During the height of the Covid-19 lockdown, while shops remained closed and people found themselves with a lot of time on their hands, Kiwis got busy and re-discovered some lost arts once deemed essential.
Experts in the "slow arts", everything from cheese-making to home brewing, soap courses and furniture repair, are reporting booms in interest.
Bruce Stuart of Lost Arts Knife Making teaches the intricate skill from his Clevedon workshop.
“With the recessions and things we had in 2008 and now this Covid lockdown, people I think are suddenly realising ‘Hey, we don’t actually know how to do anything.’”
Mr Stuart said he was getting an influx of interest and courses were booked up to August.
He said of people’s new-found interest in the "slow arts" is partly down to them wanting to save money.
But it also came with satisfaction, Mr Stuart said.
“When we get into these tough times people go back to those things and I think there is that inner satisfaction of making stuff that's fundamental to our existence.”
Gracie Matthews at Sewing with Gracie sewing school said she’d also been seeing an uptake.
“There's definitely been an increase of people wanting to start mending and repairing stuff and not wanting to buy things online as much,” she said.
Ms Matthews said while stores were shut, people realised their items sometimes just needed a bit of TLC instead of a replacement.
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