When the last remaining Joann fabrics stores closed in May this year, one demographic seemed particularly distraught on social media: Millennials. The phenomenon was curious given that most people primarily associate the craft store with pastimes popular with older generations, like knitting and quilting.
But in an era marked by financial volatility and relentless market swings, there's strong anecdotal evidence and data to suggest a trend of millennials swapping fast-paced hustles for "granny hobbies," Newsweek reports. From gardening and knitting to baking and quilting, young professionals seem to be embracing slow, hands-on hobbies as an escape from economic stress and doomscrolling in an unpredictable world.
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The Connection to Financial Stress
One millennial Newsweek spoke with was Kyle Williams, a Florida realtor who never figured he'd find solace in the garden — at least not this young. But after years of navigating a high-pressure career and a timeline of particular economic instability, from the 2008 financial crash to pandemic-era uncertainty, he turned to tending plants as a way to decompress.
“Being a realtor means constant market anxiety,” Williams said. “Gardening lets me focus on something tangible, where effort directly translates to growth. It's the opposite of watching stock charts all day.”
Williams isn't alone. Financial dread among millennials is well-documented. A Bankrate survey found that 79% of millennials don't feel financially secure, with rising living costs and volatile markets fueling anxiety. In response, many are seeking activities that offer low-cost, high-reward satisfaction — an area where “granny hobbies” boast high ROI, so to speak.
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Why Granny Hobbies Are Thriving in a Downturn
The pandemic sparked a resurgence in domestic hobbies, and they've had subsequent staying power. The National Gardening Association reported 18.3 million new gardeners in 2021 — most of whom were millennials. Meanwhile, data from Etsy (NASDAQ:ETSY) reflects growing interest in the artistic side of granny hobbies: According to Sales Samurai, a software company that provides data insights to Etsy sellers, Etsy saw a 350% increase in searches for quilt fabric and a 100% increase in searches for knitting in 2022.
The hold of these hobbies may be tied to deeper economic trends. For starters, granny hobbies are affordable. Unlike luxury purchases or expensive nights out, hobbies like embroidery, baking or canning require minimal upfront investment. But there's also a real economic benefit if growing vegetables or mending clothes slashes your grocery and retail expenses — a savvy move amid inflation and tariff uncertainty.
The Social Media Response
Williams' viral Instagram reel where he joked that millennials are “skipping past the ‘midlife crisis phase' and right to granny hobbies” has racked up 1.2 million likes, and fellow millennials have agreed with comments like “Why did we all collectively go from in the club getting tipsy and then straight to gardening though, an entire generation."
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Others bemoaned that economic anxiety was threatening to interfere with even their newfound scappier hobbies: “The granny hobbies hit different but gardening is becoming expensive and this economy won't even let me have my granny habits in peace.”
Mental Health Benefits Also Abound
While one shouldn't neglect their portfolio, the smartest investment millennials can make really could be a pair of knitting needles. Why? Because for a generation battered by economic shocks, granny hobbies aren't just a way to pass the time, but also a way to cope. Hobbies like knitting and gardening are linked to reduced cortisol levels, offering a natural antidote to doomscrolling and financial stress, reports Good Housekeeping.
“Engaging in activities we truly enjoy helps build resilience — the ability to adapt to challenges and manage stress,” Emma Palmer-Cooper, a UK-based research psychologist, tells Good Housekeeping. “When we are fully absorbed in a creative task, we can enter a state of ‘flow,’ where we focus entirely on the present moment rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. This level of engagement leads to greater life satisfaction and productivity.”
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