‘Diamond Painting’ craft craze is huge during the pandemic

Similarly, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok have seen strong spikes in interest in the hobby. Search "diamond painting" on any of these platforms, and you will find a large, varied and growing number of dedicated Diamond Painting 'how to' creative videos, which have become more prolific than ever over the past year. This is not surprising if you've seen the product before; Crystal Art is a hobby that's almost tailor made for social media. When complete, the creations are sparkly, iridescent and eye catching; and not only is the product itself visually striking, the process of completing each work of art itself is something that many want to celebrate and showcase to others.

Gary Wadhwani, co-director of Craft Buddy, is in no doubt that the general rise in crafting during lockdown has played a part in the growth of 'Diamond Painting' and resulting demand for Crystal Art kits, but also credits the craft's ease of use and therapeutic qualities as being other important factors in its rise. He views the emergence of licensed ranges in this sector as being key to further driving strong growth in consumer interest and sales. "In 2020, Craft Buddy experienced a huge increase in interest from both our existing consumer base and also new fans, for our Crystal Art kits. As one of the earliest exponents of this craft, we've got a huge variety of product formats that utilize the "diamond painting" technique, including greeting cards, stickers, clocks, notebooks, keyrings and many more. We also hold a number of important licenses, including Thomas Kinkade and Anne Stokes. And, most excitingly, we're poised to release our new Disney licensed Crystal Art sets into the UK this Spring, featuring popular characters from many of the most beloved Disney and Pixar franchises. With this launch, we look forward to welcoming a whole new audience to the world of 'Diamond Painting', as the activity cements its position on the map of popular family arts & craft hobbies".