Many people find donating handmade items to be a fulfilling way to combine their love of crocheting and knitting with their desire to make a positive impact – by bringing comfort, warmth and joy to those in need. Crafting for a Cause can be a way to use your skills and passion for creating to make a positive difference to others, whilst building your connections with other crafters and organisations in your local community.

How do you find a charity to craft for?

With the plethora of natural disasters we have experienced here in Australia and the rise in homelessness, there are many in need of a helping hand. There are so many charities out there to help support them. We recommend reaching out locally first, to avoid high postage costs. Find local charity groups, as they are already supporting those in need, but don’t always advertise what is needed and where. Within your local community you could contact your craft groups, churches, hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, crisis centres, shelters and animal refuges. You may also consider reaching out to a national organisation such as Linus, Wishlist, Friends of KOGO, Miracle Babies or Animal Rescue Welfare, so they can connect you with their local coordinator.

When choosing which cause is right for you, also consider your own interests. What types of items do you enjoy crocheting? What cause are you passionate about?

Now You’ve Identified A Charity, what do you make?

Before you begin any project, find out what the charity you are supporting needs. Many places are thrilled to accept handmade items, but don’t always have a high amount of storage. Their needs change over time depending on the seasons, events, over donations, or movement in population.

Most established charities have set guidelines, so make sure you get these first. Some charities have color specifications such as red or blue. Others might request that items be made in a specific fibre such as wool or wool blends (Sierra) for warmth (very cold climates) or acrylic (Fiddlesticks Superb range) for ease of care and washing. Some may also have size restrictions.

If a charity does not have written guidelines, keep your recipients in mind. Hand-wash blankets or mats are not reasonable for your local pet shelter, so use machine-washable yarns; wool can often be too scratchy for hats for a cancer charity and babies because of their super fragile skin, it is recommended to use super soft yarn, such as a Superb 4, cedar, catona, posie, or ocean mist.

In the winter months, popular items for almost all of these places are beanies, gloves, mittens, scarves, blankets (of specific sizes), pet blankets, as well as toys and baby items. In the summertime hospitals usually still require all these items, but other charities may change their demand for what items of support they need, so it is always best to keep in contact with them for what their current needs are.

When Crocheting for a Cause you may choose to dive into your stash and use up left over yarns to create room for new projects, or if you are looking for a specific yarn to support a specific need, see our recommended yarns below.

Please note, when making toys, that safety eyes are for children over three years of age and need to be properly secured and toys made for babies and children up to three years required sewed eyes. Ensure all items are finished neatly, as it is so important they don’t unravel, get caught or become a safety hazard for those fortunate to benefit from your caring work.

We have featured just some of the books, tools and yarns for crafting items suitable to gift to charity in the ‘Look what we found’ section. Or try this free pattern to crochet a pair of Challenge Mitts by Sharon Maher.