In the craft industry, it’s the tiniest details that separate the season’s hottest products that fly off the shelves from the products that end up in the discount bin. Staying on top of the upcoming trends is critical in order to design and create the right mix products to excite your customers and drive sales. According to Keith Recker, color specialist and author of Deep Color: The Shades That Shape Our Souls, trend forecasting is “about listening to what’s coming,” and an “exercise in removing yourself a little bit from the equation.”
To get a handle on Fall 2023 craft trends, we’ve asked trend forecaster Renee Froerer for her predictions of what’s on its way. Renee wrote a craft industry trends report for us in 2018 when she was working as the Director for Visual Marketing at Darice where she was responsible for watching industry design trends for the company to find new opportunities for products. We’re excited to bring Renee back, now in a freelance role, to provide us with industry trends for Fall 2023.
Here are the trends she’s spotted that you’ll want to be aware of for the coming season.
Punch needle
Punch needle rugs, wall hangings, and even accessories are making a colorful comeback in the decor and crafting worlds.
Embroidery
From hoop embroidery kits to decor embellishments to DIY garment upcycling, traditional hand embroidery is experiencing a resurgence among crafty types.
Granny squares
Crafters have made granny square cool again, adapting it for fashionable use on bags, jackets, and home decor. Watch out for trendy spins on the classic granny pattern, featuring up-to-date icons.
Quilt motifs
It seems like quilt squares are everywhere these days, and not just on quilts. Look for barn square designs in jewelry, fashion, and wall art.
Mysticisim
All-seeing eyes, snakes, moon those motifs, and tarot symbols cast their spell on Halloween decor and beyond.
Neutral Halloween
The neutral look turns down the scary and turns up the tranquility for a seamless transition from Halloween to fall seasonal decor.
Foraged Finds
Foraging has gotten a lot of attention on social media lately and has made its way into the crafting scene – after all, what better place to find supplies for an adorable little fall craft than the backyard?
Not So Spooky
Cute ghosts, 70s florals, and the occasional disco pumpkin round out this not-so-spooky Halloween decor look.
Indoor Murals
Who says you shouldn’t draw on the walls? Along with the resurgence of wallpaper, indoor decor has found new inspiration in bespoke and DIY wall paintings.
Teacher Appreciation Gifts
DIY teacher appreciation gifts have gotten super classy and are a great fall activity for kids heading back to school.
Renee Froerer
Contributor
Renee is a full-time creative director, enthusiastic trend hunter, and a pretty competent crafter. She has 20 years experience in the design, stationery, and consumer goods spaces. She makes her home in Cleveland, Ohio, where she enjoys biking along the lakeshore and pretending to learn how to play the guitar.
Really nice article, but under Foraged Finds, the beautiful, complex pieces deserve better than the condescending caption, “what better place to find supplies for an adorable little fall craft than the backyard…”
Absolutely enjoyable article. Many memories of crafting I enjoyed years ago, but better. You have inspired me to to pull out my embroidery stash and hope there are no Halloween sliders hiding in there. Alexis
THANKS for this article! It supports a feeling I’m getting, here in NYC.
At Harlem Needle Arts, more younger people are showing up for our “all craft” needlework gatherings. Inspired by the “create whatever and sip” (My quote, lol) experience, the spinoff has been an attraction to create the means of your happiness. I’m so with this! We offer no sip, just inspiration, teaching and real camaraderie.
The trends you mention, fit easily into a younger life–portable and easy to pick up after a busy week. Some have tried knitting, but want crafts whose instructions and techniques lend themselves to a wider dexterity and multi-dimensional approach.
The only difference is that our younger members long for more specialty stores here, instead of the big box craft shops.
Where could I find the pattern for The sun,moon and stars Crochet
It’s lovely!