5 New Year Resolutions That Connect You to India's Craft Heritage

Firstly, we wish you an incredible New Year from team Refash, filled with warmth and joy. As we step into a new phase, you may already have a list of resolutions. Maybe it is a new gym routine, more salads, more water, or fewer impulse buys. But this time we are breaking the usual ones and sharing some doable and thoughtful resolutions that celebrate our very own Indian crafts and support our artisans who keep them alive.

You may be someone who values handmade things. You might have bought a few block printed kurtas or admired that handloom stall at an exhibition, but life gets busy, fast deliveries feel easier, and slowly timeless practices get lost in the middle of all this.

Indian craftsmanship holds unbeatable skills, and in the end it comes down to everyday choices that help boost an economy and help a craft survive. So if you are looking for mindful resolutions this year, start with these five.

1. Appreciate Visible Mending Like the Kantha Stories Your Grandmom Told

Say bye bye to throwing away small wear and tear on your sleeve or a worn blouse. Try repairing it the way your grandmother once did. Try kantha from Bengal or maybe sujani embroidery. Visible mending fixes and honours what already exists and makes your wardrobe soulful instead of disposable.

2. The Next Time You Gift Someone, Choose a GI-Tagged Craft Directly From an Artisan

This new year, instead of picking something mass produced, choose a gift that has history. You could choose a handwoven Ilkal stole from Karnataka, a longpi black pottery piece from Manipur, a hand painted Pattachitra scroll from Odisha, or a Cheriyal scroll from a Telangana artisan. 

Buying directly from verified artisans or trusted craft collectives makes sure your money goes where it matters. Your gift will make the receiver happy and also sustain a living tradition.

(Image Credit: Telangana Tourism Arts and Crafts, Government of Telangana)

3. Explore 12 Indian Art Forms From Different Regions, One Per Month Throughout the Year

Make 2026 your year of craft discovery by learning about one craft every month. January could be for Channapatna toys, February for Rogan art, March for Toda embroidery, and so on. Take some time to explore new crafts. 

You always have our blogs and Instagram to look through. You can follow craft revivalists or speak to elders who remember how things were made earlier. Soon you will start noticing how Ajrakh differs from Bagru and how weaving patterns follow their own kind of maths.

(Image Credit: Rogan Painting - Gujarat Tourism)

4. Make Gentle Swaps Towards Handmade and Legacy Clothing

No guilt tripping and no pressure because that is never the point. You slowly make ethical swaps. Maybe you choose handloom over synthetics or natural dyed prints instead of mass printed polyesters, or legacy pieces that become heirlooms that last longer.

(Image Credit: Words of Wisdom Collection by Kashesh Global)

5. If You Travel Somewhere New in India, Try to Make Time for a Craft Experience

This year, when you travel to a new place, visit a nearby craft village. India has 744 handicraft clusters. Speak to artisans if possible and understand what goes into their work. You could visit Kutch in Gujarat, Raghurajpur in Odisha, or Diezephe in Nagaland. These slow experiences give you more than souvenirs because you return with a greater appreciation of how culture survives.

(Image Credit: Bhunga from Kutch, by Suman Bajpai)

Supporting Indian craftsmanship this year lets your resolutions speak about what you value. Let the items you choose be for legacy and not for landfill. When we make room for that, even in the smallest ways, we help a great community that depends on ancestral crafts for their livelihoods and the silent struggle of those who are fighting for its survival every single day.