10 Simple Ways to Beat Crafting Burnout

Have you ever sat at your crafting table, surrounded by your favorite supplies, stencils, inks, card making kits, yet felt utterly blank? If so, you’re not alone. Creative burnout is real, even for passionate paper crafters. The good news? It doesn’t have to be permanent!

This month, we are all about helping crafters like you address common pain points and crafting challenges, and we’re sharing simple, beginner-friendly habits and cozy techniques to help you break through that creative block. Plus, we’ve got a delightful surprise tied into our special 4th of July deal, because sometimes the best cure for crafting burnout is the thrill of something new.

Ready to rediscover your crafty spark? Let’s dive in!

10 Simple Ways to Beat Crafting Burnout

1. Embrace the Magic of Stencils

One of the fastest ways to beat crafting burnout is to explore fresh designs with stencils. Stencils allow you to experiment with new stencil patterns, textures, and color combinations without overthinking your layout. Try layering inks or shimmer relief pastes through geometric stencils or creating dreamy backgrounds with soft ink blending. You can take it a step further by stenciling multiple card panels at once and use them for future handmade cards.

2. Set Small, Achievable Goals

Instead of tackling an elaborate album or dozens of cards, give yourself permission to make one small project. You can start with a handmade card with a simple stencil pattern, color in some die-cuts, and stamp a few sentiments for future cards. Remember, small wins build momentum, helping you deal with burnout one tiny success at a time.

3. Try a New Color Combo

Color can instantly refresh your creativity. Feeling stuck? Pick three colors you’ve never used together and create a simple background with your stencils. Or, grab one of your card making kits and challenge yourself to stick to a non-traditional palette. You might be surprised how exciting crafting feels when you step outside your usual color comfort zone.

4. Clean and Organize Your Craft Space

Clutter fuels creative burnout. A tidy space makes it easier to think clearly and find inspiration. Even seeing your beautiful crafting supplies can help reignite your creative spark!

If you have 10-15 minutes, you can try these simple cleaning and organization hacks:

• Sort your stencils by theme or type: holiday, background, builder, layering, floral, alphabet stencil, etc.
• Reorganize your embellishments by color, type, or size!
• Get out that shammy or stamp cleaner and clean out the stamps from your last crafting session. We know some of them need some good “deep cleaning.”
• Add sticker labels to your ink pads and ink blending brushes.

5. Join a Crafting Challenge

Crafting challenges is a fantastic way to deal with burnout. They give you prompts and themes, removing the pressure of coming up with ideas from scratch. Altenew’s monthly Inspiration Challenges connect you with other crafters and encourage you to try new styles or techniques.

6. Create a “Play” Session

Not every project needs to be perfect. Sometimes, the best way to beat creative burnout is to play. The goal is to have some crafting fun minus the pressure of having a finished product.  A playful session with your favorite crafting tools can often be the spark you need to push past creative burnout.

• Smudge some ink through stencils without worrying about neatness.
• Swatch every color in your alcohol marker collection.
• Test out new stencil patterns using leftover dies on scrap paper.
• Try Altenew’s ink blending tools to experiment with smooth gradients or textured effects.
• Pull out some Double-Sided Adhesives or Instant Dimension Foam Tape to layer scraps in unexpected ways. You might stumble on a new technique or layout you love.

CRAFTY DEAL!

Speaking of crafting tools and adhesives, here’s a crafty deal for you!

Enjoy up to 50% off our curated selection of crafting tools and adhesives until 11:59 PM EDT today (July 6, 2025)! Offer ends today, so SHOP NOW.

7. Seek Cozy Inspiration

Cozy crafting is a wonderful antidote to burnout. Brew your favorite tea, put on soft music, and pull out comforting supplies like floral stamps or gentle watercolor techniques. Cozy projects often feel soothing and remind you why you fell in love with crafting in the first place.

8. Mix Old and New Supplies

Dig out older supplies and pair them with new goodies from your card making kits. Or blend familiar stencils with fresh color palettes. Mixing old and new can help you rediscover your stash and spark ideas you never expected.

This is also a perfect time to experiment with Altenew’s crafting tools. Perhaps use a new cutting mat or try the Stampwheel for perfectly aligned stamping. Layering older stamped images with newly die-cut shapes and using Altenew adhesives like foam tape or glue tape.

You’ll be surprised how combining trusty favorites with new tools can reignite your creativity!

9. Craft with Friends

Creativity is contagious! Host a virtual craft night or meet up with crafty friends. Sharing tips, trading stencils, and chatting about ideas is one of the most joyful ways to break through crafting burnout. Bonus tip: Take an online crafting class with your friends! This will allow you to bond and learn some new crafting techniques and skills. 

10. Treat Yourself to a Crafty Surprise

Finally, nothing boosts creativity like the thrill of new supplies—especially when you don’t know exactly what you’ll get. Enter: Altenew’s Crafty Essentials Grab Bags!

Each one is packed with surprises from versatile stencils to must-have stamps and dies, giving you fresh materials to reignite your creativity. It’s the perfect way to deal with burnout and rediscover the joy of unexpected inspiration.

Beat Crafting Burnout with These Simple Tips!

Crafting burnout can sneak up on any of us, but you don’t have to stay stuck. Blend beautiful backgrounds with stencils, mix and match some card making kits, or explore playful sessions with some essential tools and adhesives. Tiny steps can help you rediscover your creative spark!

Remember, it’s perfectly normal to feel a little uninspired sometimes. Take a deep breath, give yourself grace, and know that your creativity is still there, waiting to shine again. Even one small moment of joy at your crafting table, a smooth ink blend, a perfect die-cut, or a gorgeous pattern from a new stencil set, can be the spark that reminds you why you fell in love with crafting in the first place. You’ve got this. Happy crafting!