The Hobby Economy: One Mom's Return to Craft Spending

When she went hiking on a birthday trip, she felt awake. That trip sparked the 35-new-things project.

Retailers from Michaels to Etsy have leaned into this theme. Michaels reported that its core customer – women 35 to 54 – spent more on "creative replenishment" in fiscal 2024 than in any prior year, according to an earnings call. Etsy's active buyer count has stayed above 90 million since 2021, with handmade supplies and craft kits among the fastest-growing categories.

The writer's experience fits the pattern: she tried embroidery, found it complicated, but it became her favorite. She spent time on projects that had no obvious utility. "Spending an afternoon making paper I did not need felt almost suspicious," she wrote, "like someone was going to walk outside and ask to see a permit for joy."

There is no single company or ticker in her story. But the impulse she describes – to reclaim space for non-utilitarian spending – is the same one that lifted quarterly sales at Joann Fabrics before its bankruptcy and fuels the subscription boxes from KiwiCo among adults. It is the reason Cricut's revenue grew 14% year-over-year in the most recent quarter, driven by new machine sales and digital content purchases.

The writer did not mention any of those brands. She did not need to. Her bucket of paper pulp, tipped into the grass, says enough.