Contemporary Craft Trends

The Kindcraft sees a simplified “cleaned-up” contemporary craft trend taking hold. Below, we’ll take you through the color, detail, pattern, & materials of this trend among independent makers of handmade objects.


 Color: Neutral, Black & White

The dominant palette is black & white with touches of nature and warm neutral color. Grey is used to soften the contrast of black & white. Note that products retain their handmade feel while looking minimal and modern.

Color: Pastels

Craft follows fashion’s move towards pastels, especially for ceramics as displayed here by Atelier Dion. Warm pastels mix well with the neutral, black & while palettes, especially with mid-tone greys.

Detail: Touch of Gold

Luxe gold details splashed onto ceramics and woven into textiles.

Pattern: Triangles

Geometric shapes are key to this minimal look – and triangles are primary.

Pattern: Line-Work

Hand drawn line-work on ceramics & textiles with simple stripes are minimal and to the point.

Material: Crystals

Large-scale, rough-cut rocks and crystals are favored by jewelry artists such as Adina Mills, who was spotted by The Kindcraft for our report Highlights from Renegade New York.

Material: Brass

Pale golds and golden matte brass are seen as the must-have metal following the larger move toward warm metals.

Material: Copper

Another warm metal is rosy copper, which is a nice material update for the home – especially as geometric kitchen object. Also consider copper and rose gold for jewelry.

Material: Woven Fibers

The Kindcraft’s number one craft trend is free-style woven tapestry wall hangings. French artist Julie Robert is leading the way with these beautiful pieces of artwork. Note the wooden hanger detail which follows the shift towards natural materials.

Material: Big Wool Knits

Large-scale wool and cotton knits are a craft trend lead by Australian artist Jacqui Fink. These big cozy knits work well for fashion and home.

Material: Clay

Minimal ceramics are finished with simple lines as a clever bit of color at the base, or rimmed with a touch of gold as seen on the pastel pink plate by Lindsay Emery of Suite One Studio.

Material: Wood

Wood surfaces are smooth and unembellished. These round geometric pieces complete the “Cleaned-Up Craft” trend with soft curves and warmth.