Remember our Nativity craft along last year?! Well, we didn’t want the fun to end there so we decided to keep it going this year, this time with our family photo heirloom ornaments! One of my favorite parts about the craft along last year was getting to make it with all of you. Well, this year is bound to be the same, if you’re on board!
Keep reading to learn all about this year’s craft along and how to get started. You can craft along with us as we work to raise money for makers all around the world. Let’s go!
Crafting with a Cause
If you’re new to all of this, let me clue you in. One of the things that makes the holidays so special to me, aside from seeing family and enjoying good food, is that it’s the season of giving. It seems like it’s the one time all year where the world shares the same sentiment of generosity and helping each other. So while we are crafting for the holidays, it seems fitting that we should include that charitable aspect as well.
I recently partnered with Nest (see this blog post, and this one) and I’m now part of their advisory board. Nest supports artisans throughout the global economy — most of which are women. The purpose of our craft alongs, starting with last year’s, was to raise money for Nest and support their cause to build a world of greater gender equity and economic inclusion.
Last Year’s Craft Along
I have to say, last year’s craft along was one of the highlights of the year. There was so much creative energy and excitement surrounding it, it was amazing to see and be a part of. If you missed it, here’s a quick recap:
We made two sets of our popular mid-century heirloom nativity; one we painted here in the studio at Lars. Then we sent once piece of the other set to each of our guests for them to paint. Each week we held live videos where we got to chat with our amazing guests as we painted our respective nativity pieces. Here’s the post where you can read all about last year’s guests. Oh, and here’s a transcript from our interview with Amanda Seyfried! While all the crafting with our guests was happening, we also opened up this link for donations.
At the end of the craft along, we auctioned off both sets and donated the proceeds to Nest, an organization whose mission is to support female makers in the global economy. Thank you thank you to all who donated or contributed in any way! It was a huge success and we are thrilled to be back at it again this year!
This Year’s Heirloom Ornament Craft Along
Let’s get to it. Below is everything you need to know about this year’s heirloom ornament craft along!
Heirloom Ornament Craft Along FAQ
What is a “craft along”?
Think of it like a crafty version of a book club. We all get to work on the same project, have a weekly get together to craft, chat, and join a fun community.
Why a craft along?
Our heirloom ornament craft along is a perfect opportunity to get ready for Christmas (because we all know that it sneaks up on us every year) and get to know your Lars community a bit better. Even though summer’s still on its way out, we wanted to jump into our handmade holiday plans early. Get a head start on your handmade holidays and join in the fun with this heirloom ornament craft along!
How does the craft along work?
As mentioned above, we are working with Nest to raise money for makers all over the world. For this year’s craft along, we’ve set the goal to raise $5,000 for Nest.
Our goal is to raise that money through the following:
- Ebook sales (with and without a kit included)
- Donations using this link
- Auctioning off a custom set of Heirloom Ornaments made by our team here at Lars
- Auctioning off a set of Heirloom Ornaments made by our guests
The money earned from the auction will be donated to Nest, and we’ll ship the ornaments to the winners of the auctions!
Who are your guest hosts?
We are really excited to chat more about our guest lineup soon!
Stay tuned for more details about our guest hosts. We can hardly believe that so many incredible crafters have joined us for this project! You can click here to see the guests that joined us last year. We were lucky enough to have Amanda Seyfried, Mary Engelbreit and so many other wonderful guests!
How long will the craft along be happening?
Our first guest will join us on Monday, October 3rd, and we’ll wrap up with our last guest on Monday, November 21st. Our auction will be announced following the last guest.
What if I miss a week?
If you miss a week or two, that’s completely fine! The good thing about this heirloom ornament craft along is that it’s virtual. We will save the Instagram Lives where we craft with our guests hosts, and you can watch them on your own time. We’ll also compile the videos into one blog post after they’re over so you can see them all in one place (see the guest videos from last year here). With the ebook and video, you will have all the information you need to complete a set of ornaments.
How much does it cost?
There are a few different options:
- You can purchase our Ebook & kit – the kit will come with everything you need for 8 ornaments along with the Ebook (which includes step by step video) to guide you.
- You can purchase our Ebook only and purchase the supply list on your own. We spent a lot of time beefing it up and it now includes step by step videos!
We have gone through our Heirloom Ornament Ebook with a fine toothed comb to make sure that it is clear, concise, and easy to follow. We’ve also added in a step by step video to ensure that any questions you have are answered!
There you have it! Everything you need to get crafty!
Will you hold an auction at the end?
Yes! Last year the auction turned out to be a wonderful way to raise money for Nest, so we want to do it again! As mentioned before, we’ll auction off two separate sets of ornaments. One of those sets will be the set made by our special guest crafters. For the other set, we’ll be auctioning off a “made to order” set. In other words, the winner of that set will send in their photos, we’ll make the set for them, and send it back! If you love these heirloom ornaments but aren’t keen on the idea of making them yourself, this might be the perfect solution.
How do I start?!
While you wait for our heirloom ornament craft along to officially begin, the first thing you should do is order your supplies! You can get the full Heirloom Ornaments Ebook & Kit here, and the Heirloom Ornaments Ebook without the kit here. Then, mark your calendars for our first guest on October 3rd!
Can’t wait to craft with you! Feel free to spread the word!