How Arts and Crafts Support Wellbeing - Belfast Arts and Crafts Workshops are on the rise!
- Crafting NI
- May 26
- 4 min read
In a world where stress, anxiety and burnout are increasingly common, creativity is becoming far more than simply a pastime. A major 2025 research report from Hobbycraft and Mind highlights something many makers already know: arts and crafts can have a powerful and positive impact on mental wellbeing.
The report, The Power of Making: How Hobbies and Crafts Support the Nation’s Wellbeing, surveyed more than 5,000 people across the UK and explored the relationship between creativity, crafting and mental health. Its findings strongly reinforce the importance of accessible, creative opportunities such as Belfast arts and crafts workshops, community making sessions and mindful creative activities.
Crafting and Mental Wellbeing
One of the report’s clearest messages is that creative hobbies help people feel calmer, happier and more connected. According to the research:
89% of people who craft say it improves their mood
72% believe healthcare professionals should recommend arts and crafts to support mental health
Millions of people already use creative activities to support emotional wellbeing
The report explains that crafting offers more than distraction. Activities such as painting, pottery, knitting, sewing and collage can encourage mindfulness, reduce stress and create a sense of achievement.
“Crafting is so much more than just a hobby” explained Hobbycraft CEO, Alex Willson.
The research also includes personal experiences from participants who described creative activities as “essential tools” for supporting their wellbeing.
Why Arts and Crafts Matter
Creative activities engage both the mind and body. They encourage focus, problem-solving and self-expression while offering a break from screens and daily pressures.
Independent academic research supports these findings. A 2024 study published in Frontiers in Public Health found that participation in arts and crafts positively influences happiness, life satisfaction and a sense that life is worthwhile. Researchers also noted that crafting can be an affordable and accessible public health tool.
Importantly, crafting can also help combat loneliness. Group workshops and shared creative spaces allow people to connect with others in relaxed, supportive environments.
This is one reason why Belfast arts and crafts workshops are becoming increasingly valuable. Whether someone attends a beginner’s art journalling session, a mindful painting class or a seasonal wreath-making workshop, creative spaces can foster confidence, connection and community.
Children and Young People Benefit From Creativity
The report also highlighted growing concerns around screen time and the decline of creative opportunities for children.
According to the findings:
88% of parents believe crafting is important for children’s development
80% want their children to spend more time engaging in creative hobbies
Hands-on creativity helps children develop fine motor skills, patience, imagination and emotional expression. In an increasingly digital world, tactile creative activities offer important opportunities for balance and wellbeing.
For families, accessible arts and crafts experiences can provide meaningful shared time away from devices while encouraging creativity and confidence.
Creativity Builds Community
Crafting is often deeply social. From knitting circles and art clubs, to crafting groups and community workshops, creative spaces help people feel part of something bigger.
Many participants in wider crafting communities describe arts and crafts as helping them:
reduce anxiety
build confidence
improve focus
connect with others
create healthy routines
These experiences reflect what many local makers and workshop attendees already experience through arts and crafts workshops: creativity can bring people together in supportive and meaningful ways.
A Growing Movement Towards Mindful Making
At Crafting NI, we believe creativity should be accessible, welcoming and enjoyable for everyone — regardless of experience level. Whether you are trying something new for the first time or rediscovering a forgotten hobby, creative workshops can provide space to slow down, learn new skills and support your wellbeing.
The evidence is increasingly clear: making things is good for us.
And sometimes, picking up a paintbrush, threading a needle or shaping clay with your hands can be the first step towards feeling better, more connected and more inspired.
Belfast Arts and Crafts Workshops
Crafting NI provides outreach arts and crafts workshops, delivering courses at community venues, as well as arts for events, and crafts for corporate wellness days. Crafting NI also offers floristry workshops and wreath making workshops, which are perfect for creativity and wellbeing.
Crafting NI not only provides Belfast arts and crafts workshops; we are happy to travel to Antrim, Ballyclare, Newtownabbey, Mid-Ulster and surrounding areas.
Feel free to contact Kelli from Crafting NI for a quote or to discuss bespoke courses.
Crafting NI is a leading let's craft NI business offering art, craft and floral classes to groups across Northern Ireland. To keep up to date with all of our news and updates, please be sure to follow Crafting NI on our social channels: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube.
Belfast Arts and Crafts Workshops: arts and crafts can have a powerful and positive impact on mental wellbeing| Crafting NI 2026
References
The Power of Making: How Hobbies and Crafts Support the Nation’s Wellbeing (2025), Hobbycraft & Mind
Creating Arts and Crafting Positively Predicts Subjective Wellbeing, Frontiers in Public Health (2024)
Anglia Ruskin University: Arts and crafts boost mental wellbeing – new study (2024)
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