5 Ways to Level Up Your Home Decor with DIY Crafts

Adda personal touch to your interior designs by learning how to DIY your home decor in craft classes in San Francisco. Chances are you’re just a tiny bit obsessed with home decor if you're interested in DIY. We’ve all had that moment: scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest, looking for interior inspo, when you spot that one perfectly curated shot that really puts our own efforts to shame. Luckily, there’s good news: you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars or be an interior designer to have a unique space you can be proud of. 

Offering everything from hand-built pottery to boho-chic macrame classes, there are a whole host of artists and artisans across the Bay Area waiting to share their expertise with you. In no time, you'll have the house everyone is talking about. Here are just a few inspirational ideas to whet your appetite for crafts.

Add ambiance with handmade candles

Is there a better way to add vibes to a room than candles? From the soft flicker of the flame to the subtle release of a favorite scent, they’re an instantly uplifting companion to anywhere you’d like to spend a bit of quiet time. But whether you find store-bought scents unappealing or just want to limit how much you spend, homemade candles might be the ideal solution.

With homemade candles, you can create something that will both match your home decor and include a custom fragrance. There's nothing more annoying than finding a chic candle with a smell that makes you nauseous. So make a personalized version with your favorite scents. Candles can also make thoughtful housewarming gift ideas, and with a custom touch, your friend or family member will appreciate the gesture. 

With new candle-making classes in SF popping up all the time, now’s the perfect time to discover the therapeutic benefits of this soothing hobby. Utilizing eco-friendly materials like soy wax, along with natural essential oils to add gorgeous and long-lasting scents, filling your home with high-quality candles just got a lot easier. Plus, you can use (or re-use) any vessel you like, from old glass jars to vintage ceramic mugs, letting you easily match the candle to your decor, while doing your bit for the planet at the same time.

Inspire yourself with some hand lettering quotes

Whether you work from home or need some moral support in the kitchen, a framed motivational quote is a classic way to bring a little personality into your space. But it doesn’t have to be all “Live, Laugh, Love” or “Hang in There, Baby” — simple yet beautifully-written words can be a chic addition to any wall, or even become thoughtful gift ideas. It’s all the more meaningful if you write it yourself, which is where our range of San Francisco calligraphy classes come in.

From traditional ink calligraphy using a fountain pen to modern forms of brush lettering inspired by Japanese calligraphy, you’ll soon find a lettering style to suit you. It’s not just a way to decorate your walls, either: calligraphy and brush lettering are fantastic activities to help you unwind after a long day. By taking your time over each letter, letting your hand go with the flow of the ink, it’s easy to get into a hypnotic rhythm, helping you forget about deadlines and meetings and concentrate on something you enjoy.

Bring some retro vibes with a macrame wall hanging

Once the sole preserve of grandparents’ basements, macrame is now having a bit of a renaissance. It’s not hard to see why — these intricately knotted beauties are a quick and easy way to add some natural texture to any wall in the home. They’re easy to make, too! If you need some inspiration, there are dozens of crafters hosting these popular San Francisco craft classes who’d love to share their skills with like-minded folks. It’s a pretty mesmerizing hobby, too — once you get into the flow of tying those little knots, you’ll see just how addictive macrame can be.

If you’re also a plant parent, a macrame hanging planter is a chic way to make room for even more green buddies in your space. Easily customizable in just about any color you can think of, they’re the ideal way to elevate even the most humble houseplant to center-stage status. 

Want something even more practical? Make yourself a macrame market bag! Whether you’re having a picnic at Golden Gate Park or hitting the Mission farmer’s market to pick up a few things, these lightweight and deceptively spacious bags are sure to become a constant companion. Just don’t be surprised if you get stopped and asked where your bag comes from!

Use embroidery to add a personal touch

From pillowcases to wall hangings to old t-shirts, there’s very little that couldn’t be improved by some embroidery. You may be surprised to learn that you don’t need a machine to do high-quality, colorful embroidery; just a needle, some thread and a little time. Whether you want to add a bit of boho to your bedroom or are keeping things minimal with Japanese sashiko embroidery techniques, there are a whole host of embroidery workshops in SF that’ll help you turn plain fabrics from drab to fab.

Embroidery is one of those hobbies that can seem daunting at first, but by learning from an expert, you’ll soon find it’s a lot easier than you thought to get started. Pop along to an embroidery class and you’ll be in good hands — whether you’re a seasoned seamstress or a complete beginner, they’ll show you the ins and outs of how you can turn simple stitches into upcycled art.

Give your coffee corner a glow-up with a handmade clay mug

If you’re spending good money on coffee, why settle for a subpar cup to drink out of? Give a pottery class in San Francisco a try and make your own, bespoke coffee cup! Cups and mugs are a brilliant first pottery project for beginners, as they can be made by hand with coiled clay, without the need for a wheel. Hand-building pottery with clay is an excellent choice for a hands-on craft, making it ideal to share with a couple friends, the whole family or even as a workplace team-building exercise — there’ll be no more fighting over the office coffee cups if everyone’s is unique!

A word of warning though: once you’ve experienced the reassuring weight and tactile feel of a handmade ceramic mug, it might be hard to go back to a regular one!