Craft ‘em if you’ve got ‘em

Chicagoland event promises to show visitors the DIY side of life

By Tori Rosin
Published: May 18th, 2009 | 5:33pm

Most of us plan to kick off Memorial Day weekend through relaxation or a road trip. The four hostesses of Craft Social hope Chicagoans give their collaborative event a try instead May 22nd.

"We all thought it would be fun to meet other people in the crafting community and make new friends while making stuff," hostess Megan Heep said of Craft Social. "And we thought, 'the more the merrier,' so let's invite everyone we know. As well as everyone we don't know, too. Why not?" hostess Jessica Jones said.

Craft Social attendees can choose to work on their own project or learn something new. We liked the idea of variety, since there's sure to be something for everyone. People have different tastes and different skill levels,” Heep said. Tables at Craft Social will feature projects like handmade greeting cards and envelopes, linoleum block printing, and Polaroid transfers. "Our hope is that every woman will leave feeling a teeny bit more creative, and very proud of whatever she made,” Jones said.

Heep and Jones note that if you’ve already got Memorial Day weekend plans, there may be future Craft Social nights. “We’d figure we’d start with one and see how it goes,” Heep said. Those who can’t make it to Chicagoland shouldn’t fret either. “We've already had people from other cities requesting a Craft Social in their town, so there's the possibility of expanding cross-country, too,” Jones said.

For now, Craft Social is headquartered at Vineyard Christian Church, at 2495 Howard Street in Evanston, Ill. The event will last from 7 to 9 p.m. on May 22nd. Jones, Heep, and fellow hostesses Amanda Edwards and Megan Hall have set the event’s attendance limit at 150. They request those planning to attend to RSVP by posting a comment at Craft Social's blog. Finally, attendees are asked to bring a dessert to share or $5 to help offset the cost of the event.