In 2024, after the pandemic shifted our focus away from material goods, in-person creative experiences like pottery, tufting, candle making, and sustainable workshops have surged in popularity as millennials and others increasingly seek unique, hands-on activities to learn new skills and connect socially.
During COVID It seemed that the most popular in-person experience was shopping online from the sofa while considering if our lives are going to be over soon.
Real in-person creative studios, crafts, arts, experience and activity businesses were severely impacted by the wide closures. Many were set to be out of business.
In 2024, after surviving COVID, we started getting out of the house more and more and getting back to a “normal” social life, we can now see a complete 180 degree change.
In-person experiences peaked in 2024 and the industry sees growth that has not been seen before.
It seems like everything that can be bought was already bought in Corona time and now more and more people want to spend their money learning something new.
The statistics show that 72% of millennials (!!) would rather spend money on experiences than on material goods.
Who would believe that a millennial would rather learn how to be bad in Glass blowing or pottery rather than watch another twitch stream?
This blog post will walk you through some experiences and activities that are trendy in 2024 (I bet you never heard at least about a few of them).
Crafts have become huge lately. There are more and more artists that are sharing and teaching their craft. And the demand to try these unique skills is also going up.
Pottery and ceramics involve shaping, firing, and glazing clay to create functional or decorative items such as bowls, vases, and sculptures. There are estimated to be over 5,000 pottery and ceramics workshops globally, offering classes and hands-on experiences for amateurs and enthusiasts.
Creating a pottery or ceramic piece typically takes several days to weeks, including time for shaping, drying, firing, and glazing.
You will learn techniques such as wheel throwing, hand-building, and glazing, as well as understanding the properties of different types of clay and firing processes.
Tufting is a textile technique used to create carpets, rugs, and decorative items by inserting yarn into a fabric backing, forming loops or cut pile patterns. Estimated that there are several 100s of tufting workshops globally, with the number growing rapidly due to the craft's rising popularity on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Creating a tufted piece can take anywhere from a few hours to several days, depending on the complexity and size of the design.
Rugs, carpets, wall hangings, cushions, and decorative textiles.
You will learn how to use a tufting gun, select appropriate materials, and master the process of creating loops or cut pile patterns for unique, customized designs.
Candle making is the craft of creating candles by melting wax, adding fragrances and colors, and pouring it into molds or containers with a wick. Estimated that there are over 1,000 candle making workshops globally. In the US alone candle making workshops do around 500 million a year.
Creating a candle can take a few hours, including the time needed for melting the wax, adding ingredients, pouring, and allowing the candle to cool and set.
Scented candles, decorative candles, pillar candles, tea lights, and container candles.
You will learn how to melt and mix wax, choose and add fragrances and colors, properly insert wicks, and safely pour and mold candles.
Soap making is the process of creating soap by combining fats or oils with an alkali, typically through methods like cold process, hot process, or melt and pour. There are estimated to be over 2,000 soap making workshops globally!
Creating soap can take a few hours to several weeks, depending on the method used.
Cold process soap requires several weeks to cure, while melt and pour soap can be ready in a few hours.
Bar soaps, liquid soaps, decorative soaps, exfoliating soaps, and scented soaps
You will learn about saponification, the safe handling of lye, mixing and molding techniques, adding fragrances and colors, and understanding curing times for different types of soap.
Jewelry making is the craft of designing and creating wearable ornaments such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings using materials like metals, beads, gemstones, and wire. There are an estimated 5,000+ jewelry making workshops worldwide.
Creating a piece of jewelry can take a few hours to several days, depending on the complexity and the techniques used.
Rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pendants, and brooches
You will learn techniques such as bead stringing, wire wrapping, soldering, metalworking, stone setting, and using various tools and materials to create unique and custom designs.
Glass blowing and sculpting are techniques for shaping molten glass into artistic or functional items by blowing air into the glass or manipulating it with tools.There are estimated to be over 1,200 glass blowing studios and workshops globally.
