The Difference Between Crafts And Hobbies

A question you often hear at arts and crafts fairs is "What is the difference between crafts and hobbies?" The truthful answer is that there is not a lot of difference between crafts and hobbies, apart from the fact that hobbies is a term to describe a broader ranger of activities, whereas crafts is a more inclusive term.

In short, a hobby is a pleasurable activity that someone usually does in their free time whereby they collect things that are of interest to them. So, for example, it is possible to collect matchbox toy cars, china, elephant figurines, and any number of other things.

A craft, on the other hand, involves an activity in which the participant actually makes something out of nothing. Stitching, weaving, carving, printing, woodwork, etc. are all examples of what constitutes a craft. In this case, people often undertake crafts as a form of relaxation and as a hobby. Stitching is a perfect example of how a craft may be considered a hobby. However, in most cases being good at crafts can also earn you good money – either as a primary source of income or as a secondary source of income. Indeed, not everyone who enjoys crafts keeps the end product – they may give it away as a gift to a relative or friend (as with painting or needlework), or they may sell it.

As crafts people rarely keep the item that they are making, it is not commonly seen as being a hobby – which normally involves people collecting what they do. However, as crafts is such an enjoyable pastime, with the person rarely feeling like they have to actually work, unless it is a work of love, crafts can also be seen as a hobby, which is time spent undertaking an activity you find pleasure at.

In conclusion then, the next time someone asks you what the difference between a craft and a hobby is, you can tell them that the term hobby is a broader term than the term 'craft' and that crafts are a sub-category of the term 'hobby'.

Recommended Reading:

1. Making Memories : Five Places to Market your Scrap booking Crafts - Scrap booking is one of the most popular crafts among hobbyists, and the scrap booking craze is catching on with...
2. Know your Audience – Five Ways to Choose what Crafts will Sell - It's happened to many a self-employed entrepreneur : even to big corporations. You come up with a fantastic new product...
3. Easy Hobbies to Get Into - Everyone needs a hobby. If you work a lot and need time off to relax and clear your head, then...
4. Paper Crafts: Scrapbook and Greeting Card Basics - Paper crafts are a popular pastime right now. Scrapbooking is a fun way to display pictures and chronicle family history....
5. The Friends and Family Network : The First Step to Marketing your Crafts - You've always had a knack for creating charming homespun crafts, and now you've created something highly original that always gets...