Random Acts of Kindness: Crafting Kindness!

Today marked the end of National Random Acts of Kindness Week. But every day is the right day to be kind! This week, however, we take the time to bump kindness to the forefront of our minds. Contemplating all the small opportunities life presents each day to warm the world for someone else. Crafters know the joy of making something special for a loved one, but what about for a stranger? Read on for the heartwarming facts about kindness, and a couple ideas for crafting kindness any day!

Image: RandomActsofKindness.org

Kindness Grows

First, check out the Random Acts of Kindness website, where you’ll find such good-feeling information about how kindness impacts our health, and the wellness of our communities! Doctors think kindness is like a muscle. As a result, the more you exercise compassion, the stronger your compassion reflex will get. And that’s what kindness is really about: noticing someone else’s experience, putting yourself in their shoes, and choosing to make a small gesture to make their experience nicer or easier. It gets our love hormones pumping, and puts our focus on others, which always helps us feel better.

Image: Parade Magazine

Crafting Kindness

For a sweet & simple idea, what about crafting a bouquet of flowers? We all know the magic of having fresh flowers in our home, or receiving them as a gift from someone special. But wouldn’t it be a surprise to get a flower from a stranger? Here are two Lion Brand patterns, so you can try crafting kindness, and share a good deed with the world.

Flowers for All

Crocheted Flowers Pattern

These are two ideas from our Lion Brand pattern book, to make yourself or with friends, or young people! Maybe while you’re crafting, you could share a meaningful moment when kindness touched your life.

This Crocheted Flowers Pattern calls for a metallic yarn, but you could use any fine yarn you have handy. It’s a wonderful use for scrap yarn, if you’ve been saving for a rainy day! The skill level is intermediate, so it’s a fun challenge. You wind up with beautiful little mementos, that are the perfect size to carry in your pocket and hand out to people you meet throughout the day. If you have a designated workspace, you could bring a bowl or basket, with a simple sign that says ‘Take one!’ People will stop by to check it out, and you might be surprised by the lovely conversations that ensue.

Pom-Pom Flowers (Crafts)

These Pom-Pom Flowers are a fun project for all ages! You’ll need some additional supplies – green craft wire for the stems, scissors, and craft glue. This beautiful bouquet was pommed in Vanna’s Choice, but any Medium weight yarn will do. Craft a whole bouquet, and go on a family walk, handing them out to everyone you meet! Or gift one to each service person you encounter throughout the day, to show them a little extra appreciation beyond the tip jar. Perhaps there’s someone in your life who you think needs a little pick-me-up, and a whole bouquet of these whimsical blooms could change their whole week. There’s no telling where the momentum of a single act of kindness will carry, but we know the effect is like dominoes, each person taking the next opportunity.

Be Kind

However you choose to express it, kindness is contagious, and we change our communities (and our world) whenever we take a moment to express it. Have you had a moment of kindness lately, given or received? Did it change your day, no matter how large or small? Let’s begin with crafting kindness, and look to continue the spirit of Random Acts of Kindness Week all year long.