When was the last time you made something just for the fun of it?
Not to make money. Not to post on social media. Not to impress anyone or check off a box on your to-do list. Just… because it sounded fun.
We spend so much time trying to be efficient, productive, and practical that we forget that making things can be joyful, silly, and delightfully pointless—and that’s precisely the point.
Whether you’re a working mom, an overworked professional, or just a human who’s a little burned out, this list is your permission slip to create for the heck of it.
Here are fun things to make when you need a break from being “useful.”
1. Friendship Bracelets (Yes, Even as an Adult)
There’s something strangely satisfying about knotting colorful thread into patterns.
You don’t need a kid’s summer camp to make them—you just need some embroidery floss and a little nostalgia.
Bonus points if you make one for a friend and give it to them like it’s 1999 again.
2. Painted Rocks
Hear me out: painting rocks is more fun than it sounds.
Find a few smooth ones outside, or grab a cheap bag from the craft store.
Paint hearts, silly faces, flowers, quotes, or turn them into pretend food for your desk.
No artistic skills are required. Just vibes.
3. DIY Lip Scrub
You don’t need to sell it on Etsy.
Mix some coconut oil, sugar, and a vanilla or essential oil drop.
Boom—homemade lip scrub that smells like dessert. Store it in a tiny jar and pretend you’re living your spa fantasy.
4. Vision Board (That Isn’t About Hustle Goals)
Instead of making a “crush your goals” board, make a feel-good vision board.
Collage things that make you laugh, dream, or smile. Think sunsets, Parisian cafés, bubble baths, or cats in sweaters.
The only rule? No goals. Just joy.
5. Beaded Keychains
They’re colorful. They’re satisfying. And they look cute dangling from your keys, bag, or kid’s backpack.
Use letter beads to spell your favorite quote, mantra, or just “meh.” Because why not?
6. Mug Doodles
Get a cheap plain mug and some oil-based paint pens.
Doodle flowers, hearts, or your current mood. Bake it in the oven to set the paint.
Suddenly, your morning coffee is way more fun.
7. Junk Journal
Junk journaling is the scrapbook’s cooler, messier cousin. There are no rules.
Use old receipts, ticket stubs, doodles, glitter, quotes, scraps of paper, washi tape, or whatever you have.
It’s like therapy—but with glue sticks.
8. Mini Terrariums
Get a small glass container, a little dirt, a few tiny succulents, and boom—you’ve got a desktop ecosystem.
Bonus fun: add fairy garden miniatures or name your plants something ridiculous like “Sir Spikey III.”
9. Silly Canva Graphics
Open Canva and just… play.
Make pretend posters, fake book covers, mood boards for made-up movies, or quotes in fancy fonts.
You’re not building a brand. You’re playing pretend like an adult with a design app.
10. No-Bake Treats
Whip up something like chocolate-dipped pretzels, peanut butter balls, or cereal marshmallow bars.
Something messy and fun that you eat five minutes later while watching a show in your pajamas.
No shame.
11. Mood Playlist Covers
Make a Spotify playlist called “Dramatic Main Character Energy” or “Soft Cry in the Shower.”
Then use Canva to design fake album art for it. You’ve just made music art… and a mood.
12. DIY Tie-Dye (The Low-Mess Kind)
Try reverse tie-dye with bleach on a black T-shirt, or use pastel colors for a dreamy sweatshirt.
Tie-dye is chaotic fun in the best way, and each one feels like a little surprise.
13. Fairy Light Jars
Put battery-operated fairy lights into a mason jar.
Add glitter, faux flowers, or little notes if you’re feeling extra.
It’s cozy and pretty, and it makes your room feel like a Pinterest board.
14. Felt Food
If you like to sew—or even just cut—felt food is weirdly fun to make.
Little felt pancakes, strawberries, or pizza slices are adorable. They make great gifts for kids… or your desk.
15. Personalized Stickers
Use printable sticker paper or order custom ones online.
Make stickers with your name, inside jokes, favorite quotes, or just doodles.
Slap them on notebooks, water bottles, or your laptop. Instant serotonin.
16. Mood Candles (or at Least Decorate the Jar)
Making candles is fun if you’re up for some DIY science, but even decorating store-bought ones is satisfying.
Add rhinestones, paint the glass, or hot glue some ribbon around it.
Ta-da, your $3 candle looks fancy now.
17. Random Collage Art
Cut up old magazines, print photos, and mash together a wild collage.
Make it themed—like “my dream life,” “hot girl sadness,” or “things I would buy if I had no bills.”
Tape it to your wall and call it art because it is.
18. Memory Jar
Write down happy memories or funny moments on little pieces of paper and toss them in a jar.
Pull one out when you need a smile. Making them is just as fun as reading them later.
19. Homemade Bath Soak
Mix Epsom salt, baking soda, and essential oils. Add dried flowers if you’re feeling luxurious. Store in a cute jar.
Even if you don’t take a bath, you’ll feel accomplished looking at it on the shelf.
20. Make Something That’s Just… Bad
Yes. Really. Make something completely ridiculous.
A sculpture of a banana with googly eyes. A painting with only your non-dominant hand. A clay frog with glitter eyeshadow.
Creating badly is freeing. Try it.
Why Making Things for Fun Matters
Sometimes, the most healing thing you can do is waste time on purpose.
Create something that doesn’t need to be seen, sold, or perfect.
Reconnect with your inner kid who made pasta necklaces and weird collages and wasn’t worried if it matched the living room decor.
We’ve all been trained to make everything “worthwhile,” but fun is worthwhile.
Creating for joy reminds you that you’re more than your productivity. That you’re allowed to play. That not everything needs a return on investment.
Tips for Getting Started
- Block out one hour with zero guilt. This is not “wasted” time—it’s playtime for your brain.
- Start messy. Don’t wait until you have the perfect supplies or ideas. Use what you’ve got.
- Invite someone else. Grab a friend, partner, or kid. Making stuff together multiplies the joy.
- Don’t overthink it. The point is to enjoy it, not to make a masterpiece.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a purpose to make something.
You don’t need to sell it on Etsy, turn it into a business, or share it on Instagram. Sometimes, making something fun for no reason is the most powerful thing you can do.
So go ahead—paint that rock, make that weird keychain, and blast that playlist while you do it.
Life’s too short to only create when it’s “productive.”
