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Party Signs, Baroque Carnations, and Coloring Calm: Cozy Crafts at Home!

Updated: Oct 13

This is a HoT Flash Weekly Update, brought to you by the team at Handcrafted Over Tea. (Week of Oct 6, 2025)


Slow craft, warm tea, and a little creative mischief—this week at Handcrafted over Tea felt like exactly that. Here’s what we worked on, in our own words - all of which made for cozy crafts at home!



Addie: Party-Planning Hands, Mushroom Stitches

This week was lighter on the crafting because I was deep in party planning—but creativity still showed up everywhere. I drew the signs and made several decorations from scratch (think playful borders and simple motifs).


Try this at home: Pick a two-color palette and one repeating motif (mushroom, star, carnation) for all your party pieces—instant cohesion without overthinking.


party labels for food & beverages



mushroom embroidery

I also finished a little mushroom embroidery hoop for my office—earthy colors and tidy satin stitches make me happy every time I look at it.


For inspo, I’ve been binging junk journaling videos. No favorite accounts yet—I’m just wandering the rabbit hole and loving it.










Connie: Baroque Carnations in Watercolor Pencil (with a Fingerling Finale)

I spent a quiet, lovely session with our Floriography: Baroque Carnations pages. First, I laid down color with watercolor pencils, then brushed on a little water and watched the hues bloom. Once everything dried, I went back in with mini fineliners to crisp the ruffles and veins. The whole process felt soothing and fulfilling—just making art without “working” at it.


HoT Tip: 

When using watercolor pencils, let layers dry completely before fineliner details—luminous underpainting + crisp lines = botanical drama.


coloring book page in progress


What inspired me this week:


My go-to tools this week:




Candice: Post-Austen Glow, Multi-Station Coloring

With lingering energy from our Jane Austen Festival last month, I’m fully back in the crafting spirit. I’ve been rotating through several coloring book pages at once and leaving them at different workstations. Gel pens are still my first love, but I’m learning certain page designs really sing with different tools.


I’m also obsessed with our new Art Remix release—it’s art history with a playful wink.


Here's a peek at a work-in-progress:


coloring book page in progress

What’s keeping me company:

vintage Martha Stewart videos, my first lap through Gilmore Girls (finally!), and lots of junk journaling inspo.


Tools I’m reaching for:

  1. Shuttle Art 120-pack gel pens — metallics, neons, pastels galore. If you get color-overload: hover over your set of pens, close your eyes, pick 3 to 5, and jump in!

  2. Copic Blender Marker — I use it for laser ink transfer experiments ...remember to print a mirror image of the design you want to transfer, then use these markers to transfer the LASER ink to your "canvas" [paper, actual canvas, etc.]. Yes, it must be laser ink for the blender marker magic to work ;)


Why I color: 

It helps me focus my thoughts. It feels like a tiny art lesson when I want it and a pocket-sized creative retreat.



HoT Notes & Prompts to Play With for Cozy Crafts at Home

  • Watercolor pencil flow: sketch → dry color → gentle water → dry → fineliner to add pop

  • Embroidery micro-win: stitch a 3″ hoop with one motif (mushroom, leaf, teacup) in a single sitting. You got this!

  • Junk journal starter: one envelope + three scraps (pattern, ticket, pressed leaf) + a ribbon = instant tuck-spot spread. How else do you add flair to your journal?

  • Coloring for focus: keep a setup [page + instruments] at different stations around the house and match the page to your mood. Start anywhere on the page and let your mind relax.


Tools We Loved This Week, all in one place



Show & Tell

Did YOU make something this week? Were you inspired by this week’s updates?

Tag us with #HandcraftedOverTea or #HoTFlash so we can applaud your stitches, swatches, and spreads.


If you’re coloring along with our Art Remix pages, we’d love to feature your work in an upcoming community roundup.


Until next brew—keep it cozy, curious, and handcrafted. ✨🍵






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