The world is full of artistic, superbly talented, and crafty individuals. But with so much noise on social media, the best of the best don’t always get the attention they deserve.
So, our team at Bored Panda has curated this list of some of the coolest and most impressive projects and designs from all over the internet, where people took their creativity to a whole other level. Scroll down for some genuine artistic inspiration and to remind yourself why thinking outside the box is so important.
#1 I Tried To Capture This Good Girl In Wool
Image credits: Halseyry
#2 Little Frog Coin Purse
Image credits: 11never
#3 Iron-On Patches To Cover Cat-Scratched Couch
Image credits: StormyandPerc
Creativity is much more intentional and requires far more effort on your part than you might think at first.
If you laze about all day, simply waiting for inspiration to strike, you might not get very far with your artistic endeavours. You can’t leave your ambitions to be at the mercy of just luck.
So, you have to make changes to your lifestyle to grow and sharpen your creative instincts.
#4 Made A Cat House, That Looks Like My Cat
It's made out of 3mm sheet steel and out of a paper craft design. My cats run up the inside of it. One normally climbs up the tree, and the other goes in through the bottom leg and goes up inside the head and tries to push the other off. Cats are great.
Image credits: Natesforge
#5 I Painted The Edges Of These LOTR Books. I Used Japanese Poster Paints, Which Are Really Similar To Gouache. Made These As A Birthday Present For Someone
Image credits: sadgirlpop
#6 I Made This 6’ Tall Steel And Stone Dancer
Titled “Havasu Dancer” I made her from stainless steel and Arizona river rock. I hand-picked the rock to get the purple heavy color palette.
Image credits: mccallistersculpture
As Bas Korsten explained in a piece in the Harvard Business Review, creativity isn’t inherent, and you actually have to actively hone it.
According to him, creatives of all kinds ought to train their brains in a similar way that athletes train their bodies. If you want quality performance, you need disciplined, sustained effort over a long time.
#7 I Embroidered This Handsome Fella’s Portrait. He Took 50-60 Hours And More Than 40 Colors Of Floss
Image credits: cremepat
#8 Homemade Cartoon Cake Slice
Inside is a banoffee cake with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream and filled with dulce de leche, biscoff spread, and biscoff biscuits for an added crunch to each bite.
Image credits: Single_Disaster_2856
#9 Snail Tea Pot
Image credits: souffle-etc
One thing that you can do right now to be more creative is actively engage with nature.
“It’s been proven that spending time in nature makes us more creative. Looking at trees and leaves — instead of our electronic devices — reduces our anxiety, lowers our heart rates, soothes us, and allows our brains to make connections more easily,” Korsten writes.
#10 Pull Apart Rugs I've Made
Image credits: GremlynRugs
#11 I Competed In The Dallas Quilt Show And Was Bummed Not To Be Awarded Anything. I’m Still So Proud Of My Work
Image credits: hkral11
#12 Foama Lisa vs. Mona Latté?
Image credits: baristabrian
Other ways to get your creative muscles growing include things like picking up meditation, moving and exercising more every single day, and intentionally trying to connect with different kinds of people.
“When consciously seeking inspiration, not enough can be said about diversity. Remember the brain and its predisposition to take the lazy way out? Diversity makes the brain work harder by challenging stereotypes,” Korsten shares his thoughts on HBR.
He adds that people are far better at creative problem-solving when they “don’t have the comfort of knowing what to expect.”
#13 Turkey Vulture Sculpture That I Made With Vintage Typewriters
My name is Ricky. I'm a metal sculptor who uses repurposed metal to create art. I wanted to share with you guys this vulture that I welded together using some vintage broken typewriter parts, along with an old calculating machine and some other scrap metal. I put over 80 hours into this piece and im pretty pleased with the way it came out.
Image credits: Rickdadick450
#14 Finished Carving These 8ft-Tall Archangels Michael And Gabriel In Brazilian Granite
Image credits: Suitable-Letter-9506
#15 Grief Sympathy Card. A Condolence Card For A Close Friend Who Lost Their Mother
Image credits: ResponsibilityNo6603
Meanwhile, Verywell Mind stresses the fact that creativity is a skill that anyone can develop and strengthen, given enough effort. It’s not just great for artistic projects, though.
“[Creativity is] all about finding new ways of solving problems and approaching situations. It's also a valuable skill for people from all walks of life, whether you work in an inherently creative field or want to find new opportunities for self-expression.”
#16 Handmade Stained Glass Book Ends With Mushrooms
Image credits: jelly_unicorn_
#17 Just Finished A Resin Lamp For My Friend's Birthday. She Is A Huge Fan Of Toothless
I made it with wood and epoxy resin. I crafted each small figure inside the lamp, attached them to a foam board, painted them, then fixed them onto the base, and finally poured resin into the mold.
Image credits: Tessa_71
#18 Crochet Skeleton. Took Me About 2 Years
Image credits: madpigcreations
According to Verywell Mind, the first step to boosting your creativity is to decide to focus on it. This means that you should be intentional about this goal and set aside time daily to develop your skills.
