Arts and crafts is a sector that has proved popular with audiences young and old during lockdown, as people look for new hobbies and activities to keep them occupied while they remain at home.
TNP spoke to Gary Wadhwani, co-founder and director of Craft Buddy, a month after the Government imposed a UK-wide lockdown. He reported that the team had been seeing a lot of interest in its brands.
Wadhwani said: “There has been high demand for our arts and crafts products, particularly Crystal Art, as people look for activities to keep them entertained during long days at home.”
Since the outbreak, the company has been used its social platforms to “provide its B2C consumers with content to keep them occupied and entertained during this worrying period,” including live arts and crafts demonstrations to give its followers the opportunity to learn new crafts, provide an outlet for social interaction, and help to lift people’s spirits and morale.
“While many of us are stuck at home, there are certainly opportunities to try new things,” said Wadhwani. “Crafting in general is an ideal activity to take part in at home, as it enables people to exercise their creativity, to do something therapeutic and to relieve stress and anxieties. Our brands, like Crystal Art and Forever Flowerz, have both experienced a surge in online sales in the last few weeks – both crafts are great forms of relaxation, are stress relieving and are suitable for entire families, as well those living on their own. Helping customers to craft and relieve stress is a major reason why we continue to send one staff member to our HQ each day, rather than close our operations altogether.”
Ever keen to offer their verdict on the latest and greatest products on the market, our TNP Ambassadors requested the chance to try out the new Crystal Art Frameables kits.
Suitable for children aged six and over, the new-for-2020 series comprises six cute designs. And each kit includes an 18x18cm frame, which means the designs can be easily displayed once they’ve been created.
Seven-year-old Nora was delighted to receive the Flying Panda Frameable kit, which was sent to her for review.
Mum Nora told TNP: “We’re now over two months into lockdown and in that time Rubi’s interest in art has turned into a fully-fledged hobby. So, as you can imagine this product was right up her street!
“I love the idea behind these Frameables kits. So many creations of Rubi’s creations and designs are just put away in a box after hours of hard work, so it’s great that this kit came with a frame to display her design.
“Rubi usually spends a lot of time with her grandparents, who she hasn’t been able to see for months now. So, when we received this, she was quick to tell me that she would be posting her framed masterpiece to them once she had completed it.
“The Flying Panda design – which I’ve got to say was very, very sweet and creative – had a numbered, adhesive template. So, all Rubi had to worry about was bringing the picture to life.
“Setting Rubi up to work was a quick and painless job. And the instructions were easy to follow, meaning that she could be fully independent as she worked. All she had to do was insert wax into the pick-up pen (which was included), and use it to lift up the coloured crystals, placing them onto the corresponding numbered dots.
“I also like art. I particularly enjoy colouring, as I use it as a mindfulness activity to calm my thoughts. I can see that this technique would be equally as relaxing and therapeutic.
“But one of the other things I really like about arts and crafts activities is the educational and developmental benefits for Rubi.
“Rubi’s reading ability is already strong, but since lockdown, she has had a lot of practice studying instructions to craft sets, which has helped her reading skills come on leaps and bounds.
“Activities like this also help to support the development of motor skills. Plus, something like Crystal Art will also help her improve her critical thinking skills, as she thinks about the final product, and the steps that she needs to take to get her there.
“And then there’s the creative aspect. Arts and crafts help teach kids that there are always multiple ways of completing the same task. An important lesson to learn at a young age!
“Needless to say, I’d highly recommend these Crystal Art Frameables sets and I will be looking to purchase other kits for both myself and Rubi in the near future.”
For more information about Craft Buddy's Crystal Art Frameables kits, and other brands in the company's portfolio, please contact sales@craftbuddyltd.co.uk
