Three historic craft hobbies at risk of disappearing – and how to give them a go

By Alexandra Makin, Third Century Research Fellow, Manchester Metropolitan University

If I say the word “hobby”, you’ll likely think of something you like to do in your spare time – gardening, walking, reading, knitting, model kits. Maybe it’s pottery classes, DIY projects or learning something new on YouTube. But what you may not know is many hobbies were originally forms of work that evolved into something to do in our spare time as manufacturing practices changed.

Crafts are one type of hobby that have always been popular. Many, like lacemaking, were originally…

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