5 Projects That Take Crafting for Loved Ones to the Next Level

Blogger and author Kathryn Vercillo shares five creative exercises that you can use to show your love through crafting. Read her previous blog posts on the Lion Brand Notebook here.

Crafters are a generous lot. We often crochet and knit for others. We craft gifts for birthdays and holidays. We knit and crochet prayer shawls for strangers. We infuse our handmade items with love, and hope that love comes through for the recipient. It’s a wonderful thing. But we can go even further with this intention, choosing ways to craft for and with the people we love, so that the love comes through in deeper and more meaningful ways.

Here are five ideas for making that happen:

1. Appreciation Blanket + Journal. This is a twist on the crochet mood blanket, a popular project this year. Each day (or week) you crochet/ knit either one row or one motif (such as a granny square) that will go into a blanket intended for a special person. Select colors based on the feeling you have for the person each day you work on it. For example, the blanket will have rows of red when you feel love, pink for appreciation, and white for awe. Write down this color code in the front page of a journal. After each row, write a single line expressing why you chose that color for that day. In the end, you’ll have a cozy blanket and this touching journal that will be treasured forever. This is a great gift for pregnant moms seeking to create baby’s first blanket with intentional love.

Little Boy Blue Blanket

2. Family Craft Hour. Make it a norm in your home that the entire family enjoys a craft hour each day. This offers similar benefits to the traditional family dinner. You have the opportunity to share stories about your day, opening up room for important conversations as well as creating lifelong memories. Perhaps you will all crochet / knit together but you don’t have to; you can do your yarncrafting while the spouse and kids each do the crafts they individually enjoy. Crafting side by side creates amazing connections over time. This option is especially great during these cold winter days when many people are crafting through cabin fever.

3. Crochet/ Knit Book Club. Add some creative sparks to your friendships by starting a crafty book club that revolves around crochet and knitting. There are many fiction and non-fiction books about these crafts that you can read together. Crochet/ knit together while discussing the books each month and watch your relationships grow in a new way.

4. Creative Date Nights. Start a date night with your partner around crafting. Take turns choosing the craft. You can introduce him to knitting or crochet if you’re open to learning about his model-making, woodworking or other preferred craft. Pretend that you’ve just met again and practice openness, interest and gratitude for learning from one another. There will be a lot of laughs and a lot of great bonding.

5. Volunteer to Teach Crochet/Knitting. Many parents like to get their kids involved in volunteering. It’s a great way to show them how to use their own skills and talents to give back. For example, teach the basics of crochet to your children and then volunteer together to teach this to others. Schools, hospitals, nursing homes and community groups are all great places to volunteer your craft skills. This is a loving way to bond with your children in a big way.

I’d love to hear your suggestions for other ways to share love through crochet and knitting. How have you done it? What here inspires you to try something new? Share your thoughts in the comments below!