In other words, if you want to be known globally for your amazing artistic skills, you won’t turn your dreams into reality unless you actually sit down and, well, do artistic things. You have to make room in your schedule for moving toward your goals.
#19 I Crocheted My Prom Dress
Image credits: Independent-Yellow49
#20 I Made A Giant Bouquet Of Flowers Out Of Paper
Image credits: mayalcaulfield
#21 I Did My Best Friend's Nails
Image credits: Veryupsetgovernment
Other ways to improve your creativity include things like:
- Doing in-depth research and becoming an expert in your chosen field
- Finding ways to reward yourself for moments when you express your curiosity about the world
- Being willing to take more risks and move out of your comfort zone
- Moving away from dwelling on negative thoughts and self-criticism
- Embracing failure
- Brainstorm ideas without self-criticism
- Trying out new and unorthodox ideas and approaches
#22 I Made A Vase
Image credits: SomeOtherLoser
#23 One Of My Carving I'm The Most Proud Of
Image credits: bisonrimant
#24 My Take On The Gelatin Island Cake. It Is Inspired By A Little Spot We Used To Go Fishing At As Kids. What A Joy It Was To Make
Image credits: Retha_Joubert_Studio
Naturally, you’re going to make mistakes. And a lot of them! Everyone does, no matter if they’re in an artistic field or doing anything else.
How you deal with failure has a lot to do with your future success.
If you embrace it and see it as an opportunity for growth, you’re more likely to thrive than if you let your mistakes demotivate you.
#25 Picked Up A Stone In The Forest And Gave It A New Life On My Belt
The stone was very small, and I wanted to make two screws, so I had to work extremely carefully and slowly. I was afraid it might crack, leaving me with no spare. But everything went well.
Image credits: Status-Smell7419
#26 I’m A Quilter Who Saves Every Scrap. I Made This Dumbledore Quilt Using All Of The Tiny Scraps From My Stash
Image credits: exhaustedoctopus
#27 Just Finished! I Always Wanted To Draw One Of These
Image credits: emilycopeland
“The fear that you might make a mistake or fail in your efforts can paralyze progress. Whenever you find yourself harboring such feelings, remind yourself that mistakes are simply part of the process. While you may occasionally stumble on your path to creativity, you will eventually reach your goals,” Verywell Mind suggests.
#28 Stair Runner Snake Rug I Made. I Made 8 Of These 25-Foot-Long Snakes For A Hotel In San Diego Called The Lafayette. These Are Hand-Tufted, Made With Wool Yarn
Image credits: Smallbutalsomedium
#29 First Beaded Portrait
Image credits: kaisimon
#30 The God Of Potatoes, Part Of My Project Of Building Shrines To God's That Probably Don't Exist
Image credits: mtomsky
We can’t wait to hear what you think, Pandas! Which of these arts and crafts designs genuinely impressed you the most? Do you feel inspired to get started on a new and creative project now? If so, what do you think you’d like to make?
Meanwhile, what’s the coolest artistic thing that you’ve ever made with your hands? Once you’ve upvoted your favorite pics, share your thoughts in the comments down below.
#31 Framed Tufting Artwork. I Designed This Japanese Landscape And Made A Frame For It So That It Would Accentuate The Waterfall
Image credits: Leading_Arachnid8430
#32 I Took A Class For This Roll Cake. Heartbreaking To Cut Into It
Image credits: AccordingDish3728
#33 Micromosaic Fish Ring
Image credits: disajewelry
#34 In Memory Of Sunday. A Lovely Little Lady That Enjoyed Batting Plants, Sitting On Pizza Boxes, And Rolling Onions Across The Floor
Image credits: No-Zone-3429
#35 Made A Wood Resin Comb
Image credits: emily3289
#36 And It's A Girl! My New Creation Is Baby Cheetah
Image credits: Woolly_Paws
#37 I Made My Donkey An Insulated Hat So He Could Go Out In The Snow
Image credits: PaperPonies
#38 I Built A Backyard Treehouse
Image credits: imakethenews
#39 My Parents Planted An Apple-Tree When I Was Born. I Made A Bookshelf Out Of It
Image credits: TrashTashy
#40 Konza Prairie, Made Of Air-Dry Clay
Image credits: liskaflower
#41 Painted My White Headphones
I bought these ugly white headphones to save money - they were $10 cheaper than the nicer-looking black pair. But then I spent $16 on paint markers to make them prettier.
Image credits: Ok-Cranberry-7087
#42 A Snowy Embroidery Project Heavily Inspired By Narumi Takada
Image credits: SecretHoSlappa
#43 Finished My Graduation Shoes. I Just Graduated With My Master's To Become A Pediatric Registered Dietitian And Wanted Some Fun Shoes To Walk Across The Stage In
Image credits: hiya_42
#44 My Oil Painting On A Newspaper
Image credits: JuliaStankevych
#45 My Niece Received Her Quilt
Image credits: mrsmarymartin
#46 A Bust Carving In Basswood (Based On My Wife)
It doesn’t really look like her in the end… but that’s ok! I’m still happy with it. My goal was to carve my most “lifelike” piece yet, and I think it probably is that. Having a live model is so helpful, even if your carving doesn’t resemble the model that much, it will probably help your work.
