Key takeaways
- Crafting is a multibillion-dollar industry.
- Crafters aren’t afraid to spend money when buying supplies and tools.
- Credit card points, miles or cash back can help crafters fund their passions.
I started crafting — knitting — at the age of seven. My family was stationed at a military base near Suffolk, England, in the 1970s, and knitting was a required class at my elementary school.
But my crafting career almost ended before it began, because I despised knitting. Lucky for me, the teacher recommended I try crochet instead, and the rest is history. By age nine, my paternal grandmother started teaching me how to sew.
My lead craft is quilting, but I’m also a fiber artist, doll maker, paper crafter, handbag maker and — my newest passion — applying bling crystals to shoes, drink tumblers, clothing and handbags.
Crafters spend big on supplies
All my hobbies cost a pretty penny for tools and supplies. In the last six months, I dropped almost $1,000 on a new (to me) vintage sewing machine and an electronic paper/fabric cutter, $545 on quilting fabric and gadgets, $350 on bling supplies and $200 on miscellaneous craft-related items.
I’ve seen quilters drop $15,000+ on a quilting/sewing/embroidery machine without blinking an eye. Knitters and crocheters will spend $300+ on one roll of vicuña, one of the most expensive yarns in the world. And jewelry artists can spend thousands of dollars on gold and the best stones.
All that is a bit too rich for my blood, but I’m far from alone when it comes to my spending on crafting. The arts and crafts market grew from $41.6 billion in 2023 to $44.7 billion in 2024, according to The Business Research Company (TBRC). That growth was fueled by the rise of eco-friendly and sustainable products, a celebration of cultural diversity, a rise in gift-giving culture, increased instruction and workshops and a preference for personalized gifts. TBRC defines arts and crafts as painting and drawing, sewing and fabric, paper crafts, kids’ crafts, arts and crafts tools and more.
Craft credit card picks from real crafters
Credit cards, when used wisely, are a solid option to pay for crafting supplies. Below, crafters discuss their work and share which cards they use — cash back or travel — to cover their costs and why.
Alice Lesperance, editor, Bankrate
Alice Lesperance and her wife are crafters. “She’s a crocheter and I make jewelry. Both of these hobbies can get expensive with the cost of supplies. Using a credit card to pay for everything from crochet needles to beads can be a good way to put some money back in our pockets,” she says.
“My go-to is the Citi Double Cash® Card, which gives me 2 percent cash back on all my supplies (1 percent when I buy them, 1 percent when I pay off the purchase),” says Lesperance. “I even timed opening a new card to score a welcome bonus while paying for my wife’s crochet supplies for a big project. She was making a blanket, and the yarn alone came out to around $400 because she wanted high-quality fiber.”
Lesperance chose the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card. “I managed to hit the spending requirement for the welcome bonus just by paying for all the project supplies,” she says.
Rebecca Leigh, educator and editor, Academized.com
Rebecca Leigh has been a scrapbooker and card maker for about five years. “It’s a hobby that lets me get creative while also being a bit therapeutic,” she says.
Like most crafters, Leigh has acquired a fairly extensive inventory, from paper and stamps to die-cutters and embossing machines. She uses credit cards that earn points and miles to cover expenses.
“I primarily purchase everyday crafting supplies with the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, a card that gives me cash back on everything I buy, particularly small frequent items such as paper, glues and stamps,” says Leigh. “But for larger purchases or trips to craft stores I don’t visit as often, I usually carry the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. I can earn points for every single big item, and the points are easy to accumulate.”
Because she buys craft supplies often, Leigh says it only made sense to get rewards for stuff she’d already be spending money on. “Besides, I like the rewards [such as] travel points for a future trip or having a little bit of comfort in knowing I’m receiving something from what I already spend regularly,” she says.
Hadassah Falby, licensed insurance agent, Red Ventures Financial Services
Hadassah Falby started knitting in 2020. “It was something I always wanted to learn, but I could never find the time to figure it out. But during the lockdown I had plenty of time,” she says. “I don’t have many local opportunities [to buy] specialty yarns, but there are a plethora of them available online.”
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is Falby’s go-to for her online purchases, including yarn and yarn kit purchases. “My Quicksilver offers 1.5 percent cash back for online purchases,” she says.
Cash back earned with the Quicksilver card is treated as a fun money fund, says Falby. “I use it to buy things that I technically don’t really need, but want, such as another yarn bowl or a set of hand-carved, double-pointed knitting needles.”
Gillian Totaro, assistant marketing manager, Bankrate
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is Gillian Totaro’s card of choice for her crafts. “I buy crafting supplies because I usually shop at Michael’s or Amazon and get 2 percent back on everything,” she says. My other credit cards only give me 1 percent because [crafting is] not a special category.”
Totaro is a multi-crafter. “I do a lot of different crafts, but most commonly make watercolor or acrylic paintings, wall art with plaster and other materials, bracelets and jewelry,” she says. “I buy canvases, paint, plaster, beads, charms, chains, jewelry hooks and jump links. I craft because it’s really satisfying to create things.”
The bottom line
Crafting can be an expensive hobby, so why not use credit cards to help pay for it? You can use the cash back earned to pay for tools and supplies. With travel rewards cards, you can use points or miles to pay for splurges, such as a luxurious vacation or meal at a fancy restaurant.
Remember to check the perks on your credit cards. Issuers including American Express, Bank of America and Chase offer cash back and extra points deals for spending at certain retail stores.
“Crafting is a bit of an investment,” says Leigh. “But with the right credit cards, I can almost feel like I’m getting a small incentive for all this playing.”
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