A slower, more intentional way of making. Making is designed to be shared.
According to Pinterest Predicts 2026, the new year is leaning hard into analog living: handwriting over typing, gathering over scrolling, and creating things that hold memory, not just function. For sewists, crafters, and handmade lovers, this shows up as a return to tactile, communal, story-rich making.
I could probably write us a book with my excitement around this trend. Not just because of what it means for the maker community, but also what it means in our society in general. As an Xennial (born in analog, made to go digital), 1981 baby, this trend is very much my jam.
Here’s the Cliffnotes version you’ll actually read 👇 + which design collections we've curated for you to find designs within these micro-trends for your making in 2026.
✍️ Poetcore & Pen Pals: Make + Connect
These micro-trends center on connection and intention. Think romantic, thoughtful projects created with others in mind.
How it shows up in handmade:
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Planned craft nights & Zoom sewing circles
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Sewing projects meant to be gifted, swapped, or mailed
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Journals, fabric postcards, stitched labels, handwritten notes
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Bags, garments, and quilts that feel “main character” and meaningful
This is about slowing down and creating together, not just creating content. As a maker and artist who has been under 6000 followers on Instagram for a decade, I can't tell you how refreshing this feels!
TBH collections that align:
Analog Revival • Cozy Classics • Bookish Realms
📌 Brooched & Throwback Kid: Vintage, Reworked, Loved Again
These trends lean into thrifting, heirlooms, and nostalgia, but reimagined in a modern way.
How it shows up in handmade:
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Sewing with vintage or thrifted garments and textiles
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Adding pins, charms, patches, and embellishments as storytelling details
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Retro silhouettes, playful trims, and “memory-making” projects
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Slower crafting that values repair, reuse, and remixing the past
Old becomes new again, but with intention. As a maker who regularly misses the matriarchs who I inherited my craft, these micro-trends feel like coming home. The idea of turning some of my Nana's embroidered pieces into something new, or thrifting with my mother-in-law to find some cool tablecloths to turn into applique jeans makes my creative soul feel a little bit lighter.
TBH collections that align:
Retro Roads • Cozy Classics • Seasonal Magic
🌿 Wilderkind: Nature as a Creative Thread
Wilderkind brings in soft forest magic. Think animals, botanicals, and earthy wonderment woven through everything from bags to apparel.
How it shows up in handmade:
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Woodland and animal motifs in bag making and garments
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Cozy layers, textured fabrics, nature-inspired details
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Projects that feel grounded, whimsical, and handmade in the truest sense
My inner "witch escaping to a cottage in the forest" can't get enough of this micro-trend. We have an entire "witchy wardrobe" series of videos planned for my YouTube Channel during the summer because of it!
TBH collections that align:
Seasonal Magic • Whimsical Enchantment • Bookish Realms
✂️ Why do these micro-trends matter for makers in 2026
The Analog Experience isn’t about rejecting modern tools. It’s about using them to support deeper, more human creativity. It's about what inspires us, what connects us.
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If you’re craving:
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Fewer projects, more meaning
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Real connection instead of comparison
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Stories stitched into what you create
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A break from the performative side of the maker community
…you’re not alone.
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Throughout 2026, you’ll see these ideas come to life through our curated design collections, which are available in six different materials during our quarterly print fabric preorders. You'll also see these concepts and designs used in the projects we share on YouTube and Patreon.
I want to cordially invite you to slow down, make with intention, and create alongside others in 2026. Create with me.
Stay Cozy. stay crafty, friends - Genavieve