Earlier this year, Michaels released its 2025 Creativity Trend Report, which found a rise in crafting as it relates to wellness and community—and this return to creativity is bringing a whole lot of new artists along with it.
And one of the trends worth noting is the beginner-friendly crafts newbies are looking for when strolling around their local Michaels. Learning a new skill is always a fun adventure, but more novice creators are searching for ideas that can give them a guided experience—something simple and easy to follow.
These intro crafts can give you a beautiful final product that isn’t hard to make. It’s a great way to relax, reduce stress, and boost your confidence while you’re busy learning how to complete other projects. And if you’re already an experienced artist, it’s also a fun way to try a new medium without getting overwhelmed.
Here, we’ve rounded up six intro crafts Michaels noticed are especially popular this year—and you can get started on them right away.
1. Diamond Art
If you’ve been infatuated with TikTok and Instagram Reel videos of crafters making intricate diamond art, you're not alone. And the 476% surge in searches for diamond art kits at Michaels this year is here to prove that.
Did you know there are tons of beginner-friendly diamond art kits to try out yourself? Start with something easy, like a fridge magnet, tiny illustration, or cute DIY bookmark. All the diamonds, the diamond pen, and the illustration for you to follow will be included within the kit. A small starter kit can be completed in just an hour or two.
2. Pixelated Brick Art
Pixelated art kits are the latest successor to the diamond art trend. In fact, some people find it to be even easier than diamond art, because you’ll be working entirely with square beads that are simpler to align than round or diamond-shaped ones.
In these kits, you’ll get a backing with a pixelated scene printed onto it, along with a layer of adhesive and plenty of square beads. Peel off the cover on the backing’s adhesive and start adhering the square beads (don’t worry, you’ll be given a special tool to make it easy to pick them up and arrange them on the adhesive).
In no time at all, you’ll have an adorable pixelated coaster, bookmark, or framed art piece.
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3. Paint by Numbers
Paint by numbers is an even more displayable version of adult coloring books. It’s easy, soothing, and will leave you with a beautiful picture to hang up. Searches for this project were up by 107% this year, according to Michaels’ report.
These kits can range from tiny pictures that can be completed in under an hour to enormous and detailed pieces that will last you a month. Best of all, the kits come with everything you need to start painting, including brushes, matching paints, and a picture frame.
4. Punch Needling
Punch needling is so much fun, and it leaves you with exciting textured pieces—anything from wall art to a whole rug can be done with this craft. Rather than using a traditional sewing needle, a punch needle allows you to make your craft by simply poking the needle up and down through one side of the fabric.
A beginner kit will give you an embroidery hoop, cloth with a pattern on it, and all the thread you could ever need.
5. Embroidery Hoop Kits
If you’re more into the look of traditional embroidery, an embroidery kit is simpler than you think. Most beginner embroidery kits will only require one or two simple stitches, and you’ll find the instructions to learn these stitches inside the kit, too.
The most beginner-friendly kits will have the pattern printed directly onto the embroidery cloth, making it easy to follow. Some will have the pattern on a separate piece of paper, which can be a little more complicated; you’ll need to count the stitches or sketch them out yourself to follow the pattern.
6. Clay by Number
This relaxing craft provides more room to work with your hands, making it a great sensory activity for both children and adults. A beginner kit will include colored air-dry clay and an outlined scene for you to follow. Spread the colored clay over the corresponding numbers to create your picture. Leave it to dry and return to a piece of art that’s just as fun to touch as it is to look at.