Lockdown in the UK has been extended and its endpoint may be a long way off yet. With that in mind, it's the perfect time to start looking for creative and extraordinary ways to make use of your time. It's likely you've always wanted to try some creative course or other and luckily, plenty of skills can be learned from the comfort of your own home.

If you're looking for a hands-on approach to learning a new skill or craft that will leave you with something to show for your efforts, then a craft kit is perfect for you. From pasta making to concrete casting, a lockdown craft kit delivers all the learning resources and materials needed to do just that.

Ceramics

Get your hands into some pottery at home with a selection of ceramic starter kits perfect for beginners. A Sculpd Pottery Kit contains materials for two people to sculpt, carve, paint, sand and seal their own pinch pots, succulent plant pots and trinket dishes at home. There are plenty of air-dry kits available; however, if you're feeling confident and adventurous, buying the clay seperately is great value for money and there are plenty of ceramists uploading pottery classes to SkillShare.

Learning to use silver art clay is a fascinating process involving precious metal clay. Give it a spin with an art clay kit for beginners that includes ten essential materials and a how-to guide.

Sewing, knitting and more

Absolute beginners to advanced sewers are catered for with a number of easy-to-follow kits for embroidery, crochet, knitting and more. The beginner's embroidery kits that will leave you with a beautiful heron or dazzling flora and fauna are a great place to start for decorative items. Try your hand at crochet by making your favourite characters from Harry Potter or Star Wars. There are plenty of gifts for babies and toddlers that can be crocheted like a little fox or monkey. Not on the High Street offer a number of kits with clear instructions including the cutest Miffy crocheting kit.

If you want to create something practical to use time and time again, you can learn to knit everything from an oversized cardigan, a blanket or cushion cover. As with many sewing and knitting projects, the options are endless. Find more sewing and knitting ideas on our lockdown ideas list on Amazon.

Model making

Patience, calm and craftsmanship: model making is a great pastime that will allow you to flex your critical thinking skills and leave you with something delicate and interesting to show for it. LEGO is of course the don of brick laying and we recommend their architecture range, which could take you around the world throughout lockdown. Build the London, New York or Shanghai skylines, or try your hand at a scaled model of the Great Wall of China or the Statue of Liberty, these being just a few cool options in LEGO's epic roster of models.

Not on the High Street has plenty of model making kits, from easy to complex builds. The most impressive of the selection has to be the Arckit Architecture Model kits, allowing you to immerse yourself in a true architectural 3D designs, with a very hands-on building experience. This kit has everything you need to design and build your own model structures, ranging from a 120sq.m home, 180sq.m home and capital city kit.

Grow kits

If owning plants is good for the heart and soul then watching them grow is even better! Try your hand at cacti rearing with a recyclable cactus and succulent desert garden grow kit, or grow your own coffee, lemon tree or red wine grapevine.

If you're looking for something more edible to enjoy, Plant Theatre's funky vegetable kit has everything you need to grow distinctive purple carrots, yellow courgettes, striped tomatoes and more. They stock an impressively unusual selection of seeds kits worth checking out. A grow your own mushroom kit by Fungi Futures takes little effort with rewarding results, leaving you with edible mushrooms grown from recycled coffee grounds.

Pasta making

Make your household a delicious pasta dish from scratch with the help of a pasta making kit. Choose from an eco-friendly ravioli cutter set or gnocchi making kit, just a few of many kits available that also supply you with easy-to-follow instructions. The eight-piece pasta making kit from Pasta Evangelists provides everything you need (including flour) to craft delicious homemade gnocchi, ravioli and tagliatelle.

Plant hangers and pots

Looking around at your houseplants and wondering how to display them? Get crafting a
hip and stylist macrame hanger with easy-to-follow instructions, or buy your own macrame cord and check out a YouTube tutorial to guide you through (some take as little as 10 minutes!).

There are a variety of ways to create your own plant pot, including an eco paper pot kit, a cool concrete planter making set or build your own terrarium with a kit with glassware and plant or without to house succlents and more.

Arts & Crafts

If you love getting creative and trying new crafts, or aren't sure how to get started, let Craftiosity lend a hand. Their craft subscription service delivers a beautifully packaged, hand-curated craft for you to try each month.

You'll receive high-quality materials, tools, step-by-step instructions and information about the project. Each box can be completed along with a video tutorial and comes with little surprise extras. Past Craftiosity boxes have helped subscribers make paper flowers, ceramics pots and coasters, scented candles and taught skills such as felting and bookbinding, among a long list of others. Try your hand at a host of crafts with a Craftiosity subscription. Boxes are priced at £24.95, free delivery is included.

Painting, drawing and lettering

Painting doesn't have to be stressful and can in fact be very soothing when you work with one of many impressive paint by numbers kits that will guide you on your way to that perfect finished piece to be proud of. The same goes for the beginner's complete marbling kit, the beginner's drawing set with instructional book and watercolour sketching and painting set.

The popularity of lettering has boomed in recent years and can provide a calm and creative outlet throughout lockdown. Learn the craft with Betty Etiquette's brush script guide and starter kit.

MYOB (make your own booze)

Brewing beer at home is more simple than you'd think thanks to widely available kits like the Brew Dog Punk IPA brewing kit . The kit has everything you need for easy stove-top brewing. Follow the instructions, let it carbonate for about two weeks, and you'll have up to seven pints of the punchy Punk IPA. Kits are also available for Elvis Juice beer and from various breweries, which you can find in the lockdown beer brewing ideas list on Amazon.

Try your hand at crafting artisan gins with a gin infusing kit like the Sandy Leaf set that
contains classic citrus, chocolate orange and more botanical blends, all of which can flavour up to ten bottles of gin. We've created an Amazon ideas list full of botanical sets and interesting gin kits, perfect for experimenting during lockdown.

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