Craft From the Past: Embracing Vintage DIY Hobbies

Are you looking to learn a new skill or try an engaging new hobby? Find out why getting hands-on and creative with traditional, old-school hobbies is the latest trend.

Crafting Is on the Rise

• Social media platforms have made it much easier for beginners to learn new crafty skills, share their projects with others, and trade tips and build community with other crafters.
• Many people, especially younger generations, took up new hobbies to stay engaged and creative while stuck at home during the pandemic.
• The growing enthusiasm for more traditional crafts and hobbies, such as sewing, breadmaking, and crocheting, may be inspired by nostalgia for simpler times and a desire to be more authentic in an era of mass production.

Benefits of Being Crafty

It Boosts Mental Health

Focused tasks such as knitting or baking can reduce your stress, boost your mood, and alleviate your anxiety. Immersing yourself in a creative activity is a great way practice mindfulness – being present in the moment and creating helps you take your mind off your troubles.

You’ll Feel Accomplished

The pride that comes with completing a project or learning a new creative skill promotes a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Even if it takes some time to master your new craft, seeing your progress and the results of your efforts is fulfilling and fun.

It Provides Community

Taking up a craft gives you an opportunity to connect with others who share your new passion. Online crafting communities, local clubs, and craft markets offer the chance to make connections, form bonds, and even collaborate on joint projects.

It Promotes Sustainability

For the environmentally conscious, being self-sustainable is important. Crafting your own handmade goods, baking your own bread, and upcycling old clothes reduces your footprint and encourages mindful living.

Vintage Crafts and Hobbies to Try

Crocheting and Knitting

Crocheting and knitting are both yarn crafts that use different tools and techniques to stitch handmade items like scarves, hats, sweaters, and blankets. Crocheting and knitting can be calming and therapeutic, allowing you to create unique pieces while you relax – rather than staring at a screen and scrolling.

Macrame

Macrame is a textile craft that involves knotting ropes or cords to create intricate patterns for a variety of decorative items, such as wall hangings or plant hangers, or unique pieces like jewelry and handbags. This ancient craft has experienced a recent burst of popularity thanks to DIY tutorial videos on social media and bohemian fashion and décor trends. Macrame is considered fairly simple to learn, making it the perfect hobby for beginner crafting enthusiasts.

Breadmaking

Breadmaking, particularly sourdough, has seen a surge in popularity since COVID lockdown when grocery trips were avoided and free time was abundant.Fresh bread is the ultimate comfort food, and baking your ownis a fulfilling way to feed your family and friends and be creative at the same time. The many recipes available online can help you bake everything from fresh bagels to "garden art focaccia," decorative Italian flatbread that uses colorful vegetables and herbs to create beautiful scenes of flowers and trees on the dough.

Sewing

Younger generations are becoming more focused on individuality and sustainable, ethical practices, making sewing an appealing and useful hobby to learn. Crafting your own clothes from scratch is a great way to be expressive and creative. Plus, rather than throwing out clothing that’s ill-fitting or torn, you can simply learn to repair and tailor your pieces, reducing fast fashion waste and upgrading your wardrobe with perfectly fitted pieces.

Embroidery

Embroidery is the ancient art of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to stitch thread or yarn. Like knitting and crocheting, embroidery has grown in popularity as a way to unwind, relax, and disconnect from digital devices. Embroidery is also a great way to creatively repair or repurpose old clothing to combat overconsumption and excessive fashion waste.

Woodworking

Woodworking is a rewarding hobby that combines creativity, craftsmanship, and practicality. You can learn to build anything from simple shelves to intricate furniture, and working with your hands can be deeply satisfying and even meditative. You’ll no longer have to search every store for the perfect piece for your home – you can simply design and build it yourself!

Soap and Candle Making

If you love fragrant soaps and candles, you should try making your own! This fun and engaging hobby is a satisfying way to produce eco-friendly, handmade items for home use or thoughtful gifts. Combining your own scents, colors, and ingredients allows you to create beautiful, great-smelling products that are perfectly personalized, unique alternatives to mass-produced goods.

Using Your Crafty Skills at Christian Health

If you’re a crafting enthusiast, you may be eager to share your skills with others. At Christian Health, many of our dedicated volunteers enjoy visiting our communities to participate in crafty activities and bring smiles to the faces of our residents.

To learn more about how you can use your talents to make a difference, visit ChristianHealthNJ.info/Volunteer or contact Caroline Silva, Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator, at (201) 848-5797 or CSilva@ChristianHealthNJ.org.