The Power of Crafting for Mental Health

In our fast-paced world, stress, anxiety and overwhelm can feel like the norm. But for many of us, creativity offers a way back to ourselves — a moment of calm, a pocket of peace.

I’ve always been creative. As a child, I’d spend hours drawing with pencils. Later, I studied fashion design and textiles. But life doesn’t always follow the path we expect. I ended up in a non-creative job that caused so much stress I eventually left.

That’s when crafting slowly came back into my life.

I started with clothing alterations, then moved into novelty cakes ( A Minion cake made by me) when my children were small.

Eventually, my husband and I co-founded The Paper Apple Co — a handmade gift business that let me combine my love of books and making.

He even designed our little apple logo.

When he became ill and passed away in 2022, crafting became something else entirely — not just my work, but my way to breathe. It was something I could hold onto. Something that reminded me who I was.

I tried crochet (knitting had never clicked for me!) and found the rhythm deeply soothing. It gave me a sense of focus, comfort, and control in the chaos.

What the science says

And it’s not just personal — research supports what so many of us intuitively feel:

🎨 Art & Cortisol Reduction
A Drexel University study published in Art Therapy found that just 45 minutes of making art significantly lowered cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) in about 75% of participants—even those without prior art skills psypost.org+6sciencedaily.com+6jacksonhousecares.com+6.
👉 Read the study abstract & details here (PMC)

🧶 Knitting & Mental Wellbeing
A systematic review of 25 studies on needlecraft—covering knitting, crochet, quilting, and more—showed major mental health benefits: better mood, stress relief, greater self-esteem, purposeful activity, and a heightened sense of belonging

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govbusinessinsider.com+4researchgate.net+4creativehertfordshire.com+4.

As one study participant noted, “while my hands are busy doing something, my mind slows to a crawl” news-medical.net.

🧘 Flow & Mental Clarity
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined flow—a deeply focused creative state linked to increased happiness, reduced anxiety, and improved concentration in many crafting activities

simplypsychology.org+4creativehertfordshire.com+4kindredvancouver.com+4.

This immersive state is often described as calming and centring, similar to meditation.

Creativity as self-care

Whether it's crochet, baking, sewing, or paper crafting, these small, tactile tasks have something in common: they help us be present. Not perfect. Not productive. Just… here.

When I sit down to create one of my Little Paper Scene Kits, or even make a tiny leaf, I feel something settle inside me. It’s quiet, and kind, and healing.

Crafting won’t fix everything — but it gives us space to breathe, and that’s something.

If you're looking for calm...

I created my Little Paper Scene Kits with that same spirit — a gentle, creative project you can do slowly, joyfully, and at your own pace. They’re not just decorations, they’re moments of mindfulness.

If you’d like to try one, you can explore them here:
👉 See the kits

And if crafting has helped you, I’d love to hear your story too.

With love,