Elements of Crafts that Enhance Well-Being Textile Craft Makers' Descriptions of Their Leisure Activity

The main goals of this study are to depict the elements reported to enhance well-being in the descriptions of craft-making participants and to describe the meanings behind crafting. The study is based on written narratives of 59 female textile craft makers aged 19 to 84. The analysis revealed that the elements that participants characterized as enhancing their well-being were the following: the raw materials, the artefacts, the sense of achievement, the possibilities for personal growth, the development of physical and cognitive skills, the control of one's body and feelings, and the social and cultural dimensions of craft. Craft as a meaningful leisure activity had positive effects on the craft makers' well-being by fostering the feelings of self-managing and empowerment.