Ditch After 30: Are These Still in Your Home? — Image by Baltimore County Public Library via Wikimedia Commons

It’s easy to overfill or underfill when making pillows, plush toys, or anything that needs to be stuffed. While overfilling will make your project stiff and awkward, underfilling will lead to your project being limp and sad. Try to go for a happy medium where your item has shape, but still has a soft, squishy feel.

Forget to Block Knitted or Crocheted Items

15 Forgotten Traditions Making a Comeback in Modern Society — Image Credit: Mikhail Nilov/ Pexels

According to Peppergoose design, blocking is one of the most important steps in knitting and crochet that many people skip. The sizing and shaping of your finished piece is especially important for garments. It’s ironing for yarn, except once you try it you’ll see how much better your projects look.

Not Planning Ahead

Things You Should Always Keep to Yourself — Photo Credit: Pexels

I’ve made many crafting mistakes because I just jump in without a plan. From sketching your idea to gathering all your supplies to making a list of steps, a little planning goes a long way to save you from mid project panic. Get organized, take a deep breath, and you’ll see your crafting experience will be much smoother.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.