Dive Brief:

• Pinterest and arts and crafts specialty retailer Michaels have partnered to launch Make It Kits, packages that include all the necessary supplies consumers need to create specific craft projects trending on the social media platform.

• The kits are available exclusively through Michaels, and Michaels Rewards customers are being given a members-only early access opportunity on Thursday to buy the first Make It Kit: "Shibori for Your Home" via Promoted Pins and a special email offer, the companies said. The kit features a Shibori style dyeing project. Other kits will become available on the Michaels website starting Friday.

• Pinterest said that searches on its site related to the Japanese shibori-style dyeing technique have increased 56% in the past year, with Pinners saving 2.6 million ideas in 2016.

Dive Insight:

This is one of those partnerships that seems so natural that it's hard to believe it didn't come together sooner. Well, actually, Pinterest and Michaels have come together before, although in a different way. Back in 2015, when Pinterest was first rolling out buyable pins, Michaels was one of the first retailers involved in the program.

Pinterest said it has seen more than 1.7 billion home décor Pins, and more than 27 million people saving home décor content. That's a lot of Pinterest users who could be sent to Michaels for their home decor and craft shopping. In fact, Michaels officials have said the retailer has cashed in on the DIY market opportunity that Pinterest has been stoking.

This particular arrangement, though, seems like a very big win for Michaels — getting an exclusive sales partnership with one of the major social media communities. The focus on trending craft project ideas gives the kits a currency and freshness that most retailers can only dream about.

However, it's also a pretty good arrangement for Pinterest at a time when it has been trying to strengthen its relationships with retailers. As Amazon remains dominant on the e-commerce landscape, the other giants of the Internet — Google and Facebook — are making their own plays to become more relevant as shopping destinations, or more useful during the shopping process, or both. Pinterest needs to kep up, and maintain strong retail connections where it can.