“Grandma hobbies” are gaining massive popularity among college students as a way to unplug from screens and engage in hands-on activities. It’s a way for people to gain new friends while pushing against fast fashion. These hobbies are an attempt to prevent screen fatigue. This shift in Gen Z and millennials fit under the grandma core umbrella, a cottagecore that focuses on old-school crafts made by young people who want to physically engage in an activity at the end of a long day.
College Student or a Grandma?
The grandma core is not an insult but drawing attention to pastimes associated with the older generations, including knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, sewing, puzzles, and baking. The Michaels 2026 Creativity Trend Report presented new statistics that the searches for hobbies like sewing and embroidery have increased by 136% in six months. Yarn sales have increased 40% in the year with Michaels naming 2026 as the “Year of Creative Living.” These numbers suggest that people aren’t pinning aesthetic projects on social media, but are really picking up the tools and creating projects that represent the grandma core mood.
Crafting at its finest
Crafting in 2026 doesn’t mean your project is flawless but rather using your hands and attention to keep your mind engaged. Knitting and crocheting have become a break for crafters from passive scrolling. The repeated process for these hobbies are self-soothing and meditative. So remember, spending the night inside to craft is a form of self-care. The appeal isn’t just being on your phone less but focusing on having something to do with your time, rather than spending hours doom scrolling on your phone.
The Younger Generations are Becoming More Invested Than the Typical Grandmas
Gen Z and young millennials are now contributing to being a large audience for grandma hobbies. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2025 that 86% of Gen Z identified as crafters. Phones are still used for beginner crafters to discover these hobbies through TikTok, Instagram and Youtube to help learn new difficulties for each hobby. Once the crafter is confident, your phone isn’t needed anymore. Old skills are getting a fresh identity as creative, fashionable and intentionally offline. Craft nights are becoming popular with stores hosting theme nights, such as Hopeless Romantics Book Store located in Toronto (1080 Queen St W) who host a book club with craft nights. What was once considered solo hobbies have turned into social events. Craft nights, clubs, and workshops are changing the narrative, turning traditionally solo hobbies into fun, exciting social gatherings.
Young Adults Are Embracing “Granny Hobbies”
The constant notifications, social media scrolling, and an increase in AI-generated content have left young people craving a physical activity instead of mindless scrolling. These grandma hobbies use repetitive, rhythmic hand movements in crafting that helps calm the nervous system, reduce anxiety, and release serotonin allowing crafters to feel a sense of happiness. There is pride in creating a physical project. Finishing a physical pattern for crocheting, or a puzzle allows the crafter to feel a permanent sense of accomplishment that social media cannot compete with.