Trends in the craft industry.
March is National Craft Month, it is also Youth Art Month. To celebrate both of these events I am offering a giveaway on my blog. I was honored to be invited to write an article for the CHA Portfolio magazine, an industry related publication. It was presented at the recent CHA show in Anaheim. The article discusses some of the trends I see in the crafting industry, I always love sharing these ideas with others. I am very interested in what you think are current and future trends in arts and crafts. Put your thinking cap on and leave me a comment with your thoughts on the subject, one lucky blogee will receive, by mail, both Zentangle® books, Zentangle Basics and Zentangle 2.
TRENDS
Today and in the Future...
Though 2009 may be remembered for its economic roller coaster, I’ll gratefully recall it as a year that trends focused more on personalization, hands-on activities, art-crafter groups, and creative classes enjoyed a growth in popularity.
New techniques and products for 2010 focus around inspiration, nostalgic, spiritual, value and creation. “Personalized projects like Quilting, Scrapbooking, Cards, Beading, Gifts, Art, Needlework and Zentangle® can be a source of comfort and reassurance during troubled times,” shared Dean Rohlfing, Design Originals, http://d-originals.com
Resurgence of Creativity
The resurgence of creativity as a basis for community is worth talking about. As I spoke with shop owners across the country, their response was, ”classes, and clubs are increasingly popular and profitable. Though sales of supplies were a bit down in 2009, the revenue generated from classes kept my store profitable.”
Books and Magazines
I like to think of books and leaflets as “coffee-table catalogs”. Good books and inexpensive leaflets lead to happy customers and more sales.
Placing a book in the hands of a customer is like sending a good teacher home with them. Once a customer finishes the first project that caught her eye, she leafs through the book to pick out the next project.
An enthusiastic shop exclaimed, “ Books are my best ‘silent salesmen’. Customers come back to my store to purchase more supplies for the next project! And, they often bring a friend who purchases even more.”
Classes, Clubs and Community
Now that people are living with less, they enjoy their relationships more. Art-crafter groups and clubs are on the increase. People love just showing up and having someone else organize the supplies and projects. Most groups charge $10 to $30 for each meeting.
Groups usually meet in someone’s home, a studio room, a church or at a shop. Sales show that 40% to 50% of the crafters in these groups go right to their local store to purchase a related book and supplies, then continue by crafting at home.
Retreats and Get-aways
Retreats, seminars and get-aways are growing in popularity. Often organized by guilds, shops and creative groups, the members rent a lake house, space on a cruise ship or a retreat center. Then they create for 2 days to a week at a time.
Classes are often available at retreats and range from $80 to $200 per day. Accommodation costs (room and food) are on top of that. In addition, travel expenses and supplies must be added. All in all, costs average $1,500 to $2,500 per week.
The bottom line: “Creative people are willing to spend a lot of money to invest in personal growth, their creative spirit and friendships.”
Retreats, seminars and classes are time away from the responsibilities of home. They provide a time to immerse in creativity and friendship. At a quilt retreat, a friend’s response said it all, “What could be better? I’m away from home... no children to care for, no husband to cook for, and no errands to run! On top of all that, I’m surrounded by creative friends and beautiful fabrics!”
TRENDS - What’s Hot and What’s Coming
Scrapbooking is the leading hands-on, and digital activity. Family values and precious memories drive this popularity. Scrapbooking provides valuable creative expression for parents and children.
Personal Journaling of daily activities, feelings and travels is coming on strong. Journaling is especially popular when teamed with doodling, painting, creative expression and personal growth.
Book Arts lead the list for many artists. Dozens of hands-on methods for making books are available. By making personalized books in a creative manner, they create their own journals and memories.
Stamping and Cardmaking provide opportunities for friendship and creativity.
Altered Anything and Everything seems to be a never-ending craze. Embellishment with paints, papers and trinkets shows up on old books, art canvas, figurines, frames and furniture.
