People ask me where I get my ideas. The honest answer is: other people’s blogs. I read a lot of them (probably too many) and over time I’ve whittled down my bookmarks to the ones I genuinely return to week after week. Not because they’re the biggest or the most popular, but because they consistently make me want to make something.
Here are my favourites, sorted by what they’re best at.
Best for DIY Inspiration
A Beautiful Mess
URL: abeautifulmess.com
Run by sisters Elsie and Emma, this one’s been around since 2010 and it’s still good. Their DIY projects are genuinely achievable (not the “simple craft project” that requires a laser cutter and a degree in engineering). I especially love their home renovation content; it’s real, it’s budget-conscious, and they show the messy behind-the-scenes process, not just the polished afters.
What I’ve actually made from their site: macramé plant hangers, painted terracotta pots, a gallery wall using their layout guide.
The House That Lars Built
URL: thehousethatlarsbuilt.com
This one leans more artistic than practical. The projects are bolder and more colourful than what you’d find on most DIY blogs: think giant paper flowers, elaborate party decorations, and art installations you can build at home. Not everything is something I’d attempt, but the creativity is infectious. Good for when you need a push to try something outside your comfort zone.
Best for Home Décor
Apartment Therapy
URL: apartmenttherapy.com
The best home décor site for people who live in normal-sized spaces (not mansions). Their apartment tours feature real homes, real budgets, and creative solutions for small spaces. The “Small/Cool” contest they run annually is always worth following.
Why I keep coming back: the house tours. Specifically, the “how much did this space cost?” breakdowns that show real numbers instead of vague “affordable” claims.
Design*Sponge (Archived, Still Valuable)
URL: designsponge.com
Grace Bonney shut down this blog in 2019, but the archive is still fully online and it’s a gold mine. Thousands of before-and-after room makeovers, DIY projects, and interviews with makers and designers. Timeless content that hasn’t dated at all.
Best for Creative Lifestyle Content
The Everygirl
URL: theeverygirl.com
Career advice, home décor, wellness, and lifestyle content aimed at women in their twenties and thirties. Well-written, practical, and refreshingly honest about things like budgeting and work-life balance. Their “Living” section has consistently good content about creating an intentional life without spending a fortune.
Cup of Jo
URL: cupofjo.com
Joanna Goddard’s blog is one of the few that’s been running for over a decade and still feels fresh. The content spans travel, relationships, parenting, beauty, and food, but it’s the personal voice that keeps me reading. It feels like getting a recommendation from a friend.
Best for Craft Skills and Tutorials
Gathered
URL: gathered.how
A UK-based craft site with genuinely excellent tutorials for sewing, knitting, crochet, embroidery, and papercraft. The patterns are beginner-friendly and the instructions are clear enough that I’ve never gotten stuck halfway through a project. Their free pattern library is extensive.
Skillshare Blog
URL: skillshare.com/blog
Obviously they’re promoting their platform, but the blog content itself is legitimately useful: creative challenges, artist spotlights, technique breakdowns. Good for getting a taste of different crafts before committing to a full course.
Best for Sustainable and Slow Living
Going Zero Waste
URL: goingzerowaste.com
Kathryn Kellogg’s site is the most practical zero-waste resource I’ve found. Not preachy, not overwhelming. She breaks sustainable living into small, achievable steps, which is exactly the approach that actually works.
The Good Trade
URL: thegoodtrade.com
Conscious consumerism, ethical fashion, sustainable beauty, and mindful living. Their product recommendations are well-researched and they’re transparent about affiliate links, which I appreciate.
Newsletters Worth Subscribing To
Blogs aren’t the only way I consume creative content. A few newsletters that consistently earn their place in my inbox:
| Newsletter | What It Covers | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Dense Discovery | Design, productivity, sustainability, and interesting links | Weekly |
| The Sunday Sourdough | Creative living, slow mornings, intentional habits | Weekly |
| It’s Nice That | Art, illustration, photography, and design from around the world | Daily |
| Brain Pickings (The Marginalian) | Culture, philosophy, science, and creative thinking | Weekly |
How I Actually Use These
I don’t read everything from every site. That would be a full-time job. My system:
- Sunday morning: scan email newsletters with coffee. Open anything interesting in a tab.
- Weekday commute: read one or two saved articles on my phone.
- When I need a specific idea: search directly on the sites I trust instead of Googling (the results are better and less SEO-garbage).
- When I’m procrastinating: browse Apartment Therapy house tours. It’s productive procrastination — I always come away wanting to rearrange something.
The Ones I Didn’t Include
There are hundreds of creative blogs out there. I left off anything that felt too commercial (more sponsored content than real content), too aspirational (budgets and lifestyles that don’t reflect most people’s reality), or too inactive (hasn’t posted in six months).
If you’ve got a favourite blog I should be reading, genuinely, send me a note through the contact page. I’m always looking for new bookmarks.
And if you’re inspired to start creating rather than just consuming, my posts on DIY gift ideas you can make at home, creative hobbies for adults, and the weekend self-care routine are all good places to start.