Crossword Genius

As house decorators, they are tied to secure craft (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

painters

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'as house decorators' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.

'they are tied to secure craft' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'are' could be 'a' (short for 'are', historical unit of measurement) and 'a' is located in the answer.
'secure' could be 'pin' (pinning is a kind of securing) and 'pin' is located in the remaining letters.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for painters that I've seen before include "Constable and his ilk" , "Vermeer and Monet" , "Is parent (anag.)" , "They decorate or produce art" , "Artists or tradesmen found in pantries" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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