This is our third year crafting for shelters and we keep growing. It's so exciting to see something like this come together and to have such wonderful volunteers! We've got 9 local shelters on our list and Sebastian can't wait to hand out all of the finished items. If you've had any craft event for your own shelters, please let me know because I'd love to share it.
The rope toys - we made 78 of them this year! This is such a popular craft amongst the kids and adults who don't sew. Check out this link for a list of pawesome rope toy tutorials.
Crate Beds! We've never made these before so I'm super excited we were able to accomplish the beds this year. We made 13 in one day. But I also had a wonderful mother/daughter team offer to take the remaining bed material home and make more on their personal time. I could not be more grateful! Check out this link to make your own crate beds.
"Adopt Me" bandanas are the number one item the shelters request from us. Yep! That puts them pretty high on our priority list. We made 66 this year and also turned them into a No-Sew project by using pinking shears around the edges (this prevents fraying). The "Adopt Me" message is created with Tulip Fabric Paints and stencils making it easy enough for anyone to make. Check out the iLovetoCreate Pinterest page to see pawesome ideas for painting on fabric. Tutorial on our bandanas coming soon!
Along with the "Adopt Me" bandanas, we added "Adopt Me" leash accessories. I think these will be a hit! You slip them over the leash and they are double-sided. Perfect for shelter dogs who don't like to wear bandanas. These leash accessories are also a "one size fits all," which I love. Click on this link to see how you can make your own! They can be sewn or sealed with fabric glue.
Painted pet bowls! We made 30 of them, oh my. I am still waiting for all of them to be finished and fired so I'll have an updated picture later. But how cute are our volunteers?! These bowls and painting supplies were once again generously donated by iLovetoCreate. Be sure to check out their Duncan Ceramics product line here. We are so happy to have their continuous support for this great cause! Link to see our finished pet bowls from last year.
photo courtesy of Jamie Ibey
If you are a crafter or a shelter looking to start an event like this in your area, check out our blog post on how to throw a successful craft party!
We want to give a huge shout out to:
-Me'n'Eds pizza for donating pizzas to all of our volunteers.
-Craftopia Craft Studio for providing their store space.
-And most importantly, we want to thank all of our volunteers who donated their time.
Until next year, fellow crafters!
XOXOXOXOXO,
Erika and Sebastian
