February Newsletter

• In-line With Online
  - Ecommerce know-how and can-do,
• All Aboard
  - Beating the winter blues with games and puzzles that offer innovative play.
• Lets Be Crafty -
  - What’s hot in DIY arts and crafts.
• Just for You
  - Mother’s Day Inspirations.
• Soft Furnishing Trends for the Year Ahead
  - 2011 and 2012 seasons are expected to explore new beginnings.

Lets Be Crafty

What’s hot in DIY arts and crafts
Words by Kate Russell.

 

DIY arts and crafts have made a huge comeback in recent years and are still rising in popularity. They are all the rage with those wanting to create their own masterpieces, and have also become increasingly popular as a gift option too, especially at Christmas time when children can make the most of using their kits over the holidays and for those wintery days when everyone’s bundled inside.

There is a huge range of kits available on the market, with something to suit every age and interest. Meredith Collins of Fix Design believes this is one of the great things about DIY arts and craft kits. “Kits can range in ability – from just using glue, to learning basic stitches like back stitch and running stitch, arming you well for a lifetime of independent creativity.”

Collins has found that her DIY arts and crafts kits have become extremely popular, as adults and children alike seem to be longing to get back into making something for themselves. “It is satisfying to take some raw materials and turn them into something beautiful and useful,” she says. “Kits will supply all the bits and pieces you need to create something, but they still allow the maker their own level of creativity as well. To have the opportunity to learn something new and creative is a huge advantage.”

Hagen Bower of Sweetpea Marketing agrees that DIY arts and crafts kits have made a lively return in recent times, especially for children. “While the trend has been for children to move towards computer-based or video games, we feel that parents seem to want to get their kids back to basics,” he says. Many long-lost arts and crafts are becoming popular again, according to Collins. For example, sewing kits have made a roaring comeback in recent years. With a simple tutorial, you can master these useful skills, and gain a sense of independence and satisfaction without relying on objects that are already pre-made.

So what’s going to be hot in 2011? Scrapbooking trends are predicted to look into the past, according to Collins, with imagery relating to the 1920s to 1950s, gorgeous silhouettes and images of a bygone era. There has also been a rise in popularity in birdcages and animal decals with a nostalgic feel, and these are expected to continue to be fashionable in 2011. DIY pincushions, cross-stitch and other sewing kits are also expected to be hot in 2011 for adults, with more and more people looking to join the current craft wave. For children, Sweetpea Marketing has recently had huge success with Style Me Up, a range of trendy craft items for children eight years old and over. Bower expects this range to extend significantly in 2011 and also start to cater for the slightly younger girl with a new brand called Mixy – a make-your-own jewellery item. “We have also seen some activity toys that incorporate a 3D aspect that we believe will be hot for 2011,” says Bower.

“Super-popular with kids crafts are foxes, owls and giraffes, and of course the perennial favourite – robots,” says Collins. She also believes that one of the big craft ‘must haves’ for children are kits to complete while on holiday. “Choose a kit that’s going to be fun to make, but also offers children something new to learn so they can expand their craft tool box,” she says.

The Orb Factory Sticky Mosaics range is also set to be a big seller for children in 2011, says Robyn Scanlen of Optix New Zealand. “We have found this to be a hugely popular line which is being added to and updated constantly to keep up with demand.” The Sticky Mosaics range caters for preschool age right through to teenagers, and consists of projects such as jewellery boxes, crowns, wall-hangers, diaries, mirrors, memo boards, models, create a card, and Christmas and holiday-themed projects. They have also introduced magnetic mosaic kits that can be used over and over again, allowing for endless creative opportunities. “The Orb Factory’s Stick n Style range is another kit hitting the market in 2011,” says Scanlen. “These kits allow children to make their own jewellery, including bangles and blinglets.”

There has also been a boom in outdoor arts and crafts projects, such as sand and water-based kits. “Our range of sand and water play items from Androni in Italy has proven very popular and will continue in 2011,” says Sweetpea Marketing’s Bower. There will be extensions in the ‘Sweetpea Kid’ range in 2011 which includes the popular Pop Up Rocket, one of Sweetpea Marketing’s best-sellers for several years. “The new rebranding that we have done on the item with product extensions will help grow our outdoor category even further,” Bower adds.

With DIY arts and crafts booming in popularity with both children and adults, expect 2011 to be an exciting year, with plenty of new ranges coming onto the market. Simple ‘back to basics’ type arts and crafts will continue their comeback, while new and exciting products will also be making their mark.