Crafting Resistance: How Handmade Art and Objects Have Shaped Movements

Crafting is often viewed as a peaceful, personal, and intimate activity—something people do in their spare time to create, unwind, or express creativity. However, throughout history, crafting has been more than just a hobby; it has served as a powerful tool in resistance movements, providing both a form of protest and a means of survival. From the production of clandestine symbols to the creation of tools of defiance, crafts have long been woven into the fabric of social movements, offering a quiet yet potent method of rebellion.

This blog post explores how crafts have been used in resistance movements throughout history, highlighting five significant examples where art, textiles, and handmade goods played a critical role in challenging oppression, dictating public opinion, and fostering solidarity among oppressed groups.

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The Suffragette Sashes and Banners: Crafting the Vote

One of the most iconic forms of crafting in a resistance movement can be traced back to the early 20th century in the United Kingdom and the United States—during the women’s suffrage movements. While suffragists and suffragettes fought for the right to vote, they also created lasting symbols of resistance through their craftwork. Handmade sashes, banners, and embroidery were all used as visual tools to amplify their message and make a statement.

In the UK, suffragettes from the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) led by Emmeline Pankhurst, utilized the colors purple, white, and green to symbolize their cause. The purple represented dignity, white for purity, and green for hope. The women would craft these sashes and banners by hand, each one becoming a visual protest as they marched and rallied. The act of crafting these items in public was a form of nonviolent resistance—defying the status quo and reclaiming space in the political arena.

In the United States, suffragists also used embroidery to tell their stories. Some women embroidered phrases like “Votes for Women” on handkerchiefs, banners, and other textile items, which they used in public demonstrations. These objects were not only functional but symbolized a deeper resistance, reminding the public that women were not merely passive observers in society but active participants demanding change.

These crafted items of resistance were more than just fabric—they were the physical manifestation of a long-fought struggle for equality, empowering women to create, to speak out, and to act in ways that would ultimately change the course of history.

Books to read:

Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence

Deeds Not Words: Celebrating 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage

Woman Suffrage and Politics: The Inner Story of the Suffrage Movement

The Underground Railroad: Quilts as Coded Messages

During the abolitionist movement in the United States, enslaved African Americans sought freedom via the Underground Railroad—a network of secret routes and safe houses used to escape the South. Although the Underground Railroad is often remembered for its daring escape stories and brave conductors, many people forget that it was also marked by quiet, everyday acts of defiance. One of the most fascinating and lesser-known aspects of this resistance was the use of quilts as secretive, coded messages.

Historians have long debated the role of quilts in the Underground Railroad. Some argue that they were used as a way to communicate important information to escaping slaves. According to the theory, specific patterns and colors in quilts were used to guide runaways on their journey north. For instance, the “Bowtie” quilt pattern might signal that it’s time to pack, while the “Log Cabin” pattern could represent safety—pointing to a location of refuge or shelter. The use of quilting, often seen as a domestic craft, became a clever method for those involved in the abolitionist movement to circumvent the law and evade detection. There are ongoing arguments as to the extent of how these quilts were used–most agree that quilts were at least used somewhat.

Not only did these quilts serve as a means of communication, but they also helped to build a sense of community and solidarity among those fighting for freedom. By utilizing craft, enslaved people were able to communicate in a coded language that could not easily be deciphered by outsiders, making quilts an invaluable tool in their resistance.

Books to read:

Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad Sampler

Facts and Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts and Slavery

The Native American Activist Movement: Crafting Culture and Resistance

In the 1960s and 1970s, Native American activists took to the streets and engaged in civil disobedience to demand recognition of their rights and sovereignty. One of the most significant events in this period was the occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969, where a group of Native American activists declared the island “Indian Land.” During this protest, cultural expression—particularly through traditional crafts—became a key element of the resistance.

Crafts such as beadwork, basket weaving, and pottery, which are central to Native American cultural identity, were used as forms of both solidarity and protest. By showcasing their artistry, Native American activists were able to assert their identity and demand recognition for their cultural heritage, all while resisting the government’s attempts to erase their traditions and way of life. The act of creating and sharing these traditional crafts was not just an aesthetic endeavor but an assertion of cultural pride and a refusal to be silenced.

