Craft & art trends of 2025: 5 predictions

Each year we see the ebb and flow of craft trends, with some staying for the long haul and others relinquishing the limelight. Last year (2024) we highlighted the themes of sustainability and mindfulness and the year before, making do and mending. These are undoubtedly still at the forefront of our minds in 2025, as we navigate the stuff of life and find enrichment in the satisfaction of making and doing. Take the 'cottagecore' trend beyond simple aesthetics and learn to integrate enduring traditional skills into our contemporary stress-laden lives.

In the truest sense of the word, the renaissance occurring in the craft and art realm is both a rediscovery of traditional or ‘heirloom’ craftsmanship, and a recollection of a time when we nurtured our hobbies and interests a lot more. We can all relate to the irritating and sad sentiment that we spend far too much of our time in front of a screen. We watch people make, create, mend and repair, but are frustrated or even overwhelmed by our self-limiting propensities. So, in the spirit of new growth, why not start somewhere, like here, and see what inspires you or opens a new door!   

This year’s Pantone Colour of the Year 2025 fits perfectly with the nostalgic vibes we are seeing: PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse. Bringing us “thoughtful indulgence, harmonious comfort and feelings of contentment,” we are encouraged to seek experiences that boost our sense of wellbeing. Sharing these experiences with others becomes an indulgence like no other: part of the simple pleasures of life.  

Think 'cottagecore', a rustic aesthetic with a hint of conventional modernity. Not to turn our backs on who we are today, but to fully integrate our heritage craft and therefore enhance our contemporary lives.  

Lets delve into 5 craft trends that, along with Mocha Mousse, will make themselves known this year.

 
Traditional woodland crafts 

Traditional woodland craft or ‘woodmanship,’ is on the increase, with popular crafts such as spoon-carving, whittling, and basket-weaving taking centre stage with amateur woodland craftsfolk. Working with trees and forests using traditional tools, has become an increasingly desirable aspiration for many eco-driven individuals. With sustainability at its heart, these crafts would be recognisable to the historic communities who practiced them routinely. 

Browse traditional woodland craft courses in your area here.

 
Junk journalling  

Recognisably akin to scrapbooking, this modern iteration can be used as a creative way to collate the ephemera from our lives into one place. A curated and meaningful collection of memories, thoughts, ideas and inspiration, junk journaling offers a therapeutic way of processing emotions, commemorating loved ones, revisiting cherished moments, or simply expressing ourselves aesthetically. In recent times it has even been used through the medium of social prescribing for mental health.  

Browse junk journalling courses in your area here.

 
Leatherwork 

The resurgence in interest for artisanal techniques, teamed with the drive for more sustainable practices, is drawing people to the unique character and unrivalled quality of handcrafted leather goods. Utilising a timeless craft to make bold and modern styles, practicing leatherwork, in all its forms and techniques, offers individuals the chance to produce their own slow fashion pieces. Lasting a lifetime, these pieces are a response to the ever increasing and destructive practices of the fast fashion industry.   

Browse leather craft courses in your area here.

 
Pottery 

The tyranny of our working practices and the way we communicate with each other, makes the mindful practice of pottery a welcome tactile pursuit. Working with the medium of clay is messy and all absorbing: there is no way around the need to set aside all distractions, to follow the processes required in forming a pottery piece. Whether on the wheel or hand-building, making pottery is sure to give satisfaction, especially when the finished result is a practical object for the home.       

Browse pottery courses in your area here. 


Calligraphy 

The ancient art of calligraphy is a centuries old tradition and one that is accessible to anyone. All you need is a pen and some paper to get started. There is something extremely valuable in putting a pen to paper with intention, no more so than when we write a letter to a loved one and put it in the post. Thought must be put into the words that we choose, especially when considering the finite nature of the resources that we are using. Make your words more beautiful with this elegant art.

Browse calligraphy courses in your area here.