Craft is big business. The global arts and crafts materials market was valued at USD 20.96 billion in 2022. It is expected to grow to USD 30.89 billion by 2030. More than three-quarters of American households have at least one crafty family member who spends an average of 7.5 hours a week on their hobby. It is a similar situation in the UK, where around 20% of the population indulge in crafts.
But it turns out that there are more benefits to crafting than just killing boredom – or boosting the economy. Brand new research shows that those who engage in arts and crafts hobbies like knitting, crocheting, painting and other fun things are actually happier, more positive and more satisfied with their lives.
If you’re looking for inspiration for your next project, you might just find it on the CraftyFun Instagram page. It has over 342 thousand followers who all get their daily crafting fix from thousands of posts. Keep scrolling for our personal favorites. And don’t miss the chat Bored Panda had with the skilled craftsman Dr. Sarah Hegge. The creative minds behind thecraftblogger.com
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“Right now my coffee is resting on a linen rug mug I made about 4 years ago, and I’m wearing hand-knitted socks that I’ve worn holes in and mended twice,” Sarah Hegge tells us during our interview. Hegge believes in making things that last a long time. “When you start from the idea that you want an object in your life for a long time, it changes how you think about the amount of time you spend on a project and the amount of money you are willing to add supplies,” she said.
Hegge lives and breathes arts and crafts. She is a multimodal craftsman who works mostly with fiber and textile art. Her blog thecraftblogger.com has tips for amateurs and experienced crafters who want to elevate their work. And she makes time to teach textile and fashion classes at her local community college. Hegge studied fashion design as an undergraduate because she wanted to learn more advanced skills. “My favorite class was tailoring, where we made a jacket using traditional hand methods such as sewing,” she said.
It took her a while to find her way, exploring different creative avenues along the way. “I ended up working as a bridal seamstress, in a theater costume shop, and teaching community college classes. For a while I worked at a couple of historical fashion museums and eventually got a PhD in design from the University of Minnesota with a concentration in dress, history, and culture. For my dissertation, I conducted a study that involved carefully recreating two dresses so that I could compare the sewing skills involved.”
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Like many others, Hegge loses himself in his art: “What I like most about craft is how much it brings me back to the physical world and my own body. We spend so much time on our screens these days (including me!), but with craft I get the most out of it when I pay attention to the sight, sound and feel of what I’m working on.”
Craftsmanship is in Hegge’s blood. “My mother quilts, crochets and sews cross stitch, and my father is always doing home improvement projects. So I grew up thinking that making and fixing things was a normal part of life,” she said.
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Hegge is a big supporter of craftsmanship that lasts. We asked her for some tips on how to make something that won’t end up in the trash in a week (like these DIY fails). “For me, elevated craftsmanship starts with taking the time to plan and think about a project before I start. Understanding some color theory and other basic design elements is helpful here, but it’s also important to be sure to like it, you like,” she said. “Next I’ll get the best supplies I can find. These are not always the most expensive, but I focus on using natural materials as much as possible. They are nicer to work with and age/wear beautifully.”
Hegge says she tries to focus on the process, not the end product. “If I’m knitting, I make sure I appreciate the feel of the yarn in my hands, how nice the colors are, and the nice sounds the needles make when they click together. That way, when I inevitably have to restart 3 times or drop a series of stitches, I don’t get frustrated. It’s all part of the experience.” And she says she always uses what she makes. Even if they might be destroyed. “My mugs are stained with tea, my favorite quilt has prints from my cats kneading it, and all my socks are getting holes. It’s part of the process and I love it!”
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Hegge’s home is full of beautiful things she has made over the years. “One of my favorite projects I’ve done is my 100% hand stitched quilt. I hand sewed all the pieces together and hand quilted the layers. Hand sewing is more time consuming than using the machine, but it is also quieter and more mediative. I spent months on this project, often working on it for half an hour at a time before going to work. It lives on my bed now and every time I use it I smile a little because I feel so proud of my work.”
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The blogger still has the first “Beginner Lace Hat” she designed. “It was one of the first knitting patterns I made and the first I ever sold. I originally wrote it as a teaching pattern for a knitting class I was developing, so I spent a lot of time thinking about how I could make it something that would help my students develop their skills while still being something they would want to wear in the end,” she told us proudly.
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We asked Hegge what advice she has for craft amateurs who are just starting their journey. “Honestly, I think it’s so exciting to be a newbie right now! There are so many ways to learn, and it’s easier than ever to find tools and supplies for unusual crafts, she said.
“If you’re completely new to crafting and feel overwhelmed, I always recommend either taking an in-person class or finding a kit. It’s hard to buy supplies as a beginner because poor supplies and tools make it harder to learn. But as beginner, you have no idea what to look for. An experienced teacher and/or a good kit will set you up for success.”
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Even as an expert, Hegge still takes classes. “Recently, I’ve been learning new spinning techniques online through The School of SweetGeorgia and shopping around for a support spindle on Etsy. A decade ago, I would have needed to find a mentor or go to a fiber festival for that sort of thing,” she shared us.
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And on the subject of tools, what are the must-haves for craftsmen? “Having a system to organize your tools, supplies and samples is key no matter what medium you work in,” she advised. “For ongoing projects, I always have a bag, basket, or box with all the tools and supplies I need. This makes it easier to pick up and put your project down because you’re not hunting around for your pattern or a ruler .”
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“Speaking of rulers, you can never have too many rulers or measuring tapes around. I have one in every project bag, scattered throughout my house, and even marked on my sewing table,” Hegge told Bored Panda. “I even recently saw a reddit post (I think ir/knitting) where people are showing rulers they had tattooed on their forearms!”
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As someone who immerses himself in arts and crafts, Hegge always has an eye on the latest trends. “It might be a bit of my own personal bias, but I see a growing interest in ethical and environmentally friendly craftsmanship,” she replied when asked what we can expect to see over the next few months.
“I get a lot of questions from students at the school where I work with natural dyes and ecoprints,” she added. “I have also seen more people interested in making their own clothes to avoid the environmental damage of fast fashion. I’ve also seen several discussions about how to have enough supplies on hand to allow creativity while avoiding overuse and ideas for using thrift or scrap materials.”
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If you thought crocheting was just for grandmas, think again. “I think crochet is still having a great moment. I love seeing all the cool young women on social media showing off their hand crocheted clothes! Crochet as a craft has a fairly low entry price and there are many different directions you can go with it, so I think it’s going to stick around for a while.”
And on that note Hegge had to run. Her coffee was cold on her stained carpet mug. Her hands were itching to create another beautiful craft to add to her collection. Something that will last for decades to come and bring her joy every time she wears it.
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