I Was Doing It Before It Was Cool: The Grandma Hobbies Trend Is Making Simple Crafts Fun Again

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The distinct hum of a sewing machine and the vivid image of bright colored of yarn twisted around a crochet hook in Mama’s hand are things I remember as part of everyday life while growing up. 

But now, in 2025, these activities are celebrated as a current trend. Does that mean those of us who have enjoyed creative hobbies all our lives have been cool all along?

Most often recognized globally for terms such as Grandma hobbies or Granny hobbies, we now have the new world of Grandma Core. Whatever you decide to call them, craft hobbies are considered the coolest thing around these days, and I love every positive vibe that goes along with it.

My love of creative hobbies mostly came from watching my mom, who is still the most creative person I know. She baked and decorated cakes as a side business, sewed most of our clothes when we were younger, including wedding dresses, prom dresses, and cheerleading uniforms, painted meticulously detailed ceramics, crocheted countless blankets and washcloths, and crafted handmade custom jewelry. She was also a talented artist and baker, and imagined many VBS crafts for little hands to make. 

So many of my childhood memories include observing both of my grandmothers busy with their hobbies while caring for their families and home. But they didn’t call it hobbies.  It was just the thing that they did.  Their hands were never idle.

Grandma Rose was a worrier. At night, her hands were busy with one distracted crochet project after another. She created beautiful things while rocking in her favorite recliner, working out her worries with a crochet needle, and burning dinner on the stove.

Grandmama Radford was much calmer and meticulous about the ways she filled her free time. Her crafty pursuits were a part of a frugal lifestyle learned from a childhood growing up during the depression.  She made the best canned Pear Perserves we all still talk about and crave today, tended a massive garden alongside my granddaddy, made homemade biscuits every day, rolled out the family recipe for chicken pastry strips (you grew up Eastern North Carolina if you know what those are) and of course her sewing machine was a prominent feature in the family room.  Her quilts are family keepsakes. Looking back, I don’t remember her referring to these things as a hobby; they were her way of life. 

My three sisters taught me to cross-stitch before I was a teenager.  It is still my favorite way to relax and regroup after a busy day. I took ceramic classes with my mom and Grandma Rose, although I failed to learn crochet until recently. I learned how to update and refinish furniture from my daddy. Granddaddy Radford was the ultimate Mr. Fix-It and repurposed everything he could. To this day, I still dream of one day learning to grow a vegetable garden like Granddaddy Rose and Granddaddy Radford, who made it look so effortless, and create a beautiful landscape like Aunt Cathy’s. 

What Are Grandma’s Hobbies, and Why Are They Back?

Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, baking from scratch, gardening, mending clothes, canning and preserving food, journaling by hand, and quilting are all part of the “Grandma hobby” trend.

Those same activities are part of a movement—often called Grandma Core. (Who comes up with these names?)

By definition, the Grandma Core trend is an aesthetic and lifestyle movement that embraces coziness, tradition, and slow living. It encourages a return to hands-on activities for enjoyment, just as much for stress relief. It’s also a style trend: think floral prints, handmade quilts, fashionably mended vintage clothing. What started as an evolving trend has turned into a lifestyle. One that invites slowness in a fast-paced world.

Grandma’s hobbies are having a moment, and since I’ve always enjoyed them, I understand why everyone else is falling in love with them, too.

The Benefits of Slowing Down To Enjoy A Hobby

I have seen many articles lately about the scientific research proving how these once thought of as old-fashioned hobbies can now boost our mental health and are a form of self-care.

Originally, Grandma’s hobbies were born from necessity. Now they are considered a necessary part of our well-being.  Funny how opinions change. 

What was once part of a frugal lifestyle is now considered sustainable and a selective form of self-expression. Things once viewed as domestic drudgery are now empowering others to plant a garden, make jam, or learn to bake bread just to be present in the moment, and as a way to calm down a nervous system often overwhelmed by digital media.

Personally, there is something therapeutic about the repetitive motion of stitching a needle through Aida cloth, combined with the mindfulness of following a patterned design with colored threads that cross-stitching provides for me.

I guess our grandparents had it right all along.

Need some ideas for a grandma’s hobby? Below is a list of some great hobbies to help you get started on your quest to find that healthy hobby you crave. Those with an asterisk beside them are fun hobbies I have tried or regularly enjoy.

1. Cross Stitching* (my favorite)
2. Crochet* (a new favorite)
3. Knitting
4. Sewing* (I want to learn more)
5. Painting* (often for home decor)
6. Plants and Gardening* (need to do more and learn more)
7. Jewelry Making* (still learning)
8. Baking* (not my go-to for self-care)
9. Puzzles*
10. Needlepoint and Embroidery*
11. Ceramics and Pottery*
12. T-shirt Making and Designs*
13. Sticker Making* (trying to learn and do more)
14. Junk Journaling* (these are fun)
15. Weaving
16. Macrame*
17. Cricut Crafts*
18. Flower Arranging*
19. Thrifting and Antiquing* (including Garage Sales and Estate Sales)
20. Photography*
21. Drawing and Coloring*
22. Candlemaking* (I used to make these at my job)
23. Handmade cards*
24. Crossword puzzles
25. Cake Decorating
26. Board Games
27. Lego Building

Did you see any hobbies on this list that you think will be a fun hobby to embrace? Did it make you think of other hobby ideas I failed to mention?  Remember, you can try any new hobby that comforts and inspires you, but if you don’t like it, move on to another one until you find the perfect one for you. 

Make it a part of your routine.

Exploring a new hobby requires determination to learn a new skill and a personal commitment to make time to fit it into one’s schedule. 

I admit that finding time to indulge in my favorite hobbies is a challenge sometimes, especially when I was a working mom with a full-time job when the kids were younger.  I usually crafted in short bursts after they went to bed, if I had any creative energy left at the end of the day. However, having a mom hobby was a great way to clear my mind and relax before bed, and every finished project provided such a keen sense of self and accomplishment, even for those projects that took 2 to 3 years to complete. 

The constant DIY projects around the house and blogging battle for control of my pockets of time for crafting, so it takes effort to allow myself the freedom to enjoy them sometimes.

Scientists say I am a much happier person because I have crafty hobbies, so I guess that means I shouldn’t give them up. 

So while the younger generation is newly discovering the enjoyment and personal growth benefits of a new hobby, for me, it’s been a lifelong love.  One that I will continue to dedicate time to and look forward to teaching to my grandchildren. 

Watching something I love be rebranded as “trendy” makes me smile — but it’s also a chance to connect multiple generations through social media and in-person social interactions, which are even better. Grandma’s hobbies reflect a yearning for meaning, tradition, connection, and comfort for all ages. 

So if you’ve just picked up a needle, a rolling pin, or a pack of heirloom seeds—welcome. Grandma’s been waiting for you.

To help you get started in a small way, here are a few other related posts to read:

10 Great Projects For The Beginning Crafter

How I Organize My Cross Stitch Supplies

The Best Craft Supplies To Always Have On Hand

Hugs,

Psalm 90:17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands. 

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