Hobbycraft sees sales of painting and knitting tools rise as Brits turn to crafts to beat the January blues

Online sales of watercolour accessories increase by up to 66 percent whilst online sales of yarn rise by up to 114 percent as the nation seeks to add some colour to their January

As the nation gets back to normality following the festive season, the ‘January blues’ and onset of Season Affective Disorder (SAD) leaves many feeling anxious and downbeat, resulting in the ‘saddest day of the year’ being labelled Blue Monday.

Keeping your mind occupied in healthy ways is important to aid mindfulness. It has long been proven that crafting can stimulate the mind in a positive way and alleviate the symptoms of stress and anxiety. Learning a new skill can boost self-esteem, improve cognitive function; all the while giving you something positive and creative to focus on.

Hobbycraft’s website has seen that Brits have indeed been getting more into crafting to give their January a bit of extra colour, with online sales across a selection of products increasing since the start of 2024.

Since the turn of the year customers have been increasingly looking to watercolours, with online sales of the Watercolour Paints Pack up 57 percent, colours from the Winsor & Newton range increasing by up to 600 percent (Yellow), and Smooth Watercolour Paper up by 66 percent versus the last week of 2023.

Art is a healthy distraction from everyday life, as it provides a sense of accomplishment and boosts self-esteem. The feel-good chemical dopamine is released in the brain when it’s engaged in a creative activity such as painting or drawing and helps you cope with stress and re-assess problems.

Furthermore, knitting and crochet have received a greater focus from 1^st January to the 9^th versus the previous period, with more people looking to mindful crafting. Online sales have risen across Hobbycraft’s ranges of yarn, with Women’s Institute Acrylic being up by 114 percent, and Knitcraft Everyday DK Yarn having increased by up to 72 percent. In addition, the Knitcraft Lilac Knitting Needles have seen 166 percent more online sales, and the Pony Knitting Needles seeing 250 percent more.

Sewing has also proved popular, with the Janome 4400 Sewing Machine seeing increased online sales of 200 percent, and Valuecrafts Sewing Needles are up 71 percent to name a few.

Knitting, crocheting and sewing are activities that promote relaxation with their repetitive and rhythmic motions. The rhythm plays a part in serotonin release, which helps regulate anxiety by increasing happiness and mood, making these activities a fantastic way to relieve stress and achieve calmness.

To help keep the mind active this January, Hobbycraft has a host of products available for customers wanting to try a new craft, learn a new skill, or perfect an existing art in the form of craft kits and sets, where everything you need to get started is included.

The retailer also has a huge range of fun and creative workshops available online and in-store. They are designed and hosted by Hobbycraft Artisans (craft experts from stores across the UK). Prices start from £5, and customers are able to enjoy these in the comfort of their own home, or as a family in their local store.