We recently asked some of our community members a question: "What is the most meaningful craft project you've ever created and why?" Many responses rolled in from our amazing community - over 1,000 of them! Before I began reading them one-by-one, I considered the question myself. What was the most meaningful project I had created? A few projects popped into mind, but I struggled to come up with what my most meaningful project has been. This brought on a whole other thought process for me: why do I create? What does a meaningful project look like or what should it look like? How do my creations have meaning? As I started reading your responses, looking forward to seeing what was important to other crafters and what stood out to them, my thoughts quickly moved away from my own creations' meanings and on to yours and the amazing stories that you have shared.
Touched by your stories: your humor in tough times, and your giving nature and generosity, I want to share some of the responses we received from that story. These are the stories of friends, strangers, community members, family members- people who all have something meaningful they've created and something meaningful to share. I've highlighted a few responses below in no particular order. Again, there were over a thousand responses so it was impossible to pick them all. We hope to pick and highlight more responses in future posts.
The Most Meaningful Projects
1. Organic Cotton Pajamas
Mandi's most meaningful project:
"... a pair of organic cotton pajamas I made for my mom for Christmas. She had been wanting a pair for years, but never could find any in stock and that weren't super expensive. I ended up spending the week before Christmas in my studio, making her a pair. She was so shocked and touched by it that she actually cried."
Here is a layout that Mandi created about that meaningful project that she also shared with us:
The handwritten script on the layout says: "Mom always wanted organic pajamas so I made her a set for Christmas."
2. A Quilt
Natasha's most meaningful project:
"I made a quilt out of my grandpa's jeans, in loving memory to him. I love snuggling under the quilt and remembering our good times together."
Well worn edges, soft denim squares, and present at every family picnic, Natasha recalls a denim quilt that belonged to her mother, fondly. As she approached adulthood, she told me, she decided that she wanted to make a denim quilt too, after a childhood of warming memories with one. Her grandma gave her 4-5 nice pairs of jeans that still belonged to her grandpa, he just didn't wear them anymore. Natasha began the project of sewing them together for her quilt, but got distracted in college as a busy student. She revealed to me that she didn't really do any crafts at all during that time. When she graduated from University, with a degree in Engineering, her grandfather was unwell, but made it to the ceremony anyway to see her complete such an important chapter of her education. Natasha told me that he passed away shortly after.
Time passed and the quilt was still untouched, until a few years ago. Natasha and a few of her friends from church got the old, half finished denim quilt back out. Impressed by how far along she had gotten with it, she decided to continue with her friends' help. She told me that it was so much more fun to do this project with her friends. Here is a photo of the quilt in-process with another, special kind of friend!
Using pliers, at some points, to get the yarn through the heavy denim material, she shared with me how it took months to complete with this "atypical hand quilting maneuver." Natasha talked about the experience affectionately, saying that she had finally finished it. The quilt now joins her and her family to cold sporting events, picnics, and other family activities. "He taught me many life skills, including perseverance and dedication... I feel like a little piece of him is with me whenever I take the quilt on my many adventures."
3. A Scrapbook About a Significant Family Vacation
Michele's most meaningful project:
"My most meaningful craft project would be one of my scrapbooks, though which one would vary depending on the day. I've made books to record my husband's cycling adventures, which he loves. Travel books to retain happy memories of family trips. Several books for my daughter to show her our love and to document her life. Today, my most meaningful project is the scrapbook I'm creating to document a significant family vacation celebrating a special event in our lives."
This is a layout that Michele shared with me from her most recent scrapbook (48 pages in so far) that she's making about a massive family trip she took to celebrate her in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary. The small text in the layout reads: "The Albuquerque fuel stop was a highlight for Steve as he recalls this stop from a rail trip 35 years ago w/ his family. This time he got to share it with them plus Kate and me. Here we could see all the fueling process up close, unlike other fuel stops. We also got to chat with our engineer from here to Kingsman, AZ and see the Indian vendors."
