“Something timeless and widely loved…”: Jo Lochhead on what makes a brand right for The Crafty Kit Company

Jo, it’s great to connect. For anyone new to The Crafty Kit Company, what should they know about what you do?
The Crafty Kit Company is all about bringing the joy of crafting to as many people as possible. Founded in Scotland in 2013, we specialise in beautifully designed craft kits that make creativity accessible to everyone, whether they’re beginners or seasoned makers.

Our kits cover a range of crafts – from needle felting to cross-stitch – and are designed to inspire confidence, mindfulness and a sense of achievement. We’re passionate about quality, sustainability and supporting independent retailers – making sure our products are as kind to the planet as they are fun to create.

What inspired you to set up your business?
My creative business journey actually began in 2004 when I opened Scotland’s first dedicated bead shop. Over time, we expanded into yarn and textiles. By 2012, we had started developing our own range of sewing, knitting, and crochet kits.

In 2013, we took these kits to our first trade show under the Bead Shop Scotland brand, and the response was phenomenal. It quickly became clear that the kits deserved a company of their own, and just two weeks later, The Crafty Kit Company Ltd was born.

Great! Part of your portfolio includes kits that feature licenses like Peter Rabbit and the Moomins. What role does licensing play in your business?
Licensing allows us to bring beloved characters to life in a whole new way. Working with brands like Peter Rabbit and the Moomins lets us tap into a nostalgic and loyal audience, offering them a chance to engage with their favourite stories through craft. It also helps us reach new customers who might not have discovered our kits otherwise.

What makes a good license for you?
A good license is one that fits naturally within our brand and crafting style. It needs to have a strong emotional connection with our audience – something timeless and widely loved. We also look for licenses where the creative possibilities align with our kits, so we can design something that feels authentic and exciting to make.

We have a fairly tight set of criteria for the licences that we choose to partner with – each of them features characters that will be familiar to our customers from their own childhoods.

And what kickstarts the development process on one of your kits?
We have a structured approach to new product development, but we also stay flexible enough to explore ideas as they come. We look at market trends, customer feedback and what’s already performing well in our range.

We also take inspiration from nature, traditional crafts and cultural trends. A big part of our process is making sure every new kit fits within our brand – something that’s easy to follow, gives crafters a real sense of achievement and aligns with our values of mindfulness and creativity.

Thinking about designing the licensed products in your range, how does this work in terms of the approvals process and sharing creative thinking with a brand owner?
The approvals process is very collaborative, but also quite detailed. We work closely with the brand owners to ensure our designs reflect the essence of their characters while still aligning with our own crafting style. Everything from colour palettes to small design details needs to be approved, which takes time but ensures the final product is something both we and the brand owners are proud of.

Do you have any advice for other companies looking to start developing licensed products?
Be prepared for multiple rounds of feedback and factor in extra time for approvals when planning your product launches.

Great. Now, are there any key elements that make up a ‘winning formula’ when developing your products?
A winning product is one that ticks multiple boxes: it needs to be visually appealing, easy to follow, and give the crafter a satisfying end result. We also look at how well it fits with our existing range and whether it sparks enthusiasm from our customers. If a design gets a great reaction from our team and early testers, that’s usually a good sign!

You recently attended the CHSI Stitches show. Thinking about this and other trade shows, what is the purpose behind attending for you?
Trade shows are a brilliant way for us to connect with retailers, showcase our latest products and get direct feedback from industry professionals. Before attending, we set clear goals – whether that’s launching a new range, strengthening relationships with stockists or spotting trends in the industry.

It’s also a chance to see what’s happening in the wider craft world and gather inspiration. CHSI Stitches was the first trade show that we attended so it holds a special place in my heart.

“It needs to be visually appealing, easy to follow, and give the crafter a satisfying end result.”

Thinking about the crafting category, are there any market trends that you have engaged with over the last year or so?
There’s been a definite shift towards mindfulness and crafting for well-being. People are looking for ways to slow down, reduce screen time and do something with their hands. We’ve responded by emphasising the therapeutic benefits of our kits and making sure our designs are accessible to beginners.

Sustainability is also a growing concern, so we continue to prioritise eco-friendly materials and packaging. Our goal is to produce kits that are plastic-free and we’re delighted to say that we’ve achieved this with our latest range of Mini Matchbox Cross Stitch Kits – even down to the bio-degradable sealing stickers.

How do you keep in touch with your consumers? Are you able to get insights from them?
We love engaging with our customers! Social media is a big part of that – we see what people are making, what they love and what they struggle with. We also get direct feedback through customer service, reviews and our email newsletters. We encourage makers to share their finished kits with us, and seeing their creations helps us understand what’s resonating with them.

Before we wrap up, what new products do you have in the pipeline for 2025 and 2026?
Following the successful launch of the new range of Mini Matchbox Cross Stitch Kits at CHSI Stitches this year, we’re continuing to work on expanding this offering, with another 100 of these designs in the pipeline!

We’re also working on product development for our latest brand collaboration with Peanuts. I’m very excited to be creating needle felting, cross stitch and embroidery kits featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang! I’ve also been working with book publishers Search Press and looking forward to the launch of my second book this autumn.

Fantastic. And finally, do you have a favourite product in your portfolio? What makes it your favourite?
What a tricky question! We’ve released hundreds of products over the years and it’s difficult to choose just one. The first kit I ever created was a crocheted apple, and although it’s no longer in our catalogue, it was special to me for being the product that launched The Crafty Kit Company.

I’ve continued with the apple theme – the first Mini Matchbox Cross Stitch Kit was an apple with the slogan “You’re the apple of my eye!” I guess I must just really love apples!

Ha! Thanks again Jo. Let’s tie-in again soon.