Zentangle® is the new kid on the block. Developed by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas http://zentangle.com ,this method turns doodles into artistic designs. Classes fill quickly. Tangles are used as learning skills for school children, for stress reduction, to improve focus and develop dexterity. In addition, they can be fabulous works of art that resemble etchings.
Quilting continues to grow in popularity. Popular quick-piecing, “10 Minute” blocks, Jelly Rolls http://unitednotions.com and the GO!™ fabric cutting system http://accuquilt.com make this hands-on activity accessible to all. Personal creations that are worthy of the investment of time and materials are gaining in popularity. Quilting fulfills these desires.
Needlework can include cross stitch, embroidery, tatting and embellishment. These relaxing activities are popular and often appear as Redwork Clubs.
Knitting and Crochet are popular with all ages. From simple scarves to socks, shawls, sweaters and afghans, happy fingers love to create.
Fabric Dyeing is now fast and successful for all ages. With Sharpie http://sanford.com and Copic http://copicmarker.com markers this craft is simple and easy. Anyone can easily dye silk, cotton, ribbon, lace and thread with basic markers and rubbing alcohol.
Traditional Art is the key to countless hours of creative immersion for happy painters. More traditional arts such as drawing, oil painting, watercolor, acrylic painting, printmaking and sculpture lead the list of popular arts. Guilds, galleries, and shows are active across the country.
Creative Art brings experimentation to the market. Collage, Mixed Media and Encaustic are growing in popularity. New techniques bring new must-have supplies, gotta-take-it classes, and fresh customers to the market.
Kids Crafts are in a strong category of their own. Adaption of all the hands-on activities add creativity and growth to schools, Saturday art classes and family activities. From Friendship Bracelets to Hemp, and from t-shirt decorating to Tie-Dye, all ages love to be creative.
Trinkets cross all boundaries. There is something about reusing materials in a very clever way that is really appealing. Trinkets like the idea-ology collection by Tim Holtz® http://timholtz.com are new but look old.
Beading brings profits and fits in every store. Whether you want to embellish a box with beads, create elaborate necklaces or dainty crystal earrings, beading is popular with all ages. From chunky stones, lucite, silver and glass to shimmering crystals, beads produce a healthy profit in a small space.
Fun Things on a Budget
Customers love freebies, fun things and value on a budget. When they can make a hand-dyed silk scarf (that could cost $100 to $200 in a boutique) for $10 by dyeing a blank scarf with Sharpie markers,Creative Dyeing book at http://d-originals.com they will purchase and make dozens for gifts and resale.
Trends and Techniques
Never satisfied to sit still, I constantly search for new trends and techniques. Ideas change at an amazing speed and to be profitable, stores must be ‘on top of what’s new and what’s hot’.
Zentangle of the week, enjoy and create!
Zentangle #9
Basketweave
TRENDS
Today and in the Future...
Though 2009 may be remembered for its economic roller coaster, I’ll gratefully recall it as a year that trends focused more on personalization, hands-on activities, art-crafter groups, and creative classes enjoyed a growth in popularity.
New techniques and products for 2010 focus around inspiration, nostalgic, spiritual, value and creation. “Personalized projects like Quilting, Scrapbooking, Cards, Beading, Gifts, Art, Needlework and Zentangle® can be a source of comfort and reassurance during troubled times,” shared Dean Rohlfing, Design Originals, http://d-originals.com
Resurgence of Creativity
The resurgence of creativity as a basis for community is worth talking about. As I spoke with shop owners across the country, their response was, ”classes, and clubs are increasingly popular and profitable. Though sales of supplies were a bit down in 2009, the revenue generated from classes kept my store profitable.”
Books and Magazines
I like to think of books and leaflets as “coffee-table catalogs”. Good books and inexpensive leaflets lead to happy customers and more sales.
Placing a book in the hands of a customer is like sending a good teacher home with them. Once a customer finishes the first project that caught her eye, she leafs through the book to pick out the next project.
An enthusiastic shop exclaimed, “ Books are my best ‘silent salesmen’. Customers come back to my store to purchase more supplies for the next project! And, they often bring a friend who purchases even more.”
