Host a craft night

A craft night is friends, snacks and something to do with your hands, with a movie on in the background. You don’t need to be good at making things. The point is to sit together and make something small, and leave with a thing you made.

Choose how to run it

There are two simple ways:

• One shared craft. You pick a project, buy the supplies and everyone makes the same thing. It’s easy to explain and gives you something to compare.
• Bring your own. Everyone brings a project they’re working on, such as knitting, sketching, embroidery or a scrapbook. It needs no preparation from you, and you’ll learn what your friends make.

If you’re not sure, choose one shared craft as the main event and let people with their own projects get on with them.

Craft night ideas

Choose something that takes one evening, doesn’t need skill and looks good when it’s done. Some ideas to start from:

• Make a fall wreath from a base, dried leaves, ribbon and small decorations
• Paint pumpkins in your own style, small ones from a shop
• Paint leaves in watercolour, then frame or mail them
• A dried-orange garland, or one made of paper or felt
• Plain canvas tote bags with fabric paint or iron-on patches
• Cards, bookmarks or collage with scraps of paper
• Air-dry clay pumpkins (the clay needs a day or two to dry, so take them home to paint)
• A small dried flower arrangement in a jar
• Pinecones and acorns turned into table decorations

Do the craft yourself first if you can, even in a rough way. You’ll learn what takes longest and which supplies you need more of.

Buy supplies on a budget

Count your guests and buy enough for each, plus a little extra. Shop at a craft store, a dollar store or a thrift shop, and use what you already have: scissors, glue, old magazines, jars and cardboard. Ask guests to bring a small tool, such as scissors or a paintbrush.

Don’t overbuy. A small kit per person is plenty, and the whole evening can usually stay within a small budget.

Set up the table

• Cover the table with paper, an old cloth or a plastic sheet.
• Put out all the supplies in the middle so everyone can reach, in jars and bowls.
• Give each person a space, a plate or tray, and a place for their finished piece to dry.
• Have paper towels, wipes and a bin on hand.
• Keep food and drink at one end, away from paint and glue.
• Put on an apron or an old shirt, and tell your friends to do the same.

Plan the evening

1. Set out the supplies and the snacks before anyone arrives.
2. Greet people, give them a drink, and show them the finished example.
3. Explain the steps in a minute, then let people start.
4. Put on a movie or a playlist, something that doesn’t need watching.
5. Wander round, help, and take photos of the work in progress.
6. At the end, leave pieces to dry and give everyone something to carry them home in.

Snacks

Keep snacks easy to eat with one hand and clean fingers. Popcorn, cheese and crackers, fruit, cookies and mugs of tea or cocoa work well. Ask each friend to bring one thing, and ask about allergies. Don’t eat or drink over wet paint or glue. If you serve alcohol, keep it to guests aged 21 or older and keep it to a drink.

Safety

• If you use a hot glue gun, keep it on a stand, keep fingers away from the nozzle and unplug it at the end.
• Keep paint, glue and sprays in a room with the window open.
• Use scissors and craft knives carefully, and cut away from your body.
• Don’t leave a candle burning near paper, fabric or dried flowers.

If something goes wrong

• The craft is too hard. Simplify it. Do fewer steps and keep it small.
• Someone feels bad at it. Tell them it’s about the evening, not the result.
• You’ve run out of something. Share, or substitute. A messy result is part of the charm.
• Paint spills. Wipe it up quickly, and keep a roll of paper towels by the table.
• Nobody finishes. Send them home with the supplies, and finish at another time.

Make it a fall evening

Draw the curtains, light a few candles and put on an easy film. Keep the pieces somewhere you’ll see them: on a shelf, a door or the fridge. If you like the evening, make it a regular one. A craft night each month through the colder months gives you a reason to see your friends, and a house full of small handmade things. Bring along a project you’ve been putting off, like a half-finished scarf.