手芸(しゅげい)

手芸(しゅげい) covers hand crafts worked in thread and fabric. It does not stretch to woodworking, pottery, or metalwork — those fall under 工芸(こうげい). Knowing where the line falls matters, because the two words are both translated "crafts" in English.

What IT covers

• 編(あ)み物(もの): knitting and crochet
• 刺繍(ししゅう): embroidery
• 裁縫(さいほう): sewing
• パッチワーク: patchwork; ビーズ細工(ざいく): beadwork

Common collocations

• 手芸(しゅげい)をする: do handicrafts
• 手芸(しゅげい)店(てん): craft shop
• 手芸(しゅげい)用品(ようひん): craft supplies
• 手芸(しゅげい)教室(きょうしつ): a handicraft class, the usual way adults take the hobby up

Similar words

• 工芸(こうげい) is the broad word for crafts and applied arts, including pottery and lacquer, and carries a whiff of professional or traditional production.
• 手作(てづく)り describes any object made by hand rather than bought, food included; it says how something was made, not what kind of craft it is.
• ハンドメイド is the loanword, used mostly of items sold online.