Keeping Tradition Alive: Why Heritage Crafts Matter

As someone who works with traditional materials and techniques, I’ve come to realise how important it is to keep heritage crafts alive—not just as a nod to the past, but as a meaningful part of our present. One craft I keep returning to is the carving of Welsh lovespoons.

Lovespoons have a long history in Wales. Traditionally, they were carved by hand and given as tokens of affection—each symbol on the spoon carrying a message: a heart for love, a wheel for support, a chain for togetherness. While the context has changed over time, the act of carving one still carries a sense of care, time, and intention that feels increasingly rare today.

For me, conserving these kinds of crafts isn’t just about nostalgia. It’s about reconnecting with material, understanding the patience of handwork, and passing on skills that are at risk of being lost. In a fast-paced world, heritage crafts offer a slower, more grounded way of making—one that values process as much as product.

I often run carving workshops and am always struck by how people respond to holding a tool and shaping wood for the first time. It’s not just about technique—it’s about connection. And I think that’s what makes preserving crafts like lovespoon carving so important. They remind us who we are, where we’ve come from, and the value of making something with meaning.