Crafting for Those in Need
Do you sew, quilt, knit or crochet? Does your hobby help you relax, keep you busy, challenge you or do you simply find it fun? Use your crafting skills to support the organizations you care about. I’ve read the research that shows the mental health and aging benefits of crafting hobbies. And we all know how good it feels to share with others, especially with those who are most in need. Put these two together and the bounty of rewards for your efforts will be overflowing!
If you are unsure where to start, ask crafting friends for suggestions or ideas. You can also do an online search using the type of project you’d like to make and “charities” as search terms. Also consider the type of organization that you’d like to help and use the internet to seek out charities that collect handmade service projects.
An important part of the decision-making process is to contact your chosen organization first before beginning your project. You want to verify that they are accepting donations and their requirements before spending the time and energy to make things that may not be used because of being the wrong size, the wrong material or the organization simply doesn’t have the need anymore.
I personally have been crocheting for about 2 years now. I’ve made myself, my family members and my friends countless items, especially scarves. There are only so many scarves that anyone can use! Last autumn, feeling restless, I started browsing the internet for ideas for handmade charity donations. I found a New Jersey based group that was collecting warm hats and scarves for the seamen who work the great ships that transport raw materials and merchandise around the world. The handmade items are distributed on the Newark docks during the winter holidays. I discovered the charity, The Seamen’s Church Institute, during their big push for donations. Their website clearly stated the requirements and it included patterns too, so I was off! I was still making scarves, but with a new purpose and I managed, despite my slow pace, to crochet two hat and scarf sets to gift to mariners that year.
After the holidays, I looked for other organizations that I could help. I recalled that my newborn children were gifted handmade hats in the hospital. I reached out to St. Francis Medical Center, where a loved one was helped recently, and asked if they are accepting infant hats and their requirements. I was sent a set of preferred patterns (although I was told any would be fine) and I started on a crocheted hat and booties set. My first attempt turned out okay, but it took so long that I switched to loom knitting to continue to make more newborn baby items for the hospital. Consequently, I’m learning a new craft and loving the challenge of it while giving to others!
In this extraordinary time of the Covid-19 health crisis, many crafters are wanting to make handmade face masks. These can be for you, your family members or community members to wear when out for essential work and activities. Some hospitals are also accepting face masks for healthcare workers when they’re not in surgery. If your face masks will be made as donations, seek out the receiving organization to be certain that yours will be made correctly and the organization is, in fact, accepting donations.
Circumstances are changing rapidly, but at this writing the Arts Council of Princeton’s Sew Many Masks project and the Mercer Mask Project are two local groups collecting handmade face masks for distribution in our municipalities.
Face masks require simple materials, with or without sewing skills. Remember, if you are making these for yourself and family, they will need to be washed after use because they do get contaminated.
Below are 3 online tutorials to create face masks. There are many more to be found on YouTube.
The CDC has a demonstration video here for a simple, no-sew face mask for short trips outside when you’re going to be around other people.
The New York Sewing School gives instructions for a CDC compliant face mask here. (Remember that these can also be handsewn.)
One of my favorite craft instructors on YouTube shares several sewn and no-sew ideas for face masks here.
Are you looking for other charity organizations that collect and distribute handmade gifts? Here’s a list to get your decision-making process started.
Project Linus - Blankets for young children
Little Dresses for Africa - Pillowcase dresses for young girls and washable sanitary pads for teens
Operation Christmas Child - A variety of small gifts for children as part of a gift box
Soldiers Angels - Blankets, scarves, hats and more for military members and veterans
Operation Gratitude - Handmade items as part of a care package to active service members
Afgans for Afgans - Blankets for Afghanis
Knots of Love - Hats and blankets for chemotherapy patients
Snuggles Project - Objects for animal rescues and shelters
You may have heard of people making handmade Kangaroo pouches and other items for wildlife injured during the devastating fires in Australia. The wildlife organizations there were inundated with donations and are not now accepting them. Wildlife Victoria has this statement on their website.