For example, at the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee in South Dakota, activists used beadwork and other crafts as a form of protest against the U.S. government’s treatment of Native Americans. These handmade objects, often displayed in public demonstrations, became symbols of resistance—asserting their right to exist, to practice their traditions, and to demand justice for past atrocities.

In this way, crafting became an act of preservation, defiance, and resilience. It allowed Native American activists to maintain a connection to their history, assert their sovereignty, and resist the forces that sought to assimilate or annihilate their culture.

Books to read:

Like a Hurricane: The Indian Movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee

Of All Tribes: American Indians and Alcatraz

Knitting for Peace: The Craftivist Movement

The concept of “craftivism”—a portmanteau of “craft” and “activism”—has gained significant popularity in recent years, as individuals and groups use crafting as a way to engage in political activism. The practice includes a range of craft activities such as knitting, embroidery, and crochet, often with messages related to peace, justice, and social change. Knitting circles, in particular, have become sites of resistance, where individuals create items that symbolize protest and collective action.

One notable example is the “Knitters for Peace” movement, which saw knitters around the world coming together to make handmade items such as scarves, hats, and blankets to send to people affected by war or poverty. This form of resistance is quiet but deeply impactful. By producing handcrafted goods and sending them to those in need, crafters express solidarity with marginalized communities, challenge societal injustices, and show their commitment to peace.

The practice of knitting for political causes, particularly as part of larger political movements, became more widely recognized in the 2000s. In the States (and beyond), knitters came together to create “yarn bombs,” or yarn graffiti, that covered statues and public spaces with knitted objects. This subversive act of covering public spaces with brightly colored yarn created a visual protest against political and social issues such as austerity measures, military action, and economic inequality.

Craftivism represents a form of soft resistance, where the act of creating becomes an act of subversion. In an era dominated by digital protests and viral hashtags, the deliberate and mindful act of creating something by hand invites reflection, community-building, and a deeper connection to the causes one is fighting for.

Books to read:

Knitting for Peace

Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti

The Women of the French Resistance: Crochet, Knitting, and Civil Disobedience

During World War II, as Nazi Germany occupied France, many French citizens participated in a variety of resistance activities. Among these were the women of the French Resistance, who played crucial roles in smuggling messages, hiding refugees, and sabotaging German operations. What is less widely known, however, is the role that crafts—particularly knitting and crochet—played in these resistance efforts.

While many of the men were involved in underground operations, the women were often tasked with blending in and maintaining a sense of normalcy while secretly organizing acts of resistance. One of the ways they did this was through the use of knitting and crochet. These seemingly innocent crafts allowed women to convey important messages through coded patterns. For example, the act of knitting or crocheting with particular colors or designs was sometimes used to indicate which safe houses were available, where supplies were needed, or where partisan groups were active.

In some cases, these women also made clothing and blankets for those in hiding, knitting as a cover for their resistance activities while simultaneously providing crucial support to the underground movement. The mundane activity of crafting became an act of courage, where every stitch represented a small rebellion against the occupying forces.

These women’s acts of resistance, small yet impactful, serve as a reminder of the power of everyday actions in times of great adversity. Through crafting, these women not only defied the occupiers but also strengthened their communities, offering hope and solidarity through their creative expressions.

Books to read:

Sisters in the Resistance

Code Name Christiane Clouet: A Woman in the French Resistance

Resistance: A Frenchwoman’s Journal of the War

Conclusion: Crafting as a Tool of Resistance

Crafting has long been a quiet yet powerful tool in resistance movements across the globe. Whether it’s the suffragettes using sashes and banners to march for women’s rights, the abolitionists using quilts to guide enslaved people to freedom, or modern-day craftivists knitting for peace, crafting has served as a vehicle for both protest and survival. These examples underscore the versatility of craft as a method of resistance—blending creativity with defiance, art with activism, and tradition with innovation.

In a world where large-scale movements can often feel disconnected or overwhelming, crafting offers a deeply personal way to participate in resistance. It allows individuals to connect with their heritage, with one another, and with the larger struggle for justice. Whether through fabric, yarn, or other materials, crafting provides an opportunity to create something meaningful—something that is not only a reflection of the struggle but also a symbol of hope, resilience, and resistance.

In the end, crafting shows us that resistance does not always need to be loud or aggressive. Sometimes, the most powerful acts of protest come from quiet acts of creation that, over time, weave together a story of defiance and determination.