Paper short abstract:

Pandemic restrictions led to increased crafting and to shortage of supplies. Creative use of materials found at homes came to play important role in craft making. By rethinking the possibilities of materiality new good practices, including the idea of recycling and sustainability, were created.

Paper long abstract:

World Health Organization declared global COVID19 pandemic on March 2020, which led to drastic changes in people’s lives in form of restrictions and quarantines. As craft making has been related with dwelling in a positive space, domestic settings and cosines, meant the requirement to stay home for many a longed-for opportunity to have time for loved hobby. On the other hand, the exceptional time aroused conflicting feelings, and craft making was experienced differently as before. The lockdown reduced also possibilities to buy materials in shops in person. Online shopping does not allow the multisensory approach to supplies. Touching and feeling materials, as well as observing the colors in daylight are important for many crafters. The increased amount of craft making led also to shortage of supplies, e.g. yarns. Pandemic aroused also concerns about the ecological crises and the over-exploitation of natural resources. To many crafters creative use of materials and recyclable ´trash´ found at home came to play an important role during the restrictions.

The presentation explores what effects the pandemic caused for the use of craft materials and how hobbyist experienced these changes in materiality. Moreover, it opens up what kind of good practices and new forms of using materials were created during the pandemic. The presentation is based on 120 stories and images of craft making at homes during the COVID19 restrictions. Research material is collected online in 2020–2021 by Craft Museum of Finland, in co-operation with Intangible Cultural Heritage Crafts Circle coordinated by Finnish Heritage Agency.