The best parties involve some sort of crafty fun. You get to interact with everyone and go home with something you’ve made. But it’s not quite enough just to have your guests bring and do their own knitting. For real party synergy, you need a communal act of making. Here are some ideas for sparking party creativity.

Bead Exchange

This idea works well for both small and large groups. Have each of your guests bring 60 assorted beads, and put them all together in a large bowl. After ogling the loot, each person can select 60 new-to-her beads. You can provide some stretchy cord for making bracelets, and assorted findings and chains. Experienced beaders can bring their own tools.

Charity Craft-On

If you’d like to organize a community craft project, designate a charity and a project ahead of time. Ask everyone to bring a few supplies (the food can be potluck-style, too). Choose a night, or a few consecutive dates, for the group to work together on making a warm quilt, stitching up fleece scarves, or making softies to donate to local charities. You’ll all feel great about making a contribution to your community.

Supply Swap

We all have some yarn, fabric, rickrack, or buttons we aren’t using, so why not use it all as an excuse for a party? Invite some friends to bring over a few items from their excess stash.

Provide plenty of surface area to spread everything out. Your guests can rummage through and choose their favorites. Ideas will fly, and everyone will find treasures.

TIP: Set a limit on how many items each person can bring, because you can easily become inundated with other people’s castoffs.

You can also host a contest at this party. Set a time limit of one hour for everyone to make something from the assembled supplies. You can set a theme for these creations, or just let everyone make whatever they like. And if you have a large group, people can make projects in teams.

Zine Round Robin

Start your own publishing empire by making a zine with your friends! Make a stack of blank, stapled booklets in advance

(one for each person);

4¼"× 5½" is a good size.

Have a supply of drawing, writing, and collage materials on hand.

Give each person one blank booklet. Set a timer, giving everyone 10–15 minutes to decorate one page. Working quickly like this adds excitement and keeps everyone loose.

When the timer goes off, everyone hands the booklet off to someone else. Set the timer for another 10–15 minutes for everyone to decorate a page of the next booklet. Repeat this process until all the booklets have been in everyone’s hands once, and all the pages are filled. Everyone gets to keep an original art zine, made by the whole group.

 

Diane Gilleland produces CraftyPod ( craftypod.com), a blog and podcast about making stuff.

Illustrations by Sasha Barr