GETTING CRAFTY THIS WINTER
Knitting, clay, tie-dye, candle-making — there's no end to available options for DIY kits
With people spending more time than ever at home this winter, they’re looking for things to keep them busy. Home crafting, it turns out, fits the bill, and retailers report a spike in demand for craft supplies and kits.
Etsy has seen a 235 per cent increase in the number of people searching for DIY kits in the past few months compared to this time last year, Etsy trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson says.
“With the new year upon us, shoppers are taking a DIY approach to refresh their home decor — from creating artwork for their walls to knitting throw blankets, and more,” she says.
Johnson says people are looking to fill their time by learning new skills or taking up new hobbies. Some of the most popular craft choices at the moment are candle making, paint by numbers, tie-dyeing and embroidery, she says.
“We’ve found that this year, searches for kits and DIYS have skyrocketed as many looked for calming and social distancing-approved activities to keep busy while at home,” she says.
Canadian company Sprout Works Connection has seen a spike in demand for their Clay Date kits, says company co-founder Johana Schwartzman, who, together with her friend Jennifer Ha, launched the company in 2019.
They had discovered clay that was so “incredibly soft” they decided to throw some “clay dates” for their friends and family, and see what people thought, says Schwartzman. They sold 25 per cent of their inventory within the first week of launching their business on Instagram.
“People kept telling us how incredibly easy it was to work with. We started to see really detailed creations being formed — from Halloween-themed figurines to holiday-themed figurines and figurines representing characters from stories. We saw people creating accessories for themselves and for their homes — such as decorating canvases,” she says.
They quickly realized that their clay was not just for children, but also adults and seniors, and labelled their products for those aged between five and 105 years.
In March and April last year, they saw a considerable increase in sales of Clay Date kits, says Schwartzman: “People were, and still are, looking for activities to do for themselves, or with their children.”
They’ve seen beautiful pieces of artwork made from their clay.
“At the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown in March, a mother purchased the clay for her two young children. They used the clay on canvas and created abstract art that they framed and provided to the children’s grandparents who they could no longer see in person,” she says.
Last year was “pretty rowdy,” Schwartzman says, with home-schooling their children for six months due to the pandemic. But they recruited them into the family business. They made deliveries together, put stickers on packaging, prepared the kits for shipment and created artwork from the clay.
They have also been dropping off Clay Date Kits to organizations supporting seniors, giving those confined to their homes something positive to do, Schwartzman says.
“Our hope is that having the clay provides the opportunity to ease some stress, relax a little, and hopefully create something for their homes or their loved ones,” she says.