Crafty Ways to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

Willpower can only move a goal so far. A detailed plan with deadlines and rewards as well as realistic expectations when life gets to be too much are key to keeping committed to your New Year’s resolutions. Crafts, surprisingly, can go a long way to inspire each of those elements. From a reward of silky yarn for a week of 6 a.m. walks to a DIY calendar custom-made to track your goals, these crafts will move your resolutions from hopes to reality.

Relax

Knitting has long proven an effective way to relax. The muscle memory of your hands takes over in a soothing repetition of knit, purl, repeat. When life becomes too stressful — as it will — crafts offer a time-out for the mind and soul, rather like a reset button. Carve out 20 or 30 minutes a week to let your mind focus on your craft rather than your problems, and this will enable perspective, relaxation and motivated decision-making.
Learn more about how crafts can influence positive health with this CraftFoxes’ guest post on FaveCrafts.

Plan

Create a custom calendar to track your goals. Include images that make you smile — perhaps a favorite pet, quotes that inspire and dates of treasured memories (like baby’s first steps) to receive a tiny boost of happiness when you remember.
Want to make your own calendar? Check out this CraftFoxes' roundup for free printable and DIY calendars.

Envision

How will you feel when you reach your goal — beautiful, confident, capable? Keep that vision in mind. Draw a picture, make a quilt or even a simple card with images and words and capture that vision. Place that craft somewhere you see daily and allow that vision to inspire you away from relapse.

Relapse

Speaking of relapse, with any goal, expect to relapse. Just like dropping a stitch when knitting, mistakes are normal. You won’t spend most of your time making mistakes — or perhaps you will, if only in the beginning, but they are a realistic element of learning a new way. So, be kind to yourself if you make a mistake or backslide, remember your vision of how you will feel when you reach your goal — but don’t give up.

Below are a few crafts to celebrate common New Year’s resolutions.

Fun Run

Take a cue from the kiddos and, if your goal is losing weight this year, costume up! Customize early morning workouts with a unique exercise outfit, like this Disney Princess–inspired running costume, made for a race. If princesses don’t get you going, consider a hero like Superman with a small caplet scarf, or a favorite speedy animal like a cheetah, with black-and-orange polka dot running shorts.
Make your own running costume with this how-to via This Mama Makes Stuff.

Quilting Spree

Spending time with family and friends is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions, and we think crafts have long helped in realizing this goal. Host a craft night with the kids or a monthly quilting, knitting or sewing group with friends.

Ready Cash

Paying off debt gets a little craftier with this duct tape wallet, made in bright pink and asymmetrical polka dots. Great as a craft for teenagers — who especially need to learn about money skills and financial planning — this duct tape craft is relatively easy for beginners, as long as they keep tape from getting raveled.
Learn more about this and other duct tape crafts via this CraftFoxes' round-up.

Raise Your Glass

With any goal, inspirational jewelry can help you envision how you’ll feel when reaching it. With a glass tile jewelry pendant you can include an image, drawing or even favorite word to help inspire every step of your journey.
Buy the “Begin” jewelry from Zoey March Jewelry featured above, or head to this free how-to from CraftFoxes and make your own glass tile pendant.