Make crafting as badass as the real game. For example, if I wanted to create a sword, instead of making the sword with materials, clicking away monotonously like in other games, it enters my character into an instance where he's wearing a blacksmith apron and he's got a bellows in his hand, a hammer in his inventory, and some smelting ore. Within the instance are tons of air pockets and impurities that he must pour ore into and beat down, some fire he must bellows away, etc... but all of these items work like weapons.
All of the items associated with that crafting skill will be treated like skills and will go up as you craft, and the harder the thing you craft is the longer the instance will be made and the harder the trials ahead you face will be. I'm sure they could have pretty unique and interesting instances (they are Simu after all).
Though it wouldn't be this way with every small item, like each iron ingot, instead you would get it all together and go into the crafting instance and by defeating the instance you've gone through the entire process of smelting and shaping and purifying, so the whole instance must have activities and monsters that illustrate this.
Edit: Maybe some of them that are more intellect based such as enchanting can have some kind of a riddle or puzzle to solve so that the instance reflects the skill. Others that are more agility based may have some kind of race or dodge something, use your imagination to fill in the blanks for which crafting skills would have what kind of instances.