Classes, Clubs and Community
Now that people are living with less, they enjoy their relationships more. Art-crafter groups and clubs are on the increase. People love just showing up and having someone else organize the supplies and projects. Most groups charge $10 to $30 for each meeting.
Groups usually meet in someone’s home, a studio room, a church or at a shop. Sales show that 40% to 50% of the crafters in these groups go right to their local store to purchase a related book and supplies, then continue by crafting at home.
Retreats and Get-aways
Retreats, seminars and get-aways are growing in popularity. Often organized by guilds, shops and creative groups, the members rent a lake house, space on a cruise ship or a retreat center. Then they create for 2 days to a week at a time.
Classes are often available at retreats and range from $80 to $200 per day. Accommodation costs (room and food) are on top of that. In addition, travel expenses and supplies must be added. All in all, costs average $1,500 to $2,500 per week.
The bottom line: “Creative people are willing to spend a lot of money to invest in personal growth, their creative spirit and friendships.”
Retreats, seminars and classes are time away from the responsibilities of home. They provide a time to immerse in creativity and friendship. At a quilt retreat, a friend’s response said it all, “What could be better? I’m away from home... no children to care for, no husband to cook for, and no errands to run! On top of all that, I’m surrounded by creative friends and beautiful fabrics!”
TRENDS - What’s Hot and What’s Coming
Scrapbooking is the leading hands-on, and digital activity. Family values and precious memories drive this popularity. Scrapbooking provides valuable creative expression for parents and children.
Personal Journaling of daily activities, feelings and travels is coming on strong. Journaling is especially popular when teamed with doodling, painting, creative expression and personal growth.
Book Arts lead the list for many artists. Dozens of hands-on methods for making books are available. By making personalized books in a creative manner, they create their own journals and memories.
Stamping and Cardmaking provide opportunities for friendship and creativity.
Altered Anything and Everything seems to be a never-ending craze. Embellishment with paints, papers and trinkets shows up on old books, art canvas, figurines, frames and furniture.
Zentangle® is the new kid on the block. Developed by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas http://zentangle.com ,this method turns doodles into artistic designs. Classes fill quickly. Tangles are used as learning skills for school children, for stress reduction, to improve focus and develop dexterity. In addition, they can be fabulous works of art that resemble etchings.
Quilting continues to grow in popularity. Popular quick-piecing, “10 Minute” blocks, Jelly Rolls http://unitednotions.com and the GO!™ fabric cutting system http://accuquilt.com
Needlework can include cross stitch, embroidery, tatting and embellishment. These relaxing activities are popular and often appear as Redwork Clubs.
Knitting and Crochet are popular with all ages. From simple scarves to socks, shawls, sweaters and afghans, happy fingers love to create.
Fabric Dyeing is now fast and successful for all ages. With Sharpie http://sanford.com
Traditional Art is the key to countless hours of creative immersion for happy painters. More traditional arts such as drawing, oil painting, watercolor, acrylic painting, printmaking and sculpture lead the list of popular arts. Guilds, galleries, and shows are active across the country.
Creative Art brings experimentation to the market. Collage, Mixed Media and Encaustic are growing in popularity. New techniques bring new must-have supplies, gotta-take-it classes, and fresh customers to the market.
Kids Crafts are in a strong category of their own. Adaption of all the hands-on activities add creativity and growth to schools, Saturday art classes and family activities. From Friendship Bracelets to Hemp, and from t-shirt decorating to Tie-Dye, all ages love to be creative.
Trinkets cross all boundaries. There is something about reusing materials in a very clever way that is really appealing. Trinkets like the idea-ology collection by Tim Holtz® http://timholtz.com
Beading brings profits and fits in every store. Whether you want to embellish a box with beads, create elaborate necklaces or dainty crystal earrings, beading is popular with all ages. From chunky stones, lucite, silver and glass to shimmering crystals, beads produce a healthy profit in a small space.
Fun Things on a Budget
Customers love freebies, fun things and value on a budget. When they can make a hand-dyed silk scarf (that could cost $100 to $200 in a boutique) for $10 by dyeing a blank scarf with Sharpie markers,Creative Dyeing book at http://d-originals.com they will purchase and make dozens for gifts and resale.
