20 Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Crafting
- diyvinci
- Jun 23, 2017
- 2 min read
History
William Morris founded the arts and crafts movement in the middle of the 19th century after being tired of mass produced products. He wanted a return to products that were both beautiful and useful.
In 1908 the Sears and Roebuck catalogue brought arts and crafts style into most homes in the USA.
Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa for approximately four years, from 1503 to 1507, but kept it in his possession until his death and may have made minor adjustments throughout his life
The first pencil was invented in England in 1565.
The first artists used ashes from fire, red clay or natural pigments.
From 1912-1948, the Olympic Games awarded medals for artworks inspired by sport.
The sewing machine was invented in 1790 by Thomas Saint.
Women began forming sewing societies in the 1860’s where they would gather together and make quilts to sell at church bazaars.
Modern scrapbooking first emerged during the 1800s when photography was invented.
The most ancient candles are from China and Japan and were made of whale fat.
The first scented candles in the American colonies was bayberry, but it took a huge amount of bayberry leaves to produce a single candle.
Statistics
73% of US adults participated in a crafting project in the past year, according to Mintel's 2026 report.
The size of the creative industry in the global arts and crafts market hit $44.6 billion in 2024
The average household uses 14.3 meters of sellotape each year. Only 3.2 meters is used for wrapping presents.
Students who study art are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
92% of paper crafters create cards more than any other type of project
North America has a stable base of 9 to 11 million active quilters, with the US quilting industry reaching $4.5 billion in 2025
Random
A small amount of super glue is strong enough to lift a 2-ton jeep off the ground. (Don’t try this at home!)
The two tiny holes drilled in every BIC pen is to ensure that the air pressure is the same both inside and outside the pen, which helps the ink flow to the tip.
“The whole nine yards,” a common phrase, came from the fabric that was needed to make the fanciest coat for a man of fashion.
The DIYvinci Community is free, full of people who love exactly this kind of thing, and completely off social media. community.diyvinci.com
Comments