Michelle also shared a page from one of the scrapbooks that she made for her husband.
The text on the layout: "Today was a 111 mile day that included three mountain passes, two over 10,000 feet and one over 11,000 feet. The scenery was especially beautiful on the 11,000 pass, Red Mountain Pass. The road in places has no guardrail on the side and massive rock walls on the other."
4. The First Scrapbook
M. Hanson's most meaningful project:
"My scrapbook for going to Russia is my most meaningful craft project, because it was the first scrapbook I completed and there weren't many tools or products back then, so I had to be super creative."
5. A Memorial Day Garland
Martha's most meaningful project:
"A Memorial Day garland using pictures of my husband's grandfather who was in the army."
6. A Watercolor Picture
Nana6tymz's most meaningful project:
"I created a watercolor picture for my sister's Thanksgiving gathering. We always try to decorate a little differently every year by adding or taking away certain items. I added that year and it made my sister very happy to know that I took the time to help her out."
7. Projects that Contribute to Memory-Keeping
Natalie's most meaningful project:
"It is hard to say. Anytime I make a project to contribute to my memory-keeping (scrapbook layout, mini-album, photo book), I am excited that my family's history (and present!) is documented. This way, my family and friends can see all the blessings that God has given us. I love to give hand-made gifts (usually sewn) as well, because it is a way for me to express my love, especially when I don't have the right words."
Natalie shared the above layout with me, a layout about the first mommy-daughter trip that she took with her daughter. Below is one of the handmade gifts she talks about. It's a quilt that was for a much-prayed-for baby of a friend, she told me.
8. Annual Scrapbooks
N. Kurkjian's most meaningful project:
"Scrapbooks of our annual beach vacation. It is so much fun to see teenagers sit down and look at the books, and laugh about how young they were."
9. Framed Layouts
Cheri's most meaningful project:
"I think it would probably be scrapbook pages in a frame. I've given one to a friend who moved and one to my daughter that matched her bathroom decor perfectly. I gave one to my granddaughter that was personalized just for her and she loved it."
Cheri shared some pictures with me of some of the framed layouts she's created. Below is a layout she made for her friend that recently moved into a new home.
Another image she shared with me was a memorial to her parents, whom she recently lost. She made a framed layout of their wedding day.
The text on the layout is a combination of love sentiments that reads: "Once in a lifetime, Love always and forever, I will always love you, my heart belongs to you, where have you been all my life, you are my heart, words can't describe the love I have for you, we belong together, here is an 8 x 10 of myself, get used to seeing this face because I intend to marry you, where you go, there I will also go, your people are my people, a love like ours will never die."
10. Birthday Cards
J. Bradwell's most meaningful project:
"I do birthday cards for my family. I love the fact that I can design and make cards that are just for that individual. I made a dinosaur card for my four year old grandson that he loved."
11. A Family Tree Scrapbook
Kathy's most meaningful project:
"I made a family tree book for my mom and learned more about the family and was able to preserve some special pictures."
Kathy shared some images from her Family Tree Book with me. The pages were filled with amazing, antique family photos, census documents, maps of original ancestral locations, and more. It was such an honor to be able to look at such a meaningful part of her family history. The care that she took in displaying it was so beautifully evident. She told me that she had a lot of fun finding all of the information and creating this book, and that she used historical documents, census images, and any other information she could so that she could create this gift for her mother.
Here are a couple images from her book:
This first image shows an old family farm from Kathy's ancestors, dated to the 1800's in Pennsylvania. There's also a picture of a distant relation. This second image shows the location of the farm.
12. A Cross-Stitched Pillow
Rubyzkid's most meaningful project:
"Years ago, I cross-stitched a pillow for my sister. She loved it. She passed away in 2005. It felt good to have someone I cared about appreciate my craft."
