Crafts
Textiles & fibre
Yarn, thread and cloth — knitted, crocheted, stitched, spun, dyed or woven.
Crochet
Making fabric from yarn with a single hook, one stitch at a time, from a £5 starter kit.
Under £25 to start · indoors · sedentary
Hey Paul Studios from Kansas City, MO, United States / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Embroidery
Decorating fabric with needle and thread, from six basic stitches to centuries-old traditions.
Under £25 to start · indoors · sedentary
Sadarama / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Knitting
Making fabric from yarn with two or more needles — the yarn craft that produces clothes people actually wear.
Under £25 to start · indoors · sedentary
Dressmaking
CraftMaking clothes that fit a real body, from commercial patterns or your own — where the sewing is the easy half and the fitting is the craft.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
Natural dyeing
CraftColouring yarn and cloth with plants, minerals and insects — a craft where the chemistry is the point and most of the folklore is wrong.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
Sewing
CraftJoining and shaping cloth by hand or machine — the root skill that sits under dressmaking, quilting, mending and most of the textile crafts.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
Pattern drafting
CraftDesigning garment patterns from measurements rather than buying them — the craft that decides whether clothes fit before any fabric is cut.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
Corsetry
CraftMaking structured foundation garments — the branch of dressmaking with real engineering in it, and the least forgiving fit in the craft.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
Machine knitting
CraftProducing knitted fabric on a domestic machine — fast, technical, and reliant on equipment that has not been made for decades.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
Millinery
CraftMaking hats — blocking felt and straw over wooden forms, and the proportion and fit that decide whether one works.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
Also in this category
Classified but not yet written up.
79 activities in the catalogue, 10 written up so far.
Alpaca keeping
HobbyKeeping alpacas for fleece, walking or grazing, which suits small acreages.
Over £1,000 to startOutdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Amigurumi
CraftCrocheting small stuffed creatures worked in tight continuous spirals.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Appliqué
CraftApplying shaped fabric onto a ground cloth by hand or machine, the counterpart to piecing.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Backstrap weaving
CraftWeaving on a loom tensioned by the weaver’s own body, which costs almost nothing and stores flat.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bag making
CraftSewing bags in cloth or leather, where interfacing, hardware and structure carry the design.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Batik
CraftResist dyeing with hot wax applied by tjanting or stamp, then removed between colours.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Beadwork
CraftStitching tiny beads into patterned fabric, jewellery and ornaments.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Blackwork embroidery
CraftCounted geometric embroidery in a single colour, from Tudor dress.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bobbin lace
CraftTwisting and crossing dozens of threads on a pillow to build lace by hand.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Boro mending
CraftJapanese layered patch-and-stitch repair, valued for the record of its repairs.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Bra making
CraftSewing fitted bras from stretch and stable fabrics, where fit is solved before construction starts.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Button collecting
HobbyCollecting buttons for material, manufacture and design history.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cartonnage
CraftMaking fabric-covered card boxes and cases, cut and assembled to a drawn plan.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Colourwork knitting
CraftStranded and intarsia knitting in several colours at once, where tension across the float is everything.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Cross stitch
CraftCounted embroidery worked in X-shaped stitches on evenweave fabric from a charted design.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Dorset button making
CraftMaking thread-wound buttons over rings, a revived Dorset cottage industry.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
English paper piecing
CraftHand piecing patchwork over paper templates, which makes accurate hexagons possible on a lap.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Felting
CraftMatting wool fibres into fabric by needle or by water and friction. Almost no equipment.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Fleece preparation
CraftSorting, scouring, combing and carding raw fleece — the half of spinning that happens before the wheel.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Floor loom weaving
CraftWeaving cloth on a multi-shaft loom, where the threading is the design.
