Dubai: Forget expensive wellness holidays and complicated morning routines. It’s all about grandma. The latest self-care trend doesn’t involve green juices or meditation apps. Instead, it looks a lot like something your grandma would have enjoyed.
From knitting oversized scarves and baking sourdough to embroidering bags, gardening and sewing, young people are embracing hobbies that were once considered old-fashioned. The Internet has called the movement Grandmothersand it’s becoming one of the most comfortable lifestyle trends around.
But beneath the floral apron and homemade jam lies something much deeper: the desire to slow down.
Trading displays for slow hobbyists
Life moves fast today. Between endless notifications, busy schedules, and constant movement, many people crave activities that help them disconnect.
Across the UAE, this change is becoming increasingly apparent. 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 amazing sessions – where people decorate everything from phone cases to hair clips with crystals and charms – are drawing crowds in search of a creative escape.
These activities are not about being the best artist or baker. They are to spend a few hours doing something with your hands, chatting with friends and forgetting about your phone for a while.
Sometimes, self-care feels less like a spa day and more like getting mud under your nails.
The convenience of creation
There is something deeply satisfying about making something from scratch.
Whether it’s pulling warm cookies out of the oven, polishing your first ceramic bowl, or finishing a crochet project after weeks of work, these hobbies provide a sense of accomplishment that feels refreshingly real.
Unlike social media, where everything looks polished and perfect, handmade creations celebrate imperfections. A side mug or uneven seams become part of the story.
Perhaps this is exactly why so many people are falling in love with these slower crafts.
Grandma knew best
Grandmacore isn’t just about hobbies. It’s also inspiring a return to the traditional beauty rituals that many of us grew up watching our mothers and grandmothers practice.
Instead of buying the latest trendy skin care product, some young people are revisiting homemade remedies passed down through the generations. Consider washing your hair with cider, mixing nila with rose water into an illuminating face mask, or creating simple date oils and serums for lashes and brows using ingredients found around the house.
For many people, these rituals have more than skin care benefits. They bring back memories of childhood weekends, family gatherings and watching their grandmothers carefully prepare natural treats.
It is beauty rooted in tradition, nostalgia and simplicity.
More than just an aesthetic
Social media may have helped popularize grandmas through cozy videos of baking, embroidery and vintage-inspired homes, but the trend’s appeal goes much deeper than its aesthetics.
At its heart, it’s about finding joy in slowing down. It’s choosing experiences over endless motion, creativity over productivity, and presence over perfection.
In a world where we’re constantly encouraged to do more, buy more, and move faster, Grandma 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 just knew that a slower life could be even happier.
