Pinterest sewing searches jump 118%, having a moment as Canadians embrace hands-on hobbies, here’s why: CBC Radio
Interest grows online and offline
Pinterest data provided to CBC News shows Canadian searches for “sewing ideas” rose 118 per cent year over year. Searches for “beginner sewing projects” increased 67 per cent.
Repairing and reworking clothes
Sabine Weber, a fashion professor at Seneca Polytechnic College in Toronto, links the renewed interest to sustainable fashion and changing shopping habits. She says people may start by repairing thrifted clothes before trying more ambitious upcycling projects.
From first projects to new skills
In Victoria, Erin Kerr said her sewing skills developed after she started a scrunchie business called Hair of the Dog. She said hundreds of people quickly joined an email list interested in learning to sew.
Kerr said students include people drawn to slow fashion, clothing alterations and making garments from scratch. Branislava Pavlovic, who began sewing in spring 2025, made a jumpsuit from vintage Toronto Blue Jays bedsheets and wears it to games.
Ishmam Sarker began with an online tote-bag tutorial after seeing sewing videos on Instagram and TikTok. Pavlovic said sewing offers a way to step away from phones, while people in technology and administrative jobs may want a creative activity unlike their daily work.
Key points
- Canadian Pinterest searches for “sewing ideas” rose 118 per cent year over year.
- Weber cited a forecast that clothing resale would approach $6 billion in 2026.
- Sewing studios are offering classes in Toronto, while new spaces are opening or planned.
- People are sewing to repair clothes, pursue slow fashion and make creative projects.