By: Emily Wottreng

Create a project and some memories, too

 

Crafting can easily serve as the perfect escape from our busy lives. To take some time just for you, and to focus on one task or project provides a calm that everyone needs from time to time. So often, we can end up crafting solo for this very reason. But to spend that next creative session with a friend can be equally beneficial (and just as fun!) Read on to find out why The Hippie Hobby knows a craft night with a friend is just what you need.

Share your interests

We all have talents we excel at, and of course, not everyone has the same set of skills. It can be an amazing experience to share your talents with a friend. Not only will you and your friend have something to connect over, but teaching someone a skill helps you improve as well. Described as “The Protégé Effect”, studies show that when you explain and teach a task to someone, it actually makes you better at that task in the process. Hang out with true friends and improve in your craft? What more could you ask for!

 

Discover new interests…

For the talents we’ve yet to realize, it can be so beneficial to rely on friends in picking up new hobbies. Recently at a friend’s house, I was awestruck to find my friend can hand knit blankets in less than a day. An avenue of crafting I didn’t know existed, until discovering by way of a friend. Who knows what awesome skills you can learn from crafting with a buddy? If you are intrigued by how to make a homemade blanket, check out this video by Simply Maggie on how to knit a blanket in 45 minutes for an excellent tutorial.

 

… and discover new friendships

Whether you’re undergoing new changes or feeling the sameness of routines becoming a bit too comfortable, finding new, true friends can provide the support you’re looking for. Crafting is the best way to bring people together. Check out a Meetup to discover people who love the same creative ideas you do. Try your hand at printmaking, join a knitting circle, learn how to make your own wine, or anything else craft-related, there’s nearly always a Meetup for that (and if not, you can make one). When crafting with others, you’re building projects and ideas, and more importantly, you’re building relationships.

 

Spend time, not money

All of us take joy in our fun funds; the funds that might go to Happy Hours or the movies or a day full of shopping. When you designate some fun money to crafting, you’re appropriating those funds in the best of ways. Crafting is an essential way to connect with others, save some money, and still have fun. This post from DIY Projects shows how to recycle trash into great craft ideas, which would be so fun to try with a friend. Or sign up for a surprise kit from us to spice up craft night without breaking the budget!

 

 

Crafting is time spent with intent, and that intentionality makes it so enjoyable. When we include true friends in that time, our creative selves and relationships with others continue to blossom. When crafting with a friend, we’re making more than just projects. The best benefit of all are the memories we create with the ones we love.