The Rise of Craft Nights: How Gen Z and Millennials are Revolutionizing Socializing
Gone are the days of partying at night – for today’s youth it’s all about staying at home and doing crafts. Generation Z and Millennials have made craft nights the new night out, and they’re talking about "Junk journaling" and making small pieces of jewelry as if it were a competitive sport. Social media is flooded with clips of friends huddled around hot glue guns, proving that nothing brings people together faster than creating cute messes.
The Appeal of Crafting
Not only does it seem like an inexpensive hobby, but it also serves as an escape from the annoying scrolling of social media and the stress of everyday life. With salt dough memorabilia and paper stars twinkling under the lights on your Christmas tree, savvy content creators are showing that a little grease can go a long way—and yes, it’s a lot more fun than fighting for the last glittery bauble at the mall this holiday season.
Ornament Obsession: Salt Dough and Felt-Framed Snapshots
Forget expensive decorations – this year is all about creating your own. Salt dough is making a real comeback: mix, shape, bake and voilà, you have personalized shapes to hang. DIY teacher @minaelleskitchen proves you don’t need a craft store to decorate your tree – just a little flour, salt and water. She shows how to create 20 to 30 ornaments using a simple salt dough mix: roll them out, cut shapes, and bake them at 400°F until they’re firm enough to hang but not hard enough to serve as weapons.
Garland Glory: Ruby Red Ribbon and Spicy Twists
Whether you’re wrapping a railing or sprucing up your home’s entryway, this year’s garlands have less "holiday default mode" and more "I made this myself – you’re welcome" vibes. Some creators show their technique: strips of colorful, structured ribbon are looped into rings, stapled together and connected to each other until a fully-fledged statement garland is created. These garlands are “versatile, so inexpensive, and so easy to make.”
Add Variety with Homemade Snow Globes
Snow globes are also having a big DIY moment right now. Craftsmen like @misonani host "DIY snow globe girls’ nights" by grabbing cheap jars from IKEA, mini bottle brush trees from Michael’s, wooden beads, small figurines, velvet ribbons, Dollar Tree LED lights, and pre-purchased acrylic paints. She layers in white sugar for "snow" and any other add-ins to suit the mood, turning each jar into a glow-in-the-dark, fully customizable snow globe made with inexpensive ingredients.
Makeshift Mini Christmas Trees
Aside from the DIY snow globe trend, TikTokkers are decorating their mantels with tiny Christmas trees made from triangular Styrofoam—and then piercing them with pins and sequins until they go from ghostly white to timeless disco glow. Creators like @bekmarsden turn the whole thing into a “girls’ night craft” and prove that nothing holds a group together more than shimmering foam in a festive glow.
Light up the Night Sky with Paper Stars
For those who love a celestial touch and origami, paper stars are right on trend – they’re easy to fold, stunning to hang and guaranteed to take your Christmas decorations to the next level. Craft lovers like @auroramccausland fold 3D stars from colored construction paper to hang next to their garlands. Creators like @skripnik_katya cut up recycled book pages to make 3D Christmas trees for the table.
