Feature - Arts & Crafts

On your marks, get set, make!

Arts & Crafts is arguably one of the most classic, traditional play patterns, but the modern world is sculpting the way kids create more than ever before. Toy World gets hands on with the category and chats to a selection of leading suppliers to find out what’s driving the space and how creative products are expanding into new areas.

Hands up if you’ve been on Twitter today? What about Instagram or TikTok? You’re certainly not alone: there are more than 330m monthly active Twitter users (exact figures vary wildly depending on whether or not Elon Musk is behind them) while Instagram sees around 2.35b. TikTok, a much newer platform, is forecast to approach 1b monthly users by 2025.

Toy companies have known for some time that certain brands and categories go with social media like paint goes with paintbrushes, and it seems the same can be said of Arts & Crafts. Sambro’s own-IP beauty crafting range, Love & Hugs, has been inspired by viral trends seen on social media, and David Fynn of John Sanders department store in Ruislip told us in his Talking Shop interview (the feature starts on p. 31) that creative play products have to be ‘TikTokable’ these days. This is a sentiment Grant Gie, UK MD at Creative Kids, agrees with.

“Platforms like TikTok absolutely have contributed to the ongoing popularity of this category,” he tells us. “Its format is perfect for showcasing Arts & Crafts in short, quick digestible content, the go-to video being 'before and after' or sped up clips that show the entire crafting process in a condensed timescale. Bold bright colours, such as those of our products, lend themselves to attention grabbing content.”

Damien Collett, head of Sales and country manager, UK & Ireland at SES Creative, also believes social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok are playing an increasingly important role in shaping the Arts & Crafts category. He says: “Consumers are using these platforms to discover new products and trends, as well as to share their own creations and connect with other like-minded individuals.”

However, he adds: “It's important to note that not all Arts & Crafts products need to be ‘TikTokable’ to be successful. While social media can be a powerful marketing tool, there are many other factors that contribute to the success of a product, such as quality, price and availability. Ultimately, the decision of whether to focus on creating TikTokable Arts & Crafts products will depend on the specific retailer's marketing strategy and target audience. Some retailers may find success by leveraging the popularity of social media platforms like TikTok, while others may choose to focus on different marketing channels.”

Within the social media space, Food is a favourite Arts & Crafts theme. MGA’s Miniverse, which is available in two themes - Make it Mini Food Café Edition and Make it Mini Food Diner Edition – has been enjoying huge success on TikTok, with the hashtag #makeitminifood racking up 78m views at the time of writing. However, Food is a popular crafting theme regardless of whether or not kids intend to share their creations online. Hasbro is expanding its Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Range with the Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Magical Mixer Playset and Play-Doh Picnic Shapes Starter Set. Creative Kids is also eating into the Food theme, combining it with the still relevant trend for all things ASMR to create its new licensed Play Doh Air Clay Crunchy Clay range, in which a hard shell is created over slime or clay and then cracked and mixed into the soft compound within. The hero Crunchy Clay Café is accompanied by Donut and Cake Pop sets.

Creative Kids isn’t the only company bringing out air clay products this year. Brainstorm’s new My Very Own Fairy Cottage set includes air clay for sculpting, while Make It Real is likewise tapping into increased demand for the compound - as well as a big trend towards miniatures (the other reason MGA’s Miniverse is doing so well in the Arts & Crafts space) and the ongoing strength of the Collectibles category - with its new Mini Pottery Studio. Tomy’s Hey Clay range is set to expand in 2023 with new sets including Forest Animals, and new packaging to complement the creatures featured in the sets.

Craft Buddy, which produces the popular Crystal Art line of ‘diamond painting’ sets, says that while collectability is a relatively new consideration for the Arts & Crafts category, it is allowing the company to expand and diversify its range. In November 2022, the company launched the first series of Crystal Art Buddies (‘Buddies’), featuring 25 fan-favourite characters from the Disney, Disney Princesses, Star Wars, Marvel and LOL Surprise! universes. This was swiftly followed by yet another new introduction to the collectible crafting space.

“New products such as our Crystal Art Buddies range offer all the collectability of a miniature action figure as well as the satisfaction of producing your own creation,” Gary Wadhwani, director of Craft Buddy, explains. “We are also launching a real first in this ‘collectible sector’ with the Disney D100 Crystal Art Sticker Album and Stickers. With this innovative new product, fans can collect over 100 Crystal Art stickers featuring their favourite Disney characters including Mickey, The Lion King, Snow White, Toy Story and many other favourites and add them to the album when completed.”

