Crafting with friends

I took Friday and Monday off this week so I could get a break from my recent too-much-work-kick. So on Friday, I stole my niece and went to lunch with mom, and afterward I got outside for a leisurely walk with my dog. (Ahh, the simple things….)

Then, to really get my vacation off on the right foot, I headed off to the craft stores in search of Halloween decorations. I picked up a $2 pack of color-in Halloween magnets, a couple of 3D Halloween foamies kits, and some more bubble-magnet supplies. When I got home, I got started coloring my magnet right away. Then, Sis came over and she started on her magnet. After singing the stress-relieving virtues of coloring, G made one and I sent Pat home with a magnet to color too.

There isn’t much in this world I enjoy as much as getting supposedly non-crafty people to make something. I’ve found a trick you might be able to use to get your own peeps involved…. Don’t bother asking people if they want to make something - too often they’ll say something like “noooo… I’m not creative.” Personally, I believe everyone is creative, but maybe they haven’t found an outlet that appeals to them, or they just haven’t given themselves permission to be creative.

Anyway, what you do is this: start crafting. On several occasions, the boys will be practicing in the next room, and they simply get curious about what I’m doing. They’ll poke their heads in, ask me what I’m doing, and I invite them in. Before they realize they’re crafting, they’ve made a magnet, or a button, or even a painting!

Here are a couple of my tips for getting your friends and family to create together:

• Holidays are usually an exception for most people to give themselves creative freedom. Get them involved in decorating (or making decorations), making festive foods (yes, I consider cooking to be a craft), or even making cards and gifts.
• Pick simple, easy-to-finish crafts like buttons or magnets. They don’t take much time or money, and something as simple as a magnet yields a high rate of satisfaction for people who aren’t used to making things. Besides, who doesn’t like fun magnets?
• Craft kits are another way to create a lot of fun with only a little bit of creative intimidation. I especially like kids crafts kits because they’re usually cheap and if they’re easy enough for a kid to do, your significant other will be more willing to give it a try. Not only that, but with many kids crafts, there’s a sense of nostalgia from arts & crafts time when they were young. Remember those potholder looms from back in the day??
• Provide inspiration. I leave basic supplies out in plain view, along with magazines, and especially my own creative works. People often ask me about my buttons or magnets and ask where I got them. I tell them and then offer supplies to make their own. One evening after looking through my notebooks of ideas and notes, my friend Mel was even inspired to collage a page of her own in my notebook!
• Lastly, don’t criticize or be overly worried about mess. Ultimately it doesn’t matter if the end result is beautiful or not, as long as they enjoyed the process. Of course, they’ll need less convincing next time if they are happy with their piece, so again, small projects are good for non-crafters. And as for the mess, try to have a craft area so the mess can be contained, but resign yourself to cleaning up later - with a smile on your face. :0) Don’t sweat the small stuff! You’ve just had quality-time with yer peeps!

October 7, 2007 at 11:35 am | Crafting