Although it may sound totally counterintuitive, your home’s design can actually be perfectly imperfect. In fact, that’s what the Japanese aesthetic known as wabi-sabi is all about, where imperfection is celebrated rather than discouraged. According to data presented in Michaels’ 2026 Creativity Trend Report, wabi-sabi is going to be aesthetically huge this year, especially for anyone looking to redecorate their spaces in a DIY style.
“After years of hyper-polished feeds and showroom-perfect homes, people are embracing the beauty of imperfection,” Michaels’ report reads, sourcing sales data from its stores and consumer insights to create its annual forecast. “Wabi-sabi spaces celebrate texture, visible brushstrokes, uneven stitching, and layered finishes.”
Unlike other interior design styles and 2026 trends, handmade decor is suited to embody true wabi-sabi style: DIY decorating doesn’t hinge on replicating an idea perfectly. True DIY projects allow you to add your own touch and make something completely one-of-a-kind.
“Oil pastels, visible mending, plaster art, and mixed-media wall pieces add depth and personality that mass production can’t replicate,” the report continues. “The charm is in the irregularity.”
How to Work Wabi-Sabi Touches into Any Space
Need a bit of inspiration to get going on creating items for a new wabi-sabi aesthetic? Check out Michaels’ selection of art kits to allow yourself to play within some guidelines. This flower collage paint-by-number kit offers space for wabi-sabi to take root while still resulting in a piece you’ll want to hang on your wall.
Michaels’ relief paintings are similar to the paint-by-numbers kits, but they add texture to your space thanks to the raised image on the canvas. You can take a piece from a master you already love and give it your own personal touch with these sets.
Or, if you’re not feeling artistically inclined, you can grab a piece of finished art from Michaels that leans into the wabi-sabi trend. This framed bandanna art fits perfectly because it looks unique and aged, and the imperfections of the fabric give the bandanna a lived-in look.
Wabi-sabi has been around seemingly forever — but if you haven’t yet embraced it, get ready to start seeing many viral DIY projects that push you to create unique pieces with flaws. Getting crafty might just change your life (and aesthetic!) forever.
