Julkaistu
Towards a more sustainable future
Basic repair and renovation skills are important civic skills that everyone should be able to master. When we know how to regularly maintain our shoes, clean and oil a wooden chopping board, sew a loose button on a garment or mend a hole in a sweater we love, we can take small steps to make these everyday items last longer, instead of letting what is broken end up as environmentally harmful waste.
The Finnish Crafts Organization has named repair and renovation the craft of the year 2025.
People want to adopt more sustainable ways of using and maintaining products.
“Repairing, maintaining and refurbishing clothes and furniture have been everyday skills for Finns for generations. However, in recent decades, the disposable culture has taken over the sector, and at the same time these important everyday skills have gradually taken a back seat. Disposable consumption is not a sustainable option, and it is important that each of us learns to extend the life of our consumer goods. On a positive note, there has been a renewed interest in repair skills in recent years – people want to adopt more sustainable ways of using and maintaining the products they own,” says Minna Hyytiäinen, Executive Director of The Finnish Crafts Organization Taito.
Removing paint from an old window with a scraper and a heat gun.
Increased interest in renovation skills
Fortunately, people’s interest in repair skills has grown in recent years. According to the recent Crafts as a hobby in Finland 2024 consumer survey (Taitoliitto & Taloustutkimus), 19% of Finns say they do mending, patching or other textile repairs several times a month and up to 75% do it at least occasionally. Painting, redecorating and home improvements are also very popular, with 84% of Finns doing them at least occasionally.
Many repair-related skills that were once taken for granted as basic everyday skills learned at home no longer necessarily carry over as skills learned at home. This is why courses and workshops on basic repair and renovation skills are also very popular today. Indeed, repair is a particularly good opportunity for community learning, with peer-to-peer tips and lessons and skill sharing being central to the transfer and maintenance of craft and repair skills.
Mending clothes is an easy way to extend the life of textiles and thus reduce textile waste. Photo by Sonja Karlsson.
An ecological and economical choice
Repair and refurbishment are also ecologically and economically sustainable choices. Refurbishing old items can prevent unnecessary waste and reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing new products. At the same time, you save money by extending the life of your objects. Refurbishing is also an opportunity to create something new on top of something old – a refurbished item can take on a whole new life and become more loved and valued.
Understanding repair and renovation also increases appreciation for craftsmanship and craftspeople. The Craft of the Year nomination is also about highlighting the value of using the services of professionals, you don’t have to know how to do everything yourself. Skilled craftsmen and repairers not only create something new, they also preserve the old. When you know how to do renovations yourself, you know how to turn to a professional when you need one.
This was the ninth year that the nomination of craft of the year was made. With the craft of the year, The Finnish Crafts Organization wants to highlight current craft phenomena and raise awareness and appreciation of different craft skills.