13. Special Birthday Albums
Sue's most meaningful project:
"An album for each of my daughters about the trip I took with each on their 16th birthday. It's a special occasion and while we won't forget it, the album will be there for us to keep looking back at and remembering."
Sue told me that she took two trips, one when each of her daughters turned 16. After the trips, she made special albums for them about their birthday vacations. She said that making albums is a way that she can show how important events are. A large reason she made these albums is because she wanted to show her daughters how much it meant to her that they got to spend the time together.
14. A Wedding Scrapbook
Edie's most meaningful project:
"I have to say it was my wedding scrapbook. I scrapbooked my wedding and honeymoon photos five years later. It was a great way to relive every moment of that fantastic week."
15. An Anniversary Gift
When Sarah took our survey, she was in the middle of making her most meaningful project to date. She has since finished the project and had her son send her a picture of it to share with us.
Sarah's most meaningful project:
"I am working on a first year anniversary gift for our son and his wife. It means the world to me to create for them. They appreciate the work, time, and love that I put into the gifts I make for them."
16. Heritage Albums, a Dollhouse, Memory Planners, and Donated Cards
Sometimes we can't decide exactly which project has the most meaning to us- and that's ok too. Robin shared three projects that are very meaningful to her.
Robin's most meaningful project:
"I made several heritage albums when my mom was still alive, and we spent so much time visiting about those photos and the family stories that went with the relatives. I also made a 3-D dollhouse that holds two memory books for my dear friend. I know how much she loves it, so that means a lot to me. Now, I love working in my memory planners. I feel like I'm leaving a bit of me behind for my future family members. I make and donate over 500 cards each year to the boutique within the cancer center where my husband gets his treatment. I know how much those cards mean to the people who end up with them. Sorry, I couldn't pick just one."
17. A Photo Collage of Siblings
Linda's most meaningful project:
"Some old photos of me and my brothers when we were kids. I made a collage for each because they never saw the photos before. It was the best gift because of the look on their faces. That will be a memory I have for the rest of my life."
Linda made a variety of collages for this project for her brothers and shared quite a few of them with me. She created some digital layouts and some traditional ones. This first layout is of her brothers.
This second photo is of her and two of her brothers at their aunt's wedding. She recalls feeling pretty in her blue, polka-dotted dress as the flower girl.
18. A Mother's Day Scrapbook
Shauna's most memorable project:
"A Mother's Day Scrapbook for my mom and grandmother, because it had new and old family pictures they could look at again and again."
19. A "First Attempt" at a Scrapbook
Sometimes it's the moment we realize that we love something that is the moment that most sticks out to us. This was exactly the case with Karen. She recalls the moment she fell in love with scrapbooking, after she created her first one. When she shared photos with me, she even reminded me that it was her first scrapbook, saying "p.s. remember, I was a beginner."
Karen's Most meaningful project:
"I think that the most meaningful was my first attempt at a scrapbook for my son. Not much more than a book with pictures and a few embellishments. The book was made as he remodeled a huge, old house for his family. I gave it to them on the day they held their open house."
The images that Karen shared showed layouts of the house in various states of development, and the children playing and helping.
20. The Craft, Create, and Heal Program
Diane's most meaningful project:
"Making angel wings handouts for cancer patients and founding the 'Craft, Create, and Heal Program' of craft classes for cancer patients."
I had the pleasure of meeting with Diane in person, at Scrapbook.com, to talk about her most meaningful project- founding and running a program for cancer patients that inspires them, encourages them, and gives them the opportunity to craft when they oftentimes would not have the resources otherwise. They create cards, notes of encouragement, and decorations for other cancer patients. Diane, an advanced stage cancer survivor herself, told me that this program gave her a purpose when she needed one most, and continues to fulfill her everyday. One of the best comments she's received from a program participant, Diane told me, was of that patient's favorite part of the program: when crafting, for a moment, she could forget that she had cancer. Diane said that this resonated with her because she remembers the feeling all too well and how important those moments, even very small moments, were to her in her treatment.
