Crafting is big business. The global arts & crafts materials market was valued at $20.96 billion in 2022. And is expected to grow to $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 weekly on their hobby. It’s a similar situation in Britain, where around 20% of the population indulge in crafting.
But it turns out there’s more benefit to crafting than just beating 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, all getting their daily crafting fix from thousands of posts. Keep scrolling for our personal favorites. And don't miss the chat Bored Panda had with expert crafter Dr. Sarah Hegge. The creative brains 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 knit socks I’ve worn holes in and repaired twice,” Sarah Hegge tells us during our interview. Hegge believes in crafting things that last a while. “When you start from the idea that you’re going to have 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’re willing to put into supplies,” she said.
Hegge lives and breathes arts and crafts. She’s a multi-modal crafter, who works mostly in fiber and textile arts. Her blog thecraftblogger.com has tips for amateurs and experienced crafters, who want to elevate their work. And she carves out time to teach textile and fashion classes at her local community college. Hegge studied fashion design as an undergrad because she wanted to learn more advanced skills. “My favorite class was tailoring, where we made a jacket using traditional hand methods like pad stitching,” she said.
It took her a while to find her path, and she explored various creative avenues along the way. “I ended working as a bridal seamstress, in a theater costume shop, and teaching community college classes. For a while, I worked in a couple of museums with historic fashions, eventually getting 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 reproducing two dresses so that I could compare the sewing skills involved.”
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Like many others, Hegge gets lost in her art, “What I like most about crafting is how much it brings me back into the physical world and my own body. We spend so much time on our screens these days (me included!) but with crafting, I get the most out of it when I’m paying attention to the sight, sound, and feel of what I’m working on.”
Crafting is in Hegge’s blood.“My mother quilts, crochets, and does cross stitch and my dad is always doing home improvement projects. So, I grew up with the idea that making and repairing things was a normal part of life,” she told us.
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Hegge is a big believer in crafts that last. We asked her for some tips on how to create something that won’t end up in the dustbin in a week (like these DIY fails). “To me, elevated crafting starts with taking the time to plan out and think about a project before I start. Understanding some color theory and other design basics is useful here, but also it’s important to be confident in liking what you like,” she said. “Next, I source the best supplies I can find. These aren’t always the most expensive, but I do focus on using natural materials as much as possible. They’re 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’m appreciating the feel of the yarn in my hands, how pretty the colors are, and the nice sounds the needles make when clicking together. That way, when I inevitably have to restart 3 times or drop a row 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 get ruined. “My mug rugs are stained from tea, my favorite quilt has pulls from my cats kneading it, and all my socks get holes. That’s part of the process and I love it!”
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Hegge’s home is filled with beautiful items she’s made throughout the years. “One of my favorite projects I’ve done is my 100% hand sewn quilt. I hand sewed all the pieces together then hand quilted the layers. Hand sewing is more time consuming than using the machine, but it’s also quieter and more mediative. I spent months on this project, often working on it half an hour at a time before heading into work. It lives on my bed now, and every time I use it I smile a bit 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 created 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 to make it something that would help my students grow their skills while still also being a thing they wanted to wear in the end,” she told us proudly.
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We asked Hegge what advice she has for crafting amateurs who are just starting their journey. “Honestly, I think it’s so exciting to be a beginner 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 totally new to crafting and feeling overwhelmed, I always recommend either taking an in-person class or finding a kit. Sourcing supplies as a beginner is hard because bad supplies and tools make it harder to learn. But as a newbie, 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 told us.
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And on the topic of tools, what are the must-haves for crafters? “Having a system to organize your tools, supplies, and samples is key, no matter what medium you’re working in,” she advised. “For in-progress 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 down your project, 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 recently even saw a reddit post (I think in r/knitting) where people showing off rulers they’d had tattooed on their forearms!”
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As someone who immerses herself in arts and crafts, Hegge always has her eye on the latest trends. “It may be a bit of my own personal bias, but I see an increasing interest in ethical and environmentally friendly crafting,” she replied when asked what we should expect to see over the next few months.
“I get a lot of questions from students at the school where I work about natural dyes and eco printing,” she added. “I’ve also been seeing more people interested in making their own clothing in order to avoid the environmental harms of fast fashion. I’ve also seen more discussions about how to have enough supplies on hand to allow for creativity while avoiding overconsumption and ideas for using thrifted or scrap materials.”
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If you thought crochet was just for grannies, think again. “I think crochet is still having quite a moment. I love seeing all the cool young women on social media showing off their hand crochet clothes! Crochet as a craft has a fairly low cost of entry and there’s a lot of different directions that 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 rug mug. Her hands were itching to create yet another beautiful craft to add to her collection. Something that will last for decades to come, and bring joy to her each time she uses it.
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