craft Creativity handmade Social Justice

Crafting for a cause: ace Australian charity crafting campaigns

February 23, 2016
(Gorgeous illustration by the amazing genius Kirsty Eckard!)

First things first, I’d love to say thank you to everyone who made something for Softies For Mirabel or shared the campaign with their people. The 2015-2016 campaign is now officially done! (The next campaign should launch late this year, if you were wondering!)

So many gorgeous handmade toys have now made their way to The Mirabel Foundation, ready to be matched with their new buddies there. (If you don’t know, Mirabel supports kids who have been abandoned or orphaned due to parental illicit substance abuse.)

We can not thank you enough for joining in and doing a good thing.If you’d like to see some of the ace toys people made, head over here.Now, perhaps you have busy fingers and are keen to get making for someone else? You are a blooming good sort, if so. *nods* I thought I would round up some OTHER projects people like you can get involved in.Here’s the beginnings of a list…

Knit One Give One – supports over 250 community groups with hand knitted and crocheted items.
Knitting For Asylum Seekers – blankets and adult jumpers are most needed. (Crocheted things are welcome too!)
The Snuggles Project – make a blanket for an animal shelter
Wildlife Victoria – Make a pouch or nest box for injured wildlife.
Royal Children’s Hospital – all kinds of handmade donations (within their guidelines) are welcomed. Check the link.
Knit A Square – make things to help children who have been orphaned
Trauma Teddies by The Red Cross – knit a bear to help kids who’ve been through a traumatic experience .
Knitted Knockers – Knit a cotton breast prosthesis for a woman who’s survived breast cancer and undergone a mastectomy.
Knit baby items for indigenous babies supported by the Malabar Midwives Service – the Royal Hospital For Women (Randwick, NSW) accepts these and will pass them on.
Softies For Mirabel – make a toy for a child who has been abandoned or orphaned due to parental illicit substance abuse
Knitting For Brisbane’s Needy – they’d love all kinds of crocheted or knitted items to distribute to those in need – and other things too. Click the link for more info.
Very Snuggly Quilts and Quilts Of Love – creating and donating quilts to important projects and people. They also work with Wrapped In Love.
Tiny Sparks – knitting and sewing tiny clothes for newborn – usually premature – babies in the neonatal unit.
The Stitched With Love Club (Miracle Babies) – creating clothing and keepsakes for premature and sick babies.
Yasminah’s Gift Of Hope – crafting clothing and other items for their support packs. This lovely 
group looks after parents with premature and sick babies, or those that have lost a baby.
Wrap With Love – handmade knitted, sewn and crocheted items are distributed to a variety of non-denominational and non-political aid groups.
Capes 4 Kids – handmade capes for kids who are in hospital undergoing treatment or experienced challenging situations.
 
If your crafting for good project doesn’t appear on this list, just add it in the comments below. We would love to know more about what you are doing and how it helps and how we can help. Yep.
pip signatureGot Something To Say?
Want to comment on this post? Got something to say on this subject? Ace!
You can head to my Facebook for further discussion!
(Or send me an email!)
Or you can also comment below.

12 Comments

  • Reply Elaine March 5, 2018 at 3:10 AM

    Saw this tweeted. Looks like requests for Alice Springs.
    Do you knit or crochet? Warm winter beanies are gratefully accepted. It gets below zero and even as low as -5 on cold desert nights. It’s hard to imagine right now, but we need to stock up for the sudden drop in a few months from now. Waltja – 3 Ghan Rd, Alice Springs NT 0870

  • Reply Therese McMullan July 7, 2017 at 10:35 PM

    Thanks,
    please keep me informed of new ideas.Taa Therese

  • Reply Michelle Gates June 8, 2017 at 9:02 AM

    Boomerang Bags is an awesome project started in Queensland that make reusable shopping bags from upcycled materials to give to the community to borrow and bring back thereby reducing single use plastic bag usage and protecting our earth.

  • Reply Michelle Gates June 8, 2017 at 8:59 AM

    Days for Girls sews reusable sanitary hygiene kits for girls and women in developing countries all around the world. We have over 100 chapters and teams in Australia at this time. Check out http://www.daysforgirls.org There are lots of sewing and non sewing jobs to help with. Also look for Days for Girls Australia on Facebook

  • Reply Vicki April 1, 2017 at 11:02 AM

    What a great list. I will save that for future knitting and sewing projects. Thanks Pip.

  • Reply Kim April 1, 2017 at 9:38 AM

    Hi Pip.
    We have a group in Kedron Brisbane run out of Padua College on Tuesday nights during school term.
    We are called Cosies for Rosie’s.
    We crochet beanies and cowls for the homeless in Brisbane that goes out with Rosie’s van or Orange Sky Laundry.

  • Reply katiecrackernuts February 29, 2016 at 9:55 PM

    This is such a great list. Girl Guide members make for a lot of these groups, but the organisation in NSW/ACT also has its own project, making breast care bags. You can see what they are here: http://www.girlguides-nswact.org.au/GG/whats_on/breast_care_bags/GG/what_s_on/Breast_care_bag_project/breast_care_bag_service.aspx

  • Reply Cass February 26, 2016 at 10:25 PM

    What a brilliant list! We are always looking for more organisations to help throughout the year.

    Could you add us to the list…Sewing for Charity Australia connects with local and national charity and community partners to empower all members of the community to support each other, learn useful skills and create with purpose.

    Each month we sew for a different charity or community group 🙂
    https://m.facebook.com/sewingforcharityau/

  • Reply Miranda February 24, 2016 at 6:50 PM

    Hi Pip – thanks for sharing this list of great crafting for charity groups. could you please add Wrap With Love (NSW) . They knit and craft beautiful wraps for poor, needy and vulnerable communities locally and overseas. http://www.wrapwithlove.org

  • Reply Sarah Coats February 24, 2016 at 11:56 AM

    Such a great list!! Thanks Pip!
    I sew for a charity called ‘Capes 4 Kids’ which distributes superhero capes to kids in Hospital Australia-wide. The capes are easy to sew and fun to be able to be creative for a good cause!

  • Reply Jan February 24, 2016 at 9:18 AM

    Hi Pip, Thanks for the list – it will come in handy during the year. The little fish softie I made swam off to Mirabel before the deadline – it was a pleasure to be involved in such a good cause for the first (but not the last) time. Best wishes from Jan in Ballarat

  • Reply Heathe February 23, 2016 at 9:14 PM

    Please add [B]Knitting For Brisbane’s Needy[/B] to your list. Many handmade items, from hygiene bags filled with toiletries, knitted or crocheted blankets, knitted or crocheted or sewn clothes from still born outfits to large adult clothing, socks and beanies galore are distributed throughout South East Queensland. Based in the Glass House Mountains, Karen and Peter, a lovely retired couple, run from Gladstone and Bundaberg, to Gold Coast and west to place like Murgon to distribute these freely made and donated items to the needy and the homeless. If it can be arranged, parcels are also sent around Australia to bush fire areas, to Cooktown Hospital, to the Territory. All done without any Government support. Many of the crafters are pensioners.

    Thank you

  • Leave a Reply