Is ‘grandmacore’ the new self-care? Why young people are knitting, baking and embracing old-school hobbies

Dubai: Forget expensive wellness retreats and complicated morning routines. It's all about grandmacore. The latest self-care trend doesn’t involve green juices or meditation apps. Instead, it looks a lot like something your grandmother would have enjoyed.

From knitting oversized scarves and baking sourdough to embroidering tote bags, gardening and sewing, young people are embracing hobbies once considered old-fashioned. The internet has dubbed the movement grandmacore, and it’s becoming one of the coziest lifestyle trends around.

But beneath the floral aprons and homemade jam lies something much deeper: a desire to slow down.

Life today moves fast. Between endless notifications, busy schedules and constant scrolling, many people are craving activities that help them disconnect.

Across the UAE, that shift is becoming increasingly visible. Pottery studios are filling up with first-time ceramic artists, baking workshops are selling out, and painting classes have become a popular weekend plan among friends. Even bedazzling sessions—where people decorate everything from phone cases to hair clips with crystals and charms—are drawing crowds looking for a creative escape.

These activities aren’t about being the best artist or baker. They’re about spending a few hours making something with your hands, chatting with friends and forgetting about your phone for a while.

Sometimes, self-care looks less like a spa day and more like getting clay under your fingernails.

There’s something deeply satisfying about making something from scratch.

Whether it’s pulling warm cookies from the oven, glazing your first pottery bowl or finishing a crochet project after weeks of work, these hobbies offer a sense of accomplishment that feels refreshingly real.

Unlike social media, where everything appears polished and perfect, handmade creations celebrate imperfections. A lopsided mug or uneven stitches become part of the story.

Perhaps that’s exactly why so many people are falling in love with these slower crafts.

Grandmacore isn’t just about hobbies. It’s also inspiring a return to traditional beauty rituals that many of us grew up watching our mothers and grandmothers practice.

Instead of buying the latest trending skincare product, some young people are revisiting homemade remedies passed down through generations. Think washing your hair with sidr, mixing nila with rose water into a brightening face mask, or creating simple date-infused oils and serums for lashes and eyebrows using ingredients found at home.

For many, these rituals carry more than skincare benefits. They bring back memories of childhood weekends, family gatherings and watching their grandmothers prepare natural treatments with care.

It’s beauty rooted in tradition, nostalgia and simplicity.

Social media may have helped popularise grandmacore through cosy videos of baking, embroidery and vintage-inspired homes, but the trend’s appeal runs much deeper than its aesthetic.

At its heart, it’s about finding joy in slowing down. It’s choosing experiences over endless scrolling, creativity over productivity and presence over perfection.

In a world where we’re constantly encouraged to do more, buy more and move faster, grandmacore quietly reminds us that some of the best forms of self-care have been around for generations.

Maybe our grandmothers weren’t following a wellness trend after all. Maybe they simply knew that a slower life could also be a happier one.