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• arts and crafts
  arts and crafts

  noun

  the handcrafting and decoration of especially utilitarian objects.
• Arts and Crafts
  Arts and Crafts

  plural noun

  decorative handicraft and design, esp that of the Arts and Crafts movement , in late nineteenth-century Britain, which sought to revive medieval craftsmanship

arts and crafts

American  

noun

1. the handcrafting and decoration of especially utilitarian objects.

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Arts and Crafts British  

plural noun

1. decorative handicraft and design, esp that of the Arts and Crafts movement , in late nineteenth-century Britain, which sought to revive medieval craftsmanship

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Etymology

Origin of arts and crafts

First recorded in 1885–90

Compare meaning

How does arts-and-crafts compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• arts and crafts vs. craftsman

Example Sentences

Arts and crafts are a centerpiece of the yearly event, and that will be no different this year, with an emphasis on healing via the arts in the wake of the recent L.A. wildfires.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2025

Arts and crafts are available, including beading, knitting, paper art, crochet and ceramics.

From New York Times • May 30, 2023

Arts and crafts retailer Michaels Companies Inc is hiring 15,000 seasonal positions ahead of the holiday season, down from the 20,000 it hired last year.

From Reuters • Oct. 6, 2022

Arts and crafts guru Lauren Campanella created a DIY tutorial video displaying the "Valentine Gift Idea" and shared it to her TikTok account @rubylbc1.

From Fox News • Feb. 11, 2022

Arts and crafts moved from the household into the workshop, where they expanded both in extent and in complexity.

From Civilization and Beyond Learning from History by Nearing, Scott