March is National Craft Month. There’s no question that healthy people’s lives include creative outlets — a way to express themselves constructively so there’s less anxiety and stress from within. That’s a big part of the reason the Craft & Hobby Association (now the Association for Creative Industries) established National Crafting Month back in 1994. The hope was that individuals would discover their hidden creativity as they learned new crafts including embroidery, candle-making, leatherworking, etc. Over the years since, National Crafting Month has also come to signify a time for skilled crafters to start on a new project, try a new medium or learn a new technique they’ve always been curious about.
Today, crafting is not only a worthwhile, relaxing pursuit for anyone and everyone, but it’s also become big business. With online marketplaces like Etsy, Amazon Handmade, Artfire, Ruby Lane, Storenvy, Artcra and Spoonflower, any at-home crafter can promote their products to the millions of buyers with just a few clicks. And selling work is just one way for skilled artists to make money — some are making tutorial videos on YouTube, selling patterns and design work for other crafters to recreate, or creating blogs about specific crafts.
Learning a craft does offer many benefits. As mentioned earlier, expressing creativity provides stress relief and can lower blood pressure. When you learn a new skill, you also receive the positive reinforement that goes along with it. Looking for family-friendly activities? Crafting has something for every interest and every age.
With a broad range of crafts to choose from, National Craft Month inspires all kinds of mediums. From paper and wood to fabrics, paint and metal, the month is dedicated to creativity and inspiration. Whether you do it for some extra cash or just to relax and unwind — whatever motivates you, take your craft from idea to reality this month. And if you’re like us, it’s always craft month in our hearts so bring on the glitter.