Image credits: Vivid-Improvement999
#47 Statue Makeup Look
Image credits: SadDegree4974
#48 I Made A Bag Out Of Tags. Over 500+ Tags Used, With Two Fully Adjustable Straps That Can Link Together To Create A Longer Strap
Image credits: Educational_Target56
#49 Finally Finished My Hobbit Hole After Fifteen Months. “The Shire At Dawn”. I Can’t Believe It’s Done
Image credits: RecycleYourCats
#50 I Sculpted An Eye Inside An Oyster. It’s Quietly Staring At A Tiny Pearl
Image credits: Boo_sculptures
#51 I Crafted A Single-Color, Marilyn-Inspired Word-Search That Slowly Reveals The Portrait As You Solve It
Image credits: Sea-Imagination-6878
#52 I Spent An Embarrassing Amount Of Time Making 60 Feet Of Giant Christmas Lights (That Actually Light Up)
Image credits: courtneyrel
#53 I Made A Craft Utility Vest So That I Never Have To Stop Crafting
Image credits: GoblinGoil
#54 Chess Set My Son And I Made From Hardware Parts
Image credits: ga-go-gu
#55 Apple Pie With Sanding Sugar Topping
Image credits: ThePieous
#56 Made This Octopus String Art For My Mom For Mother's Day. She'd Been Wanting It For Years. I'm So Excited To Give It To Her
Image credits: sabrinawho2
#57 I Crocheted With Copper Wire To Make This Labradorite Necklace
Image credits: Buffyferry
#58 I Crocheted A Parasol
Image credits: iamacraftyhooker
#59 Really Happy With How My Windows 95 Microsoft Paint Mirror Turned Out
Image credits: carbonatedbeans
#60 A Micro Museum For My Mini Rock Collection
Image credits: AbstractBadger
#61 Bleached Clothing I’ve Made
Image credits: coosifer
#62 I Often Forget What Food I Have In My Fridge, So I Create Them
Image credits: Theartzzy
#63 Made This Dress From A Goodwill Bedsheet
Image credits: BarbzWitchery111
#64 Super Proud Of This One
Image credits: HammerlyCeramics
#65 Our Deck Table Cracked, So I Repurposed The Legs And Made A Custom Tile Mosaic Top
Image credits: TheGeekstress
#66 I Had The Honor Of Painting The Casket Of A Friend's Grandmother
I came and painted it in the funeral home. The Cardinals represent her, her son, and her husband who passed before her. She also loved purple, cheetah print and sparkles.
Image credits: Legitimate-Lie-9208
#67 Took Me So Many Tries But I Finally Finished My Beaded Puffer Fish Pattern
Image credits: BrotherResponsible50
#68 A Ceramic Sculpture I Made This Year
Image credits: bubbelplast39
#69 Heard We Were Doing Egg Rugs Now
Image credits: gandostar
#70 Newest Rugs I've Completed
Image credits: Jrkathan
#71 I Had Thousands Of Sprinkles, A Pair Of Tweezers And A Dream. 22 Hours Later, Van Gogh's Starry Night Was Completed
Image credits: Barbi0za
#72 I Made This Mug Holding Himself
Image credits: Rushsculpture
#73 I Knitted 0.08 Micron Thin 999k Pure Silver Wires With A Needle, Made A Bracelet And Oxidized Them
Image credits: kibelem
#74 This Embroidery Piece Has My First Ever Knitting Sample Sewn Onto It
This piece was very cathartic to create, because it involved me learning the craft I was highlighting. This piece is a reminder for us to remember and honour those who weave our clothing, even if we never met them.
Image credits: -Bold-and-Brash-
#75 Painted Using Bleach. I've Been Doing This Consistently For 2 Years Now. With No Experience In Art Or Painting At All
Image credits: BleachCraft2027
#76 Sharing My Handmade Lily Of The Valley Ring
Image credits: Same_Blackberry8452
#77 I Crocheted My Dog And She's Not Sure About It
Image credits: jazminwindsong
#78 I Made A Spider Out Of Glass. This Is My Favourite Colour Combination
Image credits: Figurines_collect
#79 I Made Ceramic Peanuts
Image credits: Denadesigns
#80 Overripe Banana I Sculpted For A Friend- It Has No Function Other Than To Be An Imposter And A Deceiver
Image credits: amyrator
#81 Ceramic Kitchen Sponge
Image credits: RestEqualsRust
#82 Made A Little Bear Friend To Hold My Glasses
Image credits: heyhayhayayy
#83 Pearl Watercolor Hand Painting
Image credits: Accomplished-Air8889
#84 My 3D Paper Models
Image credits: papercrafti
#85 A Leather Bag With Wooden Inserts That I Made
Image credits: ComprehensivePart808
#86 I Made A Glass Neck Tie
Image credits: afranke_art
#87 I Ruined 100 Needles To Make A Kate Spade-Inspired Croc Purse
Image credits: Alchaeologist
#88 I Painted Birch Trees On My Window
Image credits: kahleesky
