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I’ve been feeling hopeless recently, but craftivism has given me something to hold on to.
My family instilled a lot in me—my love of books, crafts, and also my desire to help my community. My grandma, even though we didn’t have much, was always looking for ways to give back. And it’s difficult to find ways to help when you can’t provide financial support or show up in person to help. My grandma provided my first example of craftivism. She crocheted hats and blankets for those who needed them.
Recently, I’ve been feeling like there isn’t much I can do. But there’s a crafter I follow on TikTok who reminded me that there are ways for me to help. Helena from @squish.and.co launched a craftivism campaign this past summer called Stitchers for Solidarity, for which artists stitched items for folks to bid on. The goal was to highlight and raise money for Palestinian mutual aid funds and aid organizations. This campaign is only one example of craftivism in action.
What is Craftivism?
Craftivism is the use of crafts as a form of activism. Although the term wasn’t coined until 2003 by author and crafter Betsy Greer, craftivism has existed for much longer. Steph actually wrote a post two years ago focusing on the craftivist history of embroidery, but folks have been using a variety of crafty media for years in service of their advocacy work. Whatever the medium, craftivism can serve many purposes, from raising awareness to raising funds to creating political statements.
As mentioned above, Stitchers for Solidarity auctioned handmade items and held sweepstakes to raise money. They also created pattern bundles that could be purchased, with the proceeds going toward Palestinian mutual aid. Watching what Stitchers for Solidarity accomplished inspired me to look deeper into craftivism.
What Can I Do?
There areongoing craftivism campaigns you can participate in. The SJSA Memorial Quilt Project invites quilters to make memorial quilts for family members of those lost to violence. Through Welcome Blanket, you’re encouraged to make blankets (whether you knit, sew, quilt, crochet, weave, felt, etc.) and write welcome messages for refugee families new to the United States. Knit for Food runs a yearly knitathon to raise money for organizations that fight food insecurity.
There are also individual people who regularly put out calls for craftivism. Honey from Honey and Dice, for example, creates care packages for prople in her area, and she asks people to crochet or knit items for them. I especially appreciate that Honey makes it clear that if you’re unable to get the hats in by the deadline, you can still send them afterwards.
And of course, you can always just start crafting. What’s a cause near and dear to you? Do you need to raise awareness for it? Raise funds for it? Is there something you see that makes you want to say something, anything, with your craft? Do you see a need in your community that your craft can help with? I remember years ago when people were making waterproof sleeping mats out of plastic grocery bags for houseless communities. Socks are some of the most needed items for houseless communities, especially during the winter. Are you able to make some? If not, can you raffle something you make to raise funds to buy them? Look for ideas, inspiration, and motivation in books like Shannon Downey’s Let’s Move the Needle, a toolkit for new craftivists; Craftivism by Betsy Greer; and Diana Weymar’s Crafting A Better World.
You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
Something wonderful about crafting is how it can bring people together. A friend taught me how to crochet while we sat on the floor of their dorm room. My grandmother, an avid crafter, encouraged my crocheting and would ask for project updates. When she passed, my mother saved her crochet and other craft materials for me to use. I’ve had countless people ask about my projects, even if they don’t craft themselves. It’s another way we can connect with each other, a way to break the ice.
If you know other crafters, you can encourage them to join you. We’re stronger when working together. If you don’t know other crafters IRL, put a call out on social media. You never know… maybe someone will join in.
As I’m learning more about this, I’d love to hear if there’s anything else I should look into. And if you decide to use your crafting skills in this way, please share with us! Lots of us here at FBC are crafters and would love to see.