Handcraftingwithlove.net - Many more charity organizations and projects accepting handmade gifts
If you are unsure where to start, ask crafting friends for suggestions or ideas. You can also do an online search using the type of project you’d like to make and “charities” as search terms. Also consider the type of organization that you’d like to help and use the internet to seek out charities that collect handmade service projects.
An important part of the decision-making process is to contact your chosen organization first before beginning your project. You want to verify that they are accepting donations and their requirements before spending the time and energy to make things that may not be used because of being the wrong size, the wrong material or the organization simply doesn’t have the need anymore.
I personally have been crocheting for about 2 years now. I’ve made myself, my family members and my friends countless items, especially scarves. There are only so many scarves that anyone can use! Last autumn, feeling restless, I started browsing the internet for ideas for handmade charity donations. I found a New Jersey based group that was collecting warm hats and scarves for the seamen who work the great ships that transport raw materials and merchandise around the world. The handmade items are distributed on the Newark docks during the winter holidays. I discovered the charity, The Seamen’s Church Institute, during their big push for donations. Their website clearly stated the requirements and it included patterns too, so I was off! I was still making scarves, but with a new purpose and I managed, despite my slow pace, to crochet two hat and scarf sets to gift to mariners that year.
 |
| Mariners’ scarves & hats |
After the holidays, I looked for other organizations that I could help. I recalled that my newborn children were gifted handmade hats in the hospital. I reached out to St. Francis Medical Center, where a loved one was helped recently, and asked if they are accepting infant hats and their requirements. I was sent a set of preferred patterns (although I was told any would be fine) and I started on a crocheted hat and booties set. My first attempt turned out okay, but it took so long that I switched to loom knitting to continue to make more newborn baby items for the hospital. Consequently, I’m learning a new craft and loving the challenge of it while giving to others!
 |
| My first loom knit newborn hat |
In this extraordinary time of the Covid-19 health crisis, many crafters are wanting to make handmade face masks. These can be for you, your family members or community members to wear when out for essential work and activities. Some hospitals are also accepting face masks for healthcare workers when they’re not in surgery. If your face masks will be made as donations, seek out the receiving organization to be certain that yours will be made correctly and the organization is, in fact, accepting donations.
Circumstances are changing rapidly, but at this writing the Arts Council of Princeton’s Sew Many Masks project and the Mercer Mask Project are two local groups collecting handmade face masks for distribution in our municipalities.
Face masks require simple materials, with or without sewing skills. Remember, if you are making these for yourself and family, they will need to be washed after use because they do get contaminated.
Below are 3 online tutorials to create face masks. There are many more to be found on YouTube.
The CDC has a demonstration video here for a simple, no-sew face mask for short trips outside when you’re going to be around other people.
The New York Sewing School gives instructions for a CDC compliant face mask here. (Remember that these can also be handsewn.)
One of my favorite craft instructors on YouTube shares several sewn and no-sew ideas for face masks here.
Are you looking for other charity organizations that collect and distribute handmade gifts? Here’s a list to get your decision-making process started.
Project Linus - Blankets for young children
 |
| Hightstown branch patrons learning to make fleece blankets |
Little Dresses for Africa - Pillowcase dresses for young girls and washable sanitary pads for teens
Operation Christmas Child - A variety of small gifts for children as part of a gift box
Soldiers Angels - Blankets, scarves, hats and more for military members and veterans
Operation Gratitude - Handmade items as part of a care package to active service members
Afgans for Afgans - Blankets for Afghanis
Knots of Love - Hats and blankets for chemotherapy patients
Snuggles Project - Objects for animal rescues and shelters
You may have heard of people making handmade Kangaroo pouches and other items for wildlife injured during the devastating fires in Australia. The wildlife organizations there were inundated with donations and are not now accepting them. Wildlife Victoria has this statement on their website.
Handcraftingwithlove.net - Many more charity organizations and projects accepting handmade gifts
- by Kim L., Hightstown Branch
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