Over £1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Goldwork embroidery
CraftEmbroidery with metal threads laid and couched onto the surface.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Hand spinning
CraftHobbyDrawing raw fibre into yarn on a spindle or a spinning wheel.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Historical costuming
CraftHobbyReconstructing period dress from extant garments and patterns, to a chosen level of accuracy.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Ice dyeing
CraftMelting ice through dry dye powder onto cloth, so the dye separates into its component colours.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Indigo dyeing
CraftDyeing in a reduced vat where colour appears on contact with air, and the vat is kept alive for weeks.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Inkle weaving
CraftWeaving narrow bands on a small frame loom, portable and quick to learn.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kantha stitching
CraftRunning-stitch quilting from Bengal, made from layered worn cloth.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Knitwear design
CraftWriting knitting patterns — grading, sizing and test-knitting — rather than following somebody else’s.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Kumihimo
CraftJapanese braiding of silk or cord on a disc or stand into round and flat braids.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Lucet braiding
CraftMaking square cord on a two-pronged fork, a medieval technique that fits in a pocket.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Macramé
CraftKnotting cord into hangings, bags and plant holders without needles or hooks.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Nålbinding
CraftA single-needle looping technique that predates knitting, producing a dense non-unravelling fabric.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Needle felting
CraftStabbing loose wool with a barbed needle until it sculpts into a solid shape.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Needle lace
CraftBuilding lace entirely from buttonhole stitches over a drawn outline, with a needle rather than bobbins.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Passementerie
CraftMaking decorative trimmings — tassels, cords, fringes — for furnishing and dress.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Patchwork
CraftPiecing small fabric shapes into a larger design, by hand or machine.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Punch needle
CraftPunching loops of yarn through backing fabric to build a soft textured surface.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Quilting
CraftStitching layers of fabric and wadding together into quilts, usually from pieced patchwork.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rag rug making
CraftHooking or prodding fabric strips through hessian, a thrift craft with a strong revival.
Under £25 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rigid heddle weaving
CraftWeaving cloth on a simple frame loom, the practical way into weaving without a floor loom.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rug hooking
CraftPulling loops of wool strip through hessian to make hard-wearing rugs.
Under £25 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Rug tufting
CraftShooting yarn into a stretched backing with a powered tufting gun to make rugs fast.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sashiko
CraftJapanese running-stitch embroidery, originally for reinforcing and mending workwear.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sewing machine repair
CraftHobbyServicing vintage machines, most of which are mechanically simple and built to last.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Shibori
CraftJapanese resist dyeing — binding, folding and stitching cloth before it meets the dye.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Smocking
CraftGathering fabric into decorative elastic pleats, a technique from English agricultural dress.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sock knitting
CraftKnitting socks in the round — heels, gussets and toes at a small gauge.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Soft toy making
CraftSewing stuffed animals and dolls from patterns or your own designs.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Spindle spinning
CraftSpinning yarn on a drop or supported spindle, which needs no wheel and travels in a pocket.
Under £25 to startIndoors or outdoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Spinning wheel restoration
CraftRestoring and tuning antique spinning wheels back into working order.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Sprang
CraftAn ancient stretchy fabric technique worked under tension, predating knitting.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Stumpwork
CraftRaised, three-dimensional embroidery worked over padding and wire.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tablet weaving
CraftWeaving patterned bands by turning a pack of cards, a technique older than the loom.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tailoring
CraftConstructing structured garments with canvas, padding and pressing rather than pattern and seam alone.
£300–£1,000 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tapestry weaving
CraftWeaving pictorial designs by hand on a simple upright loom.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tatting
CraftBuilding lace from a series of knotted rings and chains using a shuttle or needle.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Teddy bear collecting
HobbyCollecting bears by maker and period, where eyes, seams and stuffing identify an age.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Textile block printing
CraftPrinting repeat patterns onto cloth with carved blocks.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Textile conservation
CraftStabilising historic cloth by support stitching and controlled storage rather than by repair.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Theatrical costume making
CraftBuilding costume for the stage — period shapes, quick changes and clothes that survive a run.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Thimble collecting
HobbyCollecting thimbles, a compact field with real craft history behind it.
£25–£100 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tie-dyeing
CraftBinding cloth before dyeing so the ties resist colour, with a folded geometry behind the apparent chaos.
£25–£100 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Torchon lace
CraftThe geometric bobbin lace style most beginners learn, worked on a pricking from a pillow.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Tunisian crochet
CraftCrochet worked with a long hook, holding many loops at once for a dense woven-looking fabric.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Vintage clothing collecting
HobbyFinding, dating and caring for period garments, where textile knowledge decides what is worth buying.
£100–£300 to startIndoors or outdoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Vintage sewing machine restoration
CraftHobbyRestoring hand-crank and treadle machines, which are simple, indestructible and still usable.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Visible mending
CraftRepairing clothes so the repair shows and is part of the garment.
Under £25 to startIndoorsSedentary
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Weaving
CraftInterlacing warp and weft on a loom to make cloth, from a frame loom to a floor loom.
£100–£300 to startIndoorsGentle
In the catalogue, not written up yet
Wet felting
CraftMatting wool fibres with hot water, soap and friction into flat or hollow felt.
Under £25 to startIndoorsModerate effort
In the catalogue, not written up yet