Trends and Techniques
Never satisfied to sit still, I constantly search for new trends and techniques. Ideas change at an amazing speed and to be profitable, stores must be ‘on top of what’s new and what’s hot’.
Zentangle of the week, enjoy and create!
Posted by Suzanne McNeill at 3/4/2010 1:05 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: zentangle trends draw art craft
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: zentangle trends draw art craft
I'm so happy to comment on your trends article! I am a long time crafter... in the realm of fibers (knitting and more recently spinning) I love both and find a real sense of connection with other women and with history when I am doing them. Recently I have discovered the wonderful world of Zentangling! I find that it is very well named 'Zen-tangle' because I find I get into a very mellow and relaxed Zen-like state while I am drawing.....which is very useful as I am a full-time student in a very high pressure program! I have seen your two books through Wendy Gibson and loved them both. I would love to win them if I can!
Can't agree with you more ...crafting is a perfect antidote to increasingly stressful times and creates bridges between people when we need it most.
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Honestly? I think the future of crafts is about both personalization and automation.
Personalization- instead of simply using ready-made products to create something (such as a scrapbook page, a home decor object, etc.) I think there's going to be a huge emphasis on putting a personal spin on crafts. Making the products we use *our own*. Instead of using elements that are ready-made and "finished" to create something, there will more "hands on" approach to those elements. And this kind of segues into the automation- I LOVE the advent of electronic die cutters and things of that nature. It allows me to save time doing the "nuts and bolts" of stuff, minimize my "carbon footprint" by having a lot less stuff, but still be just as hands on with my creating.
I hope this makes sense. I just like the idea that the craft world is making it easier for me to spend time really making my projects personal and individual. When crafting I can really make a project meaningful by being able to personalize all the elements.
Sorry, will stop rambling now!
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i do fiber,paper,beading,polymer clay art
and zentangles. also teach the disabled and use design original books alot. the satisfaction and growth i witness is amazing. they want to explore more and more..the craft community is closer than ever and more willing to share during harsh economic times...we need to keep this going for all
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trends are always an interesting topic...they come and go and sooner or later I get there ahead of the herd. what is next? no idea, papercrafting is here to stay and I believe that zentangles are going to take their place high on that list...I have taught 3 people in my office in just the last week. but up and coming? photo editing and hybrid papercrafting are my guess. thanks for the giveaway and I hope my luck holds,,,,,I would adore having those books!!!!
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My guess is that the next big trend will be "green" crafts, i.e. crafts that use enviromentally-friendly materials such as organic cotton or recycled paper or paint manufactured using methods with minimal environmental impact.
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While traditional crafts will always have their lovers, I think the big trends in crafting today are "fast" and "easy". The big draws of Zentangle are that it takes 15 minutes and "anyone can do it". The most common comment I get when I tell someone that I made whatever they were admiring is "I could never do that." New crafters want something that they can learn quickly and be good at.
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I admit it freely....I am a serious zentangle addict! I have to disagree, though that it is part of the 'quick and easy' trend that is the fast-food version of the craft world. I find that it has become part of my spiritual practice and that there is so much to learn to get to be good at it. It's the practice and the learning that I think separates 'zentangles' from the doodling I (and many others) have done for years while talking on the phone. In order to be able to learn and practice I have needed instruction. Some I've gotten by cruising the internet and flicker for inspiration. I was also lucky enough to see the two Zentangle books that a friend of mine, Wendy Gibson received to review and my eyes were opened wide! I loved them both and saw them as a real resource for my growing love of and skill at this beautiful art form. I would love to win them!
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Definitely - I'm not saying that there isn't real substance to zentangles - you can make them a serious and cool art. But it's easy to learn the first time - it doesn't have the learning curve that, say, figure drawing has. I think that one of the things that makes zentangling so popular right now is that you can utilize as much or as little instruction as you want - it's quick to pick up but you can go back for more instruction if you want it.
