While some people view art as a solitary pursuit, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, crafting with others can boost your creativity and encourage you to embrace new methods of making. In this post, I’ll be sharing why you need a crafter’s group, and how to start one.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
A crafter’s group is exactly what it sounds like—a group of creative people who get together to make things. It can be run in a variety of ways and can serve various other purposes, but the general idea is the same. Making art together.
The Basics of the Group
If you like the idea of crafting with other like-minded individuals, you’re not alone! Such groups can be well attended, but someone has to start them. That’s where you come in.
Does it require a bit of time? Yes, definitely. Especially in the beginning. But as the group grows, you can share responsibility with other attendees.
Let’s dig into what you’ll need to decide at the onset.
The Purpose of the Group
The first thing you’ll want to decide is the purpose of the group. The larger purpose is, of course, communal crafting. But is there any purpose beyond that? (It’s fine if there isn’t!) Is the goal to learn new skills and/or tackle challenging projects or art forms? To make things that could be giftable? To make things that the group can sell, perhaps as a fundraiser of some sort?
Or perhaps your group’s purpose is to make things that can be donated—knitted mittens to women’s shelters, or pet toys to humane societies/animal shelters. Maybe you’d like to focus on a different donatable project every time you meet.
The Group’s Structure
Now think about the group’s actual structure. Will you do freeform crafting, or focus on a particular project each meeting? Will the supplies be provided, or will people be asked to bring their own supplies? Also, you should consider if there will be a fee to attend. If so, what will the fee go towards? Renting a suitable space? Art supplies? Advertising? Or perhaps you want to set up a crafter’s group as a business venture. (Nothing wrong with that!)
It’s also important to think about things like frequency and location. How often will you meet? Weekly? Monthly? Every two months? Where will you meet? Do you have a space that would work, or will you need to rent something? Community centers are great options for this, as their hourly rates are usually quite reasonable.
Another thing you’ll need to know is how many people you want in the group. This will be influenced by the space you have to run it in. Would you invite more people if you had more space? Or do you prefer a small group of people? What will you do if you reach your max?
Spreading the Word
Once you know the why, how, where, and when of it, you need to get people to your crafter’s group.
Word of Mouth/Friends
The most obvious method is through word of mouth. If you have a lot of crafty friends, you can invite them directly and encourage them to invite their friends. But if you don’t have a lot of friends who might be interested, you may have to advertise.
Advertising
Advertising doesn’t have to cost much if anything. You can post on Facebook groups in your city. Look specifically for community groups targeted towards where your crafting group is going to be. You can also make flyers and ask about putting them up in the local libraries, community centers, and other places where community events happen. If you want to go the paid route, Facebook ads can be an affordable way to spread information. However, you’ll need something to direct people to.
Having a Landing Page or Website
If you’re running ads, you’ll probably want a place to direct people to. Even if you’re not running ads, having a website or a landing page will help make your group look more legitimate. In addition, if you are charging for the group, having an online payment processor will make things much easier. My recommendation would be Namecheap—you can get your domain name and web hosting through them plus they’re incredibly affordable. Click here to be taken to Namecheap so you can check out what they have to offer!
The benefits of having a website go beyond just having a place to send people, though. You can post galleries of the art that your group has made, sell pieces (if that’s one of your goals) directly through your website, promote events or group openings, and allow group members to access important information on the go.
A website is not necessary for creating a crafters group, and if you find the idea daunting, you can skip it or come back to it later. Nonetheless, I do think having a website will help you long term.
Running Your Crafter’s Group
You have people signed up, you know what you’re going to do—now what? For some people, the idea of leading anything is terrifying.
Luckily, it’s your group! You can run it as casually, or as formally, as you want. Do you want to have a set schedule that the group follows? Opening remarks, followed by some chatting, and then on to a specific project? Go for it! Or do you want to have all the supplies on the table when everyone comes in and some quiet music playing in the background so people can come in, sit down, and start working? You can totally do that!
If you’re doing a specific project, you might need to offer some instruction—but you could even find a YouTube tutorial that you project onto a wall for people to follow if you don’t feel comfortable teaching the group.
You’ve Got This!
Every new group will have its ups and downs, and it might take you a while to find the system that works best for the people you’ve gathered. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and let things develop naturally. Get feedback from group attendees on what they enjoyed and what could be done differently.
Do you attend or run a crafter’s group? Let me know in the comments what you enjoy most about it!
