Not a lot of people know this, but Celebrity Juice comedian Keith Lemon is proper crafty. He can upcycle a chair at whim and even make a full size Freddie Kruger. ‘Appen he could create a second ‘Holly Willabooby’ too if he put his mind to it.
What’s more, he’s representative of 60 per cent of Brits aged 16-29 (OK, Keith’s a touch older) who have taken up a traditional hobby in the last year, with 58 percent claiming that doing so has helped them feel grounded.
Keith, brand ambassador for Create and Craft said: “I’ve made a lot a things during lockdown, my office is starting to look like Jim Henson’s workshop.
“Apparently, it’s inspired other people to make stuff too, which is nice. I’m told that six out of ten people are now also making things. We’ve all become very crafty apparently. Which is nice, I think.
The Celebrity Juice host added: “Don’t get me wrong I love having a day of doing nowt, but I like the feeling that I’ve done something productive and made something.”
Overall 41 percent of the nation have started a new hobby in lockdown, with needlework (19 percent), birdwatching (14 percent) and flower arranging (11 percent) all making a comeback, according to the poll.
One in ten youngsters have started making their own jams and preserves, ten percent have got into origami – and eight percent are turning back the clocks by brewing beer from home.
Growing your own veg (33 percent), knitting (20 percent) flower arranging (11 percent) are also seeing a resurgence in popularity, as well as upcycling furniture (seven percent), and even fishing (seven percent).
And one in 20 (five percent) Brits has even taken up philately – the art of collecting stamps.
Winemaking (seven percent), hiking (12 percent), jewellery making (7 percent), and collecting vinyl (6 percent) have all also made a comeback, according to the data.
The study by Create and Craft, also found that 60 percent of the nation agree there’s been a surge of interest in old fashioned hobbies, with 59 percent claiming these activities are a great way to relax and unwind at home.
In fact, 37 percent of the 1,500 Brits polled say it’s become COOL to have an old-fashioned hobby, while almost a third (32 percent) even describe having a traditional hobby as HIPSTER.
According to the data, the young are leading the way, with the perfect age to get into a traditional hobby found to be 24.
Almost three quarters (72 percent) of the under thirties polled said they’d rather spend a weekday evening doing their favourite hobby than on a zoom call with friends.
And traditional ideas about which gender should do which hobby no longer apply, as 45 percent claim that hobbies seen as ‘female’ – such as knitting, jam making, or sewing are now popular for men too.
The study also found that 54 percent of Britons say home hobbies offer a welcome retreat away from screens and technology, while half (50 percent) say they are a great distraction to life’s everyday stresses.
TOP HOBBIES GEN Z BRITS HAVE TAKEN UP IN RECENT TIMES
- Gardening 33%
- Painting 23%
- Baking bread 22%
- Growing herbs and vegetables 21%
- Knitting 20%
- Needlework 19%
- Birdwatching 14%
- Hiking 12%
- Flower arranging 11%
- Making jam and preserves 10%
- Origami 10%
- Sketching 9%
- Brewing beer 8%
- Woodwork 7%
- Upcycling furniture 7%
- Jewellery making 7%
- Fishing 7%
- Making wine 6%
- Embroidery 6%
- Collecting vinyl 6%
- Trainspotting 6%
- Making clothes 6%
- making pasta from scratch 5%
- Collecting stamps (philately) 5%
- Joining a book club 5%
