Pinterest quarantine microtrends: Creativity shines bright in May
As we navigate the ‘new normal,’ of quarantine, Pinners are seeking out creative ways to adjust while staying positive. With kids out of school, parents are thinking outside the box when it comes to both education and play—more time within four walls means more time to decorate them, outdoor areas are finally getting garden glow-ups, and cooking trends have taken a turn to bread’s BFF—in the form of authentic pasta and noodle recipes from around the world. Read on to take a deeper dive into Pinterest’s top-searched May trends.
Keeping up with the kiddos
The absence of school and collaborative activities have parents looking for creative ways to maintain a sense of normalcy. When the weekend comes, parents are organising virtual get-togethers for their kids evidenced by searches for ‘virtual sleepover ideas’ up 799%* and ‘kids virtual birthday party’ (26X more searches). Virtual games such as scavenger hunts are a particularly popular entertainment choice. Pinners are also searching for educational and artistic DIY activities for kids like ‘free virtual school trips’ (up 183%) and ‘stained glass windows diy kids’ (82X more searches).
All about wall art
Battle boredom with art. Pinners are leaning into wall art projects, looking for specific methods to creatively amp up their indoor design. DIY tutorials range from more minimalist—like ‘triangle wall paint’ (12X more searches) and ‘accent wall dots’ (14.5X more searches) to more extensive and artistic endeavors—like ‘electrical tape wall art’ (13X more searches) and ‘collage wall prints’ (up 705%).
Local spotlight: When the inside is complete, it’s time to head outside, where ‘garden wall art’ searches are up 360% in the UK alone.
Outdoor glow-ups galore
Once the walls are done, Pinners are turning to their backyards and patios, balconies, or any other small outside space for a little spring refresh inspiration. Searches for ‘deck renovation ideas’ are up 97% and ‘backyard renovation ideas’ are up 98%. Keeping costs down is also a consideration with ‘DIY small patio ideas on a budget’ up 658% and ‘budget garden inspiration ideas’ up 528%. Once the work is done, a little beverage is in order with the help of a homemade ‘pallet bar diy outdoor’ project (up 105%).
Local spotlight: The French are getting their hands dirty with rustic chic renovations a la the ‘outdoor pallet coffee table’ (up 448%).
Oodles of noodles recipes
Once the sourdough starter is on the rise and the banana bread is baked, people are taking their love for pasta to the next level by exploring what’s already in the pantry, but mixing it up with recipes from around the world. Everything from the ‘homemade fettuccine noodles’ (up 471%) of Italy to the classic Polynesian ‘Ohana noodle recipe’ (up 394%), the ‘beef ramen noodles’ (up 320%) of Japan, Chinese ‘biang biang noodles’ (up 113%), and just the right Jewish ‘noodle kugel recipe’ (up 284%).
Local spotlight: Germans are especially on the lookout for ‘green asparagus noodle recipe’ (13X more searches), a spring veggie-ful dish that’s both colorful and delicious.
*Methodology: Increases are calculated using normalized searches from the four week period of 2/24/20-3/22/20 to the four week period of 3/23/20-4/19/20.