> [!NOTE]+ Meta > Author:: The Michaels Companies > Reference:: The Michaels Companies. (2026, March 10). Michaels unveils 2026 Creativity Trend Report, revealing a shift towards creative living in the analog era [Press release]. PR Newswire. https://www.michaelspressroom.com/news/detail/5025/michaels-unveils-2026-creativity-trend-report-revealing > Date:: 2026 > Tags:: #warp/report #USA #textiles > WeftLinks:: > - [[Psychological value of craft]] > Claim:: > - [[Claim - Craft helps us cope with the impact of artificial intelligence]] > - [[Claim - Craft is growing in popularity]] > [!SUMMARY] Summary > A major US craft retailer reports a surge in analogue hobbies as consumers seek to reclaim their identity in an automated world. ### Highlights Michaels, which operates more than 1,300 stores across North America, declared 2026 the "Year of Creative Living in the analog era". Drawing on its sales and search data, consumer surveys and in-house trend experts, the report found that searches on its site for analogue hobbies such as knitting, crochet, embroidery, journaling and painting rose 136% over six months, and yarn accessory sales grew 40% year on year. Sales of guided craft kits rose 86% in 2025. The report frames this as more than a hobby trend. Crafting is presented as a means of self-definition and grounding ritual, explicitly positioned against automation and digital saturation. Of its eight trends, "Touching Grass Crafts" describes offline making as a daily counterweight to screen life. As a retailer's report, the data reflect Michaels' own customers and serve a marketing purpose, but the scale of the sample and the explicit framing against automation make it a useful indicator of popular sentiment. > Consumers are ... using tactile, analog activities to reclaim their time and identity in an automated world.