Happy Saturday!
Today I'm going to share with you two posts. The first (this one) is a fun crafty party! The second (see my next post) is a tutorial that you're going to LOVE for these babies:
But before I show you those, I have to tell you about...
Hosting A Craft Party
If there's one thing you've probably learned about me, it's
I looooove hosting parties.
Any kind. Any size. Any theme, type, or function.
I'm obsessed with social gatherings, what can I say!
On Tuesday I hosted a craft day at my house, and let me tell you...
this might be on my list of my top 3 favorite gatherings ever.
Why?
It's so simple.
You send out an email or facebook invite and your friends show up. That easy. No food, decorations, or fanfare needed!...though, I provided snacks because I'm a snack junkie. I had store-bought hummus and pita chips, some veggies and dip, water bottles, and valentine's chocolates from THIS haul.
It's easy.
You provide the work space and the tutorial for one easy craft...everyone brings their own projects or the materials to make the craft that you teach. You simply email out a list of materials needed to make the project that you are going to teach.
It's functional.
You get to work on projects that are collecting dust in your craft box while the kids all play have a blast of their own.
It's fun!
Friends + crafting = bomb-dot-com. That's right. I said it.
The craft I taught was my tissue pomander balls. It's the perfect craft for spring (makes for cute decorations for easter, St Patty's, and springtime in general). Also, it takes very few materials, it's cheap, it's easy to teach, and it's mindless so you can do it while chatting.
And hey, they are adorable! See how excited Rebecca is to get started?
However, the fun part about craft parties is that people can work on other projects if they prefer. Some of the cute projects other people worked on were flower hair bows (using similar methods to THIS tutorial)
...and the BIG hit of the day were these adorable and easy next necklaces! Holy cow, are they cute.
Once again, see my NEXT POST for the tutorial on that one.
More tips for hosting a successful craft party:
- Ask around to get people interested first.
- Ask around and try to find the best time and day, but understand that you can't fit everyone's needs and schedules so some people will simply not be able to make it...and that's ok.
- Don't go overboard. No decorations, if you have snacks keep them simple, send out a simple email invite - no real invitations needed. If you do too much, it adds unnecessary pressure, and sets an unrealistic standard for future craft days hosted at other people's houses. P.S...no one likes a perfectionist - they are hard to relate to.
- During the craft party, schedule the NEXT one and put it on the calendar. It's best to grab everyone while they are in the moment. We trade off houses each month.
- Be considerate - don't leave anyone out. No one likes cliques! Invite everyone, even if you think they won't be interested. You never know A) who you might just become great friends with, and B) who will be more touched than you would imagine by simply getting an invite.
- Pick an easy craft to teach that is cheap, takes few materials, and would be of interest to a wide range of people. For some of my personal DIY project ideas click HERE.
- Plan for adequate space. This is where I messed up. I only set up my kitchen table, but had a much better turnout than I expected (which made my whole day!). I should've had an alternative card table and extra chairs ready and waiting, just in case. You don't even have to set them up, but have them ready and accessible.
- Plan for adequate outlets. I didn't think about this one. My project needed multiple glue guns, so I spent 20 minutes running around my house looking for extension cords. Just keep that in mind before people show up and it'll be easier for you.
- Allow for kids. Those of us with kids CRAVE opportunities to get out of the house and have adult interaction, so moms might just be your biggest Craft Party fans! Try your hardest to make your house "kid-friendly" and allow kids to come. Even if you say, "I'm an empty nester, so be sure to bring toys for your kids!" in your email invite, just do what you can.
- Don't stress, and be real! It's ok if your house isn't perfect, if it's not decorated to the nines, if your kitchen table is from a thrift store. Frankly, no one cares...we're all in the same boat! If there's one thing I've learned it's that normal people are the most liked...they are REAL and easy to relate to. No one is perfect, and people who appear that way make people feel uneasy. I'm sorry to say it, but it's true. So embrace your unique-ness, and simply HAVE FUN!
So, there you go. Consider hosting a craft party at your house. It has tons of benefits and really is so easy. I know I'm already looking forward to the next one!
Happy Saturday, have a great fun, cheap, or free weekend :)
