Wondering how to spend this next phase of curfews and pandemic lockdown? We asked seven Bay Area bakers, makers, artists and knitters to share their favorite do-at-home projects. And the results — handmade holiday gifts, an enchanting Tinkerbell lantern, a cozy sky scarf and more — are awesome.

1 The Tinkerbell lantern

Designed by Walt Disney World prop designer and Muppet doctor — and San Jose native — Caitlyn Nichols, this fairy lantern project is just magical. “You can see the lights and the color, and as cheesy as it sounds, it is a little jar of hope,” she says. “Doing an art project helps you step back from the crazy of the world and live in the moment.”

All you need is a Mason jar, tissue paper, Mod Podge glue and a little bit of magic — and the instructions, of course.

2 Homemade Meyer lemon curd

State Bird Provisions pastry sous chef Lisa Chan makes lemon curd with Meyer lemons from her neighbors’ trees. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group) 

Make your own Meyer lemon curd — for yourself or as a gift — with this charming how-to from Lisa Chan, the pastry sous chef at San Francisco’s Michelin-starred State Bird Provisions, where her laminated brioche scones and ice cream sandwiches have a cult following. So you can consider this recipe lemon curd with Michelin cred.

3 A sky scarf

Lea Redmond’s “knit the sky” scarves are a blend of knitting and journaling — and the inspiration behind what has become an international trend of knitters chronicling the climate, day by day. (Courtesy of Lea Redmond) 

Sky scarves are a thing now, an Instagram darling, a media sensation and a really cozy accessory. But they started with Oakland’s Lea Redmond, who thought it would be cool to track the weather one line of knitting at a time in shades of sky blue, white, light grey and thundercloud (and this year, a couple of days of apocalyptic orange). Here’s how to make your own.

4 Wearable art

Artist Joy Broom poses for a photo with her necklace she made at her studio in Martinez from paper disks decorated with drawings, newsprint, torn pages and other ephemera. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

Take a page out of artist Joy Broom’s book — and use it to create these cool necklaces, which are made from paper disks adorned with drawings, photographs, torn book pages and other ephemera. It’s a scrapbook in wearable form. Here’s how to make one of your own.

5 A Cactus Grinch

Small succulents become holiday creatures with this easy craft project. You can pick up a DIY pot decorating kit at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek or use supplies you have at home. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) 

The only reason you won’t find Cactus Grinches in Whoville is that the Ruth Bancroft Garden’s Marie Gelin thought of it first. These adorable little Grinches, penguins and reindeer pots are an easy home craft for kids and adults alike. All you need are small terra cotta pots, paint and, of course, a succulent or two. Find the how-tos here. (And if you need a succulent potting primer, we’ve got that, too.)

6 Embroidered holiday cards

Krupa Paranjape’s snowflake embroidered holiday cards are easy to make and memorable, too. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) 

Mountain View textile designer Krupa Paranjape gives her holiday cards some artistic flair by embroidering simple designs on card stock, such as snowflakes, stars or whatever strikes her fancy. And her instructions share a clever hack — an inside liner that hides the messy threads on the underside.

7 A wooden cutting board

Former arborist Michael Veneziano is sharing his simple directions for a DIY wood cutting board. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group) 
Ever marveled at those glorious, live-edge cutting boards in spendy boutiques? Artist and arborist Michael Veneziano — from Oakland’s Ponderosa Millworks — says they’re actually really easy to make yourself. All you need is some lumber and a bit of elbow grease. You’ll find the easy how-tos here.