Start Your Own Craft Group

I've just had my first article put into the local Arts Newsletter. I'm really pleased. I've been wanting to have a go at writing for so long and this seems a good place to cut my teeth on. Here's the article for anyone who wants to start a group and isn't sure where to begin.

Start Your Own Craft Group

Time spent with friends and like-minded people to talk and create can be a fun and enriching experience. The craft group my friends and I started had been a year in the planning, but it was definitely worth the wait. It seemed such a big step to get that first session organised and yet it was so simple. If you are considering starting a craft group I suggest you just go for it and reap the many rewards that will be on offer. I hope the following tips will help you get started.

Depending on whether you just want to meet up with a few friends or make it a more public affair will decide on how you promote the initial meeting. Flyers could be passed to friends and residents in the neighbourhood or posters placed in local shops. The Leicester Mercury will publish small editorials and the local radio stations will announce community news. There are also craft forums on the internet where you can find groups local to you. www.craftster.org and www.getcrafty.com are just two of the websites that information can be posted on anything to do with crafts and setting up groups anywhere in the world. Local websites include www.leicestershirevillages.com and www.leicester.gumtree.com.

Find somewhere everyone is comfortable meeting and check that there is enough room to craft. Our group meets once a month in the evening at one of the member’s houses, as she has the loveliest studio space and is happy for us to hold the session there each time. We always have refreshments that she has supplied or that one of us has brought along. You may want to alternate at different houses or have a more formal environment such as a village or church hall. Meeting regularly and keeping the same day and time helps maintain a feeling of stability for the on-going success and continuation of the group.

The first session may well be slow and you might not get much done. Don’t be discouraged, as everyone is feeling their way, some may not even bring anything to work on to begin with. This is ok. Chatting and seeing what others are doing will build confidence in those not used to showing their work. A community of encouragement, constructive support and informal advice can be developed and new friendships formed to create a safe place for members to show works in progress or finished projects.

Our meetings have proved to be inspirational and helpful both creatively and personally. Each member has contributed by showing what they have been working on. Books and magazines of interest and beauty have been brought along and passed round. New websites and weblogs discovered and the information shared. Also, any items or materials that no longer have a life for the owner have been donated and enthusiastically ‘adopted’ by the other members of the group. We have a raffle at each meeting, where every person brings along a small wrapped gift. It can be absolutely anything that you think another might find inspirational and might even be as tiny as a bead or button. It can be found, bought, made or something that you don’t think you will ever use again. This has been a rather nice element to the evening as it is exciting to see what people have given, how it has been wrapped and of course there is the thrill of opening presents if you are the winner!

Ideas for the group’s progression can grow quite organically. All those in the group could participate in workshops that have been decided on before. Next time we meet we will be playing with paint with different materials and techniques. These can then be used for future projects or might kindle new ways of working. Individual knowledge can be passed on through relaxed tutorials or new crafts can be learnt. Art swaps are a popular activity on the internet but this idea could be used for a craft group. Each participant creates pieces (such as postcards or trading cards) to swap with the others. Maybe the group could make guerilla art to leave in a public place for someone to find! If there is the time and inclination the focus of the group may move towards an exhibition of their work. Craft retreats or days out could be planned or a newsletter by email developed to keep members informed about dates and events or points of interest from the last meeting.

Keep it low pressured and go with the personality of the group. Make up your own rules. Starting a craft group is a wonderful opportunity to make time for you and your craft and learn new things. Our group has a lovely intimate atmosphere where we find out about each others lives, work and home and discuss life, death and the universe. We also laugh a lot. The next meeting never comes quickly enough!