Creating a glass piece can take from a few hours to several days, including the time for heating, shaping, and annealing (cooling slowly to remove internal stresses).
Vases, bowls, drinking glasses, ornaments, sculptures, and decorative glass art.
You will learn how to work with high-temperature equipment, shape molten glass using blowing and sculpting techniques, color and decorate glass, and understand the annealing process for durability and strength.
Who doesn't like to eat? Many people would like to expand their cooking skills and learn from the best chefs to get more skillful.
Interactive sessions focusing on various cuisines, including plant-based cooking, ethnic foods,
and gourmet techniques. There are estimated to be over 5,000 baking and pastry workshops globally
You will learn dough making, cake decorating, working with chocolate and sugar, and creating various pastries and pies with a focus on baking fundamentals.
Workshops that guide participants through the process of making their own wine or craft beer. There are estimated to be over 3,000 wine and beer making workshops and homebrew clubs globally.
You will gain expertise in fermentation processes, ingredient selection and preparation, monitoring fermentation, bottling, aging, and quality control methods.
Classes where participants learn to create artisanal chocolates and confections. There are estimated to be over 1,500 chocolate making workshops globally.
You will learn how to temper chocolate for a glossy finish and snap, mold and shape chocolate, create fillings, and decorate with various techniques such as drizzling, piping, and using edible decorations.
Interactive sessions focusing on various cuisines, including plant-based cooking, ethnic foods, and gourmet techniques.There are many thousands of cooking classes and culinary workshops globally
You will master culinary techniques such as chopping, sautéing, grilling, and baking, along with seasoning, flavor balancing, recipe execution, and kitchen safety.
Another huge upcoming topic is sustainability. Societies strive to be more sustainable and upcycle and it’s super trendy as well to have experiences around sustainability
Workshops focused on creating art and functional items from recycled materials. There are an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 workshops and classes globally focused on upcycling and recycling art.
You can create unique and personalized home decor items, furniture, jewelry, and artworks made from repurposed materials.
You will learn how to creatively repurpose discarded materials, basic carpentry and crafting techniques, painting and decorating, and sustainability practices in art.
Classes on urban gardening, composting, and growing herbs and vegetables at home.There are an estimated 2000 sustainable gardening workshops globally.
You can develop a productive home garden with organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, and native plants.
You will learn sustainable gardening practices, composting, soil health management, plant propagation, pest control, and water conservation techniques.
Sessions on using natural dyes and sustainable materials for fabric arts and crafts. There are an estimated 1500 workshops globally focused on natural dyeing and fabric arts.
You can create naturally dyed fabrics, garments, scarves, and home textiles.
You will learn how to extract dyes from natural sources, fabric preparation, dyeing techniques, pattern making, and sustainable textile practices.
As tech and AI is being more and more prominent in our daily lives there are more and more experiences popping up mixing the two of those.
Hands-on classes where participants learn to design and print 3D objects. There are an estimated 3,000 workshops globally focused on 3D printing and maker activities.
You can create customized 3D printed objects, prototypes, and gadgets.
You will learn 3D modeling and design, operating 3D printers, selecting and using different printing materials, and post-processing techniques like sanding and painting.
Workshops exploring the creation of art using VR technology. There are an estimated 1,000 VR art workshops globally
You can produce immersive VR artworks, interactive environments, and VR-based installations.
You will learn VR content creation, using VR design software, understanding spatial design, and incorporating interactive elements into VR art.
Classes that teach photography skills and post-processing techniques using software like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. There are an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 digital photography and editing workshops globally.
You can develop a portfolio of edited photographs, including portraits, landscapes, and creative compositions.
You will learn camera operation, composition and framing, lighting techniques, and photo editing skills using software like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
Interactive classes where participants learn to create intricate screen-based designs and print them using various techniques. There are an estimated 2,000 workshops globally dedicated to screen and print activities.
You can create detailed screen-based patterns, prints, and custom designs that can be used in various artistic and practical applications.
You will learn screen design principles, different printing techniques (such as screen printing or block printing), color theory, and the use of various printing materials and tools.