Browsing by Author "Laari-Lehtinen, Minna"

Materiality is highly involved with craft and hobby craft. Features of a concrete material have an impact on the life cycle of the product: designing, manufacturing of the raw materials, making of the product use, caretaking and the disposal of the product. Materiality can also be observed from the immaterial perspective, as craft hobbyists´ values and appreciations are involved in the craft making process. There are studies available on craft hobbyists and the meanings of their craft making from different perspectives, but not on choice of materials from material and immaterial aspects. The objective of this thesis was to study and describe material and immaterial factors, when craft hobbyists at present choose materials for their handicrafts and how they would want to choose materials for their craftwork. This study is qualitative and the questionnaire was completed online in a closed Facebook group called Käsitöiden ystävien vinkkipankki. There were 324 participants in the study. Based on saturation, the first 113 answers were analysed by qualitative theory-based content analysis where sustainable crafts theory was leading the process. ATLAS.ti-computer pro-gram was used to help in the analysis. The results of this study revealed that features of materials, aesthetics and quality were the strongest reasons for craft hobbyists making material choices. Need, lifecycle, impulse buy and will to experiment also had an impact on the material choices. From immaterial point of view, the economical and environmental reasons were the most common, but social, societal and psychological aspects were also found. The main emphasis in material choices were in material aspects. In the future craft hobbyists want to make choices by taking aesthetic, ecological, natural, economical and domestic aspects in consideration. Of the participants, 89% (N=324) reported that they are able to make their material choices based on their values. Based on the results of this study it can be concluded that craft hobbyists in this study are mainly interested in making sustainable craft. The results can be applied in teaching and organizing basic education, liberal adult education and commercial craft hobbyist courses to emphasize the viewpoint of sustainable craft.