With its early nightfalls and chilly temperatures, it’s sometimes a challenge to fill up the evening hours in late autumn. One way to really make the most of that time, though, is to host a craft night for friends, co-workers, or family members. That’s what we recently did, and a great time was had by all. Here’s all that you need to try something similar at your home.
1. Choose your location. This might be your home, or it might be a space that lends itself more naturally to your nightly craft. For our group, we chose Handcraft Studio School. This workshop space hosts incredible craft classes and is also available for rent as an event space. Since Handcraft Studio School also features monthly open crafting nights, we simply arranged for our evening party to coincide with that month’s craft night. Check in your hometown or neighborhood for a similar space that might be available for rent for your group.
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2. Don’t forget food and refreshments! Simple appetizers, finger food and a selection of beverages will offer your party goers sustenance as well as an icebreaker moment when they arrive and help themselves to nibbles. The selection needn’t be overthought. For our night, bread, crackers, a variety of cheeses, olives, and fruit were more than enough — and wine never hurts either!
3. If your group doesn’t know each other well, assigned places are always a thoughtful touch. Not only will this help to organize your group, it will also provide new arrivals or distant acquaintances with a visual aid when they’re chatting with one another.
4. Choose a craft that’s fun and engaging, but also allows time for social engagement. For our night, we made painted leaf and acorn garlands (check back soon for the DIY),which even the most novice crafters could execute with ease. This allowed everyone plenty of time for chatting and getting to know one another. No awkward silences allowed!
5. Create a craft project that guests can finish at the party. We all have half-finished projects sitting in a closet at home. By creating a project that guests can easily execute in the time frame allotted for the party, they’ll leave with a sense of accomplishment, and no worry of filling their drawers with another to-do list item.
Have you hosted a craft party recently? What are your favorite tips for creating a great experience for your friends?
