Art & craft for charity

As well as the community of artists and makers who donate items to made4aid, there are also much wider communities of artists and crafters who create for charity. This webpage gratefully acknowledges people who have donated to made4aid, and also gives some information and links about other projects. If you know of another useful source of information about this, or other art/craft for charity work, and would like us to add it here, please contact made4aid.

Art and craft for charity information:

Useful sites with a directory of craft charity projects:

Charity Crafting. Crafts.com Family crafts (search for ‘charity’). Knitting for charity

Art, craft and sewing projects for good causes. The charity projects below are organised through facebook groups and/or websites, and provide patterns, advice and a lot of support, and may help coordinate distribution of the items that you make. If you know of others – particularly outside the UK – please let us know and we can add them.

Knitted Knockers – UK and International  Knitted knockers provide a fantastic alternative prosthetic for women who have had a mastectomy or other breast surgery, and don’t want implants or don’t find other kinds of prosthetics comfortable. The prosthetics are knitted or crocheted in the round, and the groups provide patterns, and also a list of ‘authorised’ yarns which must be used, as they have been tested for comfort etc.  Both groups provide patterns and guidance, and help coordinate knitters and link them up with women who need the knitted knockers. UK Knitted Knockers on facebook Knitted Knockers – public and international group.

Handmade for Dementia (UK) This is a great knitting project for de-stashing and using up left over bits and pieces of yarn. Bright striped cannula sleeves are designed to help prevent dementia patients becoming distressed if they have a cannula, and prevent them fiddling with or pulling out the cannula. The group provides patterns and advice over the knitting, quality assures the sleeves to ensure there are no safety hazards, and link knitters to hospitals who want sleeves.

ukhandknitting.com has really useful pages with information about charities with knitting campaigns, and also with links to patterns available from charities who need knitters.

Knit for Nowt (UK) This is another great de-stash charity project for all those little bits and pieces of yarn or fabric. Worry puppets or worry monsters are used by therapists working with children suffering from bereavement, neglect or other trauma. The group provide the puppets/monsters to social work groups across the UK.  They provide guidance and patterns, including safety requirements, and they coordinate provision of the puppets to social workers.Knit for Nowt on facebook.

Other places to buy art and crafts for charity: Traidcraft – global, fairly traded crafts from developing countries. Oxfam – sustainable and ethical homewares, accessories and cards and stationary. Sreepur village project sells a range of items.

Knitting and sewing patterns which can be used for items to sell for charity. There is also a section on knitting patterns for charity on the ukhandknitting.com website here.

Made4aid donors and sponsors

Listed below are artists and crafters who have donated some of their work or other handmade items or supplies to made4aid, with links to their websites or shops, where possible.

We really appreciate ongoing donations from : Tanya of Pomme de Jour who donates vintage fabric items; Sue who runs two Etsy shops, Mimzical Makes and Mimzical Printables and donates handmade jewellery and accessories, and mixed media work; Linda Ann, who makes bags, other sewn items and Christmas stockings; Amelia, who has donated handmade ceramic jewellery. Amelia now runs a Button Candy selling group on facebook. Megan is donating some hand sewn embroidery and applique items, and also sells her work via her website, raising funds for the BBC Children in Need fund.

We have also had lovely items made and donated by : Doff, Lucilia, Yoz-Gang, Wendy, Mandy, Olga, Rhonda, Lynn, Naomi, Emma and Barb, Graham Smith, Amanda Howard, Woo, Jasmine, Janyce, Pat Naylor, Toby Attrill, Neil Graham, Jillian, Linda, Rose Kaffenberger, Nicole, who runs Knitting for Charity , Lynda, Ericka Jewell, Amy Lazett, and Joan. Also from Susan Sanford , Ati from Norway, Jo, Wendy, whose Etsy shop is modernandvintage, Molly of  patchworkpath, Adrianna, Tangerine Blossom, and Claire Leggatt. Thanks to Katie, Caitlin and EdmissionUK for cash donations (January 2011).

Thank you very much to Jessie from Columbus Ohio, who donated some of her jewellery as part of a High School project, MP – a middle-school student – who donated some hand made cards, HR – a student who donated some original photography cards, and Sayani who donated novelty shaped wax crayons, recycling crayon stub ends.

Thanks to Zarrine,  Joy, Kris and Ella for sending donations of craft supplies and haberdashery, and Felicia who donated a large number of sewing and craft related items, and a beautiful patchwork quilt.

Simone Shin, Demarquis, Laura, Carrie Hooten, Jimmy Kayondo, BAH and Amar Singha have donated original art work, Anna-Lu donated some of her demi-doll couture, and Elise McWilliams donated an original scupture.

There is a range of ways you can support and contribute to made4aid by donating. Further information on donations.

Thank you everyone who has donated their work – we couldn’t do it without you!