Old School RuneScape Guide: Best Strategies for Leveling Crafting
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the best tips and tricks for leveling Crafting in OSRS, including recommended training methods, useful items, money-making strategies, and essential advice to help you master the skill quickly and efficiently.
Why Level Crafting in OSRS?
Before diving into training methods, it's important to understand why leveling Crafting is worthwhile:
Access to Useful Items: Higher Crafting levels unlock the ability to make powerful items like Dragonhide armor, battlestaves, and high-level jewelry.
Quest Requirements: Many quests require a minimum Crafting level to complete.
Profit Opportunities: Crafted items like jewelry, battlestaves, and elemental runes can be sold for OSRS gold.
Skillcape: Upon reaching level 99, you can purchase the Crafting skillcape, which offers perks and shows off your achievement.
Variety: Crafting offers diverse training options, so you can choose activities based on your playstyle, budget, and goals.
How to Train Crafting Efficiently: Early Levels (1-30)
The early levels of Crafting are quick to gain and set the foundation for more advanced methods.
1. Crafting Leather Items
Levels 1-10: Start by crafting leather gloves or leather boots. You can buy leather from shops or craft it yourself by tanning cowhides.
Levels 10-20: Move on to leather vambraces or leather chaps for faster experience.
Where to get leather:
Kill cows to get raw cowhides.
Use a Tanner (found in Al Kharid, Draynor Village, or Rellekka) to turn cowhide into leather.
Craft leather items at a tanning booth or by using a needle and thread in your inventory.
2. Making Thread
You will need thread to craft leather items. Purchase thread from the Grand Exchange or shops, or spin flax into bowstrings for Crafting experience (though flax spinning is more commonly used in Fletching).
Mid-Level Crafting (30-60) Tips
Once you reach level 30, more profitable and efficient methods open up.
1. Crafting Jewelry
Crafting jewelry like gold rings, necklaces, and amulets provides decent experience and good money if you sell the items.
Use a gold bar and a mould to make jewelry at a furnace.
For faster experience, craft unstrung amulets and then use a ball of wool to string them.
2. Cutting Gems
At level 40, you unlock the ability to cut gems. Cutting gems like sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and diamonds provides good experience and some profit.
Buy uncut gems from the Grand Exchange.
Use a chisel on uncut gems to cut them.
Cut gems can be used to craft jewelry or sold for profit.
3. Crafting Battlestaves (Level 54+)
When you reach level 54 Crafting, you can start making battlestaves by attaching elemental orbs to unpowered battlestaves.
This method offers good crafting experience.
It requires some initial investment but can be profitable.
Battlestaves are popular items and tend to have steady demand in the market.
High-Level Crafting (60-99) Training Methods
For the higher levels of Crafting, the experience requirements increase significantly, and efficiency matters more.
1. Crafting Dragonhide Armor (Levels 63+)
Dragonhide armor is one of the most popular high-level Crafting training methods.
Green, Blue, Red, and Black Dragonhide: Each type requires different Crafting levels to craft.
Making dragonhide bodies or vambraces yields high experience but can be costly.
You need dragon leather, which is dropped by dragons.
You will also need needles and thread. You can buy OSRS gold to get them.
Selling the armor can recoup some costs but is generally a money sink.
2. Crafting Jewelry with Precious Gems (Levels 75+)
Crafting dragonstone or onyx jewelry can be profitable.
You can cut dragonstones and onyx gems and craft rings, amulets, or necklaces.
These items sell well on the Grand Exchange but require a higher crafting level.
3. Battlestaffs (Levels 66+)
Continuing from mid-levels, crafting battlestaves remains an excellent option until level 99.
The experience gained from attaching elemental orbs is high.
You can craft air, water, fire, or earth battlestaves.
This method provides a good balance of experience and potential profit.
Additional Tips and Tricks for Leveling Crafting
1. Use the Best Tools and Locations
Needles: Always carry a needle and thread to craft leather items.
Furnace and Anvil: Use furnaces to smelt bars and craft metal jewelry.
Bank Proximity: Craft near a bank to save time retrieving materials.
Portable Forges and Crafting Guild: If you are a member, use the Crafting Guild for faster training and access to resources.
2. Take Advantage of Boosts and Bonuses
Crafting Cape and Outfit: Wearing the Crafting skillcape or the full Graceful outfit can speed up your crafting sessions.
Experience Boosts: Participate in Double XP weekends or use experience-boosting items when available.
Clan Chats: Join a Crafting clan chat to share tips and organize group training.
3. Money Management
Crafting can be expensive, so managing your in-game currency is crucial.
Use lower-cost training methods if you're on a budget.
Sell crafted items at the Grand Exchange for consistent profits.
Avoid training methods that cause significant losses unless you're prepared for the investment.
4. Complete Crafting-Related Quests
Certain quests unlock Crafting benefits or provide experience lamps that can boost your skill levels.
Quests like "Animal Magnetism", "Elemental Workshop" series, and "Desert Treasure" offer rewards that complement Crafting.
Completing quests early can reduce grind time later on.
Money-Making Through Crafting
Besides leveling your skill, Crafting offers numerous ways to make money:
Crafting and selling jewelry: Especially gold rings and amulets with gems.
Battlestaves: Crafting elemental battlestaves and selling them.
Dragonhide armor: Crafting and selling dragonhide items.
Crafting battlestaves or jewelry with valuable gems can bring high profit margins.
Always research the market before investing heavily in materials to ensure profitability.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Leveling Crafting
Ignoring Market Prices: Crafting expensive items without checking the market can lead to losses.
Training Inefficiently: Using slow or unprofitable methods may waste time and resources.
Not Using Boosts: Missing out on experience boosts can slow your progress.
Neglecting Quests: Skipping quests that give Crafting experience or unlock new methods can cause unnecessary grind.
Forgetting Tools: Not carrying a needle, thread, or chisel can interrupt crafting sessions.
Conclusion
Leveling Crafting in Old School RuneScape is a rewarding journey that combines skill training with profit-making opportunities. By choosing the right training methods, managing your resources wisely, and utilizing available boosts, you can efficiently reach level 99 Crafting.
Whether you prefer crafting leather goods, cutting gems, or making powerful battlestaves and dragonhide armor, this guide provides you with the best tips and tricks to level your Crafting skill effectively. Keep an eye on the Grand Exchange for market trends, join the Crafting community for advice, and most importantly, enjoy the process as you become a master crafter in OSRS.