Of course, Craft Buddy isn’t the only company that has relied on the power of collectability to fuel sales, with Brainstorm’s Eugy range continuing to enjoy plenty of demand for its new waves of make-them-yourself figures. Curious Universe, meanwhile, has just announced its new Crystalverse own-IP. The launch range of 3D unicorn figures comprises Starlana, Apollo and Kiki, all of which come complete with their own in-pack collectible character card and can be decorated with the included crystals.

Where Craft Buddy’s range differs is that it’s licensed. Gary tells us that having focused almost exclusively on more traditional crafting activities targeting older consumers, Craft Buddy then started looking for ways to broaden the appeal of its products and attract a younger fan base. This led the company into kids’ licences such as Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and L.O.L. Surprise! Gary adds: “Licences have also helped us to gain retail placements in cross category licensed product displays, which have proved so successful for all our major retail partners. We have some very exciting news regarding a new licensing collaboration which we will be announcing later in the summer, so watch this space.”

In addition to its kids’ licences, Craft Buddy also has Peter Rabbit and Paddington in its portfolio. Both offer strong heritage appeal and attract older customers including parents and grandparents, according to Gary, further broadening the appeal of its ranges among consumers of all ages and life stages. Damien at SES similarly believes nostalgia to be key to the success of some Arts & Crafts products, noting that consumers are looking for items that ‘remind them of their childhood or simpler times’. He says this is reflected in the continued popularity of SES Creatives’ more traditional craft products, such as French knitting and its weaving loom.

Both Damien and Gary also highlight the importance of Arts & Crafts for mental wellbeing and mindfulness. Damien says consumers are turning to activities such as colouring, iron-on beads and painting as a way to relax and unwind, and Gary is seeing the same thing with Craft Buddy’s Crystal Art brand.

“With all of the added pressures children are under in the modern age, it’s no surprise that one of the key trends shaping the arts and craft category at the moment is ‘mindfulness’,” he says. “This is extremely timely for Craft Buddy, as our lead brand Crystal Art is at the forefront of this development. Creating with Crystal Art in a quiet, peaceful environment allows children to sink into a state of focused awareness. This contemplative state, coupled with the release that creative energy brings, can help people cope better with feelings of stress or worry and even sadness or anger. This is something that can really help children to cope with the difficulties they are faced with in the modern world.”

Speaking of our modern world, our contributors also feel ongoing demand for sustainable products is driving the Arts & Crafts category. New products for 2023 that tick this box include Brainstorm’s Eugy range, which has always resonated with consumers thanks to its eco-friendly credentials; Bachmann’s new PepPlay distribution line of Arts & Crafts products suitable for kids aged 3-10; and Eco Wood Art’s build-it-yourself mechanical and classic wooden puzzles.

SES Creative is particularly strong when it comes to sustainability: the company is CO2 neutral and offers a range of products made from recycled or natural materials, such as sugar cane, whilst offering added benefits such as gluten free and vegan-friendly products. Damien explains that SES Creative is committed to sustainability and responsible manufacturing practices, working to further minimise its environmental impact by reducing waste and implementing sustainable manufacturing processes.

Damien adds: “SES Creative is a company that not only creates high-quality and engaging products for children but also demonstrates a commitment to social and environmental responsibility. These values, combined with their focus on product innovation and creativity, have helped the company to become a trusted and respected brand in the Arts & Crafts industry.”

Over at Creative Kids, emphasis is placed on offering retailers Arts & Crafts products that reflect current trends and themes while also providing strong retail margins and great value for money. UK MD Grant Gie says: “We have all bases covered within our offering, from paintyour-own decorating kits to air-dry clay, dough, slime and even putty. And as a supplier, we support retailers with a multi-sub-category product range that can sit together in one clean merchandised statement, creating a standout visual display that will draw shoppers of all ages in.”

“Creative Kids puts consumer value at the forefront of everything we do,” he adds. “You can get more dough, slime or sand for less money. During these times of financial crisis, parents and gifters continue to look for affordable products that can entertain for longer and produce high quality end results, and that’s where our range really comes into its own.”

Readers are invited to roll up their sleeves and dive into the following feature, as Toy World paints a picture of the newest Arts & Crafts and Creative Play products sculpting the marketplace this year.