Trends have been a real hot topic in the handmade business world for a while now, where we have collectively observed many different waves. 

A trend is an influx of people repeating the same action as a way of boosting their visibility. From what I can see, trends seem to be heading for a bit of a downturn and I actually don’t think they’re going to be that big of a thing in 2024. 

By the time trends have become mainstream, it’s most likely too late and you are almost labelling yourself as a “follower” rather than a confident, unique creator/ designer/ whatever title suits you the best. Do not allow the pressure of trends to put you in an uncomfortably tight box that makes you feel as though you and your creativity can not breathe. 

Trends can very quickly become irritating and “in your face”, just like the sudden slime and fidget spinner obsession. However, trends do come with a caveat, they can disappear just as quickly as they appear. This leads to you feeling a mass of “get on it now or you’ll miss out”. Think about it, slime shops are no longer shouting up and a lot of them have actually packed in completely with a lot of unsold stock! 

I can count on one hand the amount of clients I have worked with that need to stay up to date with trends. The only industry that I can think of that would actually benefit from staying on top of trends is the fashion industry, which we both know is ever-changing. This is a wagon that I haven’t jumped on. I am much more of a “timeless” piece lover, where I buy what I like and that’s the bottom line. 

The BIGGEST piece of advice that I can give you is do NOT pay for reports. All you will receive is a generic “we’ve seen a sales uptake with X product” which probably won’t fit with your business vision anyway. Plus, all of the information that you need is out there and available to find for free. Just to name a few resources, I personally recommend:

• Etsy trends 
• Top drawer 
• Spring fare (UK only)
• Wholesale report 

Of course, if you are in the fashion industry I would definitely be looking towards fashion forwards brands such as Chanel or Gucci and see how you can replicate their moves with your own personal flair there. 

As I’m sure you know by now, I am a service provider at heart so I have well and truly done the digging on what trends you can expect to see in the handmade world of 2024 and of course, I am going to lift the lid right in front of your eyes below! 

Upcycling remnants 

Think eco-friendly/ zero-waste/ climate kind/ evergreen-decor crafted to fit your own personal style. Perhaps the first thing that springs to your mind is furniture but it is absolutely not limited to that industry! Things like patching up ripped jeans with lace instead of your typical patch kit would also fit under this! 

A lot of people are really honing in on personalised and meaningful momentos rather than “that’ll do” gifts that will sit on the giftee's desk for 6 months before inevitably ending up in the bin or a charity shop. I am not saying that absolutely everything needs to be personalisable because I totally understand that this can get messy rather quickly and may eventually impact your customers' experience if you can not keep fulfilling your end of the bargain. 

Offering a range of colours, birthstones or flowers is probably enough of a difference to say “I’ve put thought into this gift” without needing their actual name on it. Any way in which you can stamp out generic gifts is the way to go from here. 

Some keywords that I found were: 

• Evergreen 
• 0 waste 
• Re-worked 
• Conscious (environmentally)

Western/ Vintage Americana 

This one was super interesting to read about as I feel as though it’s one that you may not expect. The whole “white and grey” is stepping to the side to make way for much more natural woody kind of colours. 

Keywords were: Western gothic (not to be confused with your typical highschool gothic), western bedding, vintage room ideas, Americana 

Food and cooking areas 

I have to say that this one is a personal favourite for me! All of my fondest memories growing up revolve around my parents' kitchen. It was just where all of the action was, and all of the best parties ended with everyone in the kitchen and the living room always felt kind of second best. 

The vibe is very much thrifted and food sustainability, things like beeswax food wraps are set to be a huge hit! Gone are the days (for now at least) where you had to buy a new toaster because your kettle broke and they no longer matched, lol! People are striving to have a home away from home so they are searching for eccentric, coffee shop decor, things like mini-coffee shop signs to make things feel unique yet homely. 

Eclectic and eccentric clothing 

OMG, isn’t that a mouthful to say? I have to really concentrate while trying to pronounce that! Now this one is allll about grandparents core, consisting of all things slacks, braces, suspenders, leather belts, loose fitted clothing. The vibe is definitely thrift stores/ charity shop goldmines. A key thing to look out for is retro streetwear and crochet clothing. 

Keywords include:

• Personalised denim jacket
• Grandma core
• Retro streetwear
• Grandma style

70’s

The 70’s are coming back baby and I have to say that I’m here for it! Perfectly imperfect is the way to go with this one as you can expect angular lines, lots of curves, patterns with no harsh angles, disco decor… the lot! 

Keywords were:

• Retro wedding 
• Boho wedding 
• Boho hen party 
• 70’s living room

I don’t want to seem like I am contradicting this entire blog post but I will straight up tell you that you do not need to religiously follow trends in order to build a legacy handmade business. They absolutely have a place in the online world but I don’t believe in worshipping them and jumping on them “just because” if they don’t align with your brand/ vision. 

Steph xx

If you'd prefer me to visually teach you this blog post, then you can watch it HERE.

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