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This is a clarification to my previous comment about "green" crafts. I was not referring to the existing trend (or mini-trend) of making art from materials that might otherwise be discarded but, rather, anticipating a new trend where artists and craftpersons insist on using "green" or eco-friendly versions of their traditional manufactured materials.
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I think the next craft trend will be an melding of green and upcycling with more and more "found object" type crafts. I'm seeing more and more "serious" art with unusual media like these, which usually filters down to the artisan/crafter after a while.
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Liv'nGood you are the winner of the two Zentangle books. Please email your address to panda@suzannemcneill.com and I will get your books in the mail. Enjoy them and thanks for reading.
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I was just thinking about Trends in the craft industry. and you've really helped out. Thanks!
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I am addicted to Zentangles now. It's so relaxing and such a good way to focus my thoughts for anything I do after that. Trends in my own world of crafting - I think papercrafting will always be a part of mine. It's something I love and something I feel I can reuse so many items for. What I find difficult though is that I live in Canada and where I am they seem to be so far behind the trends that my American counterparts are discussing. I can't find most of the materials I need to take part in them unless I order online from American suppliers - in this past week alone, I went looking for Claudine Hellmuth products, anything to do with Zentangle, alcohol inks, and some paper quilling supplies and not only were they nowhere to be found, but the craft store employees who served me (including store management) looked at me like I had 3 heads. In the case of a few supplies that are tied to what I see in the US as being very up and coming current trends, I was even told that these crafts were "no longer" in fashion so the products weren't being carried when I know that just the opposite is true. They are VERY in fashion. The people I talk with in my area have never heard of companies like Ranger or artists like Claudine Hellmuth or Kathy Cano Murillo which I find shocking!
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I agree that a book or magazine is an awesome inspiration.In fact, it was Sandra Bartholomew's article on Zentangle in Cloth Paper Scissors magazine that turned me on to both Zentangling and the magazine. I ordered the kit and a subscription to the magazine. This is definitely a case of books and magazines leading to sales.
As far as my own crafting goes, I am trying to use my materials and supplies in new and different ways. Instead of buying new supplies for every project I want to try, I first look around at what I have and see what can be used, even if it's not the traditional use for the product.
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I LOVE zentangles, and although new to the art have fallen hook, line and sinker. Your book and link to your book was mentioned on swap-bot and that's how I found you... so glad I did.
I love the resurgence of arts and crafts in the community and have participated in as well as organized local 'craft socials' and girls night crafting events....
...scatter joy...
collagecafe04.blogspot.com
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The trends I see are art journaling, zentangling, mixed media, and fiber arts. These are the things that I am interested in personally and continue to find new information about.
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Very useful info. Hope to see more posts soon!
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Wow. That's a great strategy. I agree that perception is everything. I am surprised with the results with your business! A client always likes to see that he got something free, even if he got it free before and didn't know. I does seem like that little extra care that will make your clients talk about you positively.
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I will read time to time that
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n addition to many of the initiatives that retailers can undertake, National Craft Month is also a great time for manufacturers to get involved. Provide your retail customers with project sheets and patterns to inspire their customers. You can also reach consumers directly by posting craft projects to the CHA consumer website, www.craftplace.org. There are so many ways that craftplace.org can be utilized to connect with consumers. Download the CHA Member’s Guide to Craftplace to find out how!
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n 2002, the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) released the groundbreaking study, The Academic Value of Hands-On Crafts Projects in Elementary Schools. It was one of the first studies ever to investigate the impact of hands-on projects and learning. The findings confirmed what teachers have known for years, that through crafts, students retain more information and learning is made easier. It was then that it became quite clear that educators are important promoters of crafting and they need to be targeted and catered to.
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Thanks to all of you for promoting CHA, I agree that educators are a primary source for introducing our children to arts and crafts. It is unfortunate so little time is included in the school programs for art. Zentangle has garnered the interest of a lot of teachers, many of them have begun using it in their programs. Hopefully, there will be some other trends in the industry that will create a new excitement for art and craft and be used in school programs.
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