Diane brought in her samples for me to see and photograph. The first is a card that she gives to cancer patients. Sometimes, patients are given baskets with soaps, candles, and other goodies, she told me, and the card is on the outside of the basket.
With embossed, creamy cardstock, clean white lace, and a pair of angel wings embellished with glitter and pearls, the Angel Wings card has a quote that reads: "If I take the Wings of the Morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead me and Thy right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:9-10.... Wishing you Comfort, Strength, Hope."
She also shared with me some tags, tied with ribbon, stamped and decorated. A variety of sizes, and all slightly different, she explained to me that cancer patients made these for other cancer patients. Some had glittery backgrounds with a stamped sentiment, a stamped design, and hand coloring. Some had just a stamp and stamp sentiment. Some were brightly colored, and others were more simple in execution- each one unique.
Lastly, she shared with me some decor items she made for the entrance area of the chemotherapy treatment center. These items were some Fall pieces she made last year with the program.
It was such an honor to see Diane's amazing projects and to talk to her about her experiences with the program she created and how crafting has changed her life and others.
If you want to read more about Diane's work and story, click here.
21. Christmas Cards and Crafts
Nanav677's most meaningful project:
"I would have to say my Christmas cards and crafts for my grandchildren. It's one thing they look forward to."
22. A Family Album for Adoption
Myscrapmail's most meaningful project:
"A family album for an adoption process. It gives a great snapshot of our family and the love we have for each other."
23. A Shadow Box
Frirish's most meaningful project:
"A shadow box of my dear sister-in-law who passed away. My son loves to look at it to remind him of his Aunt."
24. A Special Album and Love Letter
Queenofcards63's most meaningful project:
"I made my mother, who didn't raise me, an album with all the photos I had of us together. I wrote beautiful sentiments throughout and decorated the pages beautifully. I wrote her a letter of love for the last page. She loved it and cried."
25. A Mixed Media Canvas
Aynsley's most meaningful project:
"I made a mixed media canvas with my grandma and grandpa's picture on it. It took a lot of time and required me to learn new things (like what gesso is) and I had a ton of fun doing it."
26. The Process of Scrapbooking
Judy's most meaningful project:
"I am in the midst of scrapbooking 40 years of family photos. I will never finish. And that is fine with me."
27. Re-Making an Old Scrapbook Album
Shellie's most meaningful project:
"Re-making my parents' original wedding album into a scrapbook to present for their 50th Wedding Anniversary."
28. Cancer Journey Scrapbook
Julizo's most meaningful project:
"My daughter's Cancer Journey Scrapbook. I have saved everything from A to Z and still saving all the milestones."
29. Ancestry Scrapbook
Pinkbear59's most meaningful project:
"My mom's 55th birthday scrapbook. It was all about her and it contained her father's genealogy back to the 1600's. He was an orphan and the orphanage burned down, so it wasn't easy to find."
30. Butterflies
Tami's most meaningful project:
"It was when I bought my first scrapbooking paper pads. I made party decorations for an event I did for an organization that I volunteered for. I created table decor, place mats, etc.: all from paper, but the highlight was the nine 3ftx6ft long butterfly mobiles I created that hung from the ceiling. There were 500 butterflies on each mobile and all the butterflies were cut by hand. I also made butterfly pins to give to each guest. The project took two months to complete, but it was worth every minute."
31. A Collaborative Anniversary Scrapbook
Carol's most meaningful project:
"An anniversary scrapbook album for my parents' 50th Anniversary. I did the album with a heart on the front and cross-stitched their wedding date and 50th Anniversary date, then added my mom's favorite flower: the red rose. I covered the album with red, satin fabric. Then, I sent all their friends throughout the years a page to decorate and write down memories. Then, I arranged all the pages. I wrote and decorated an introduction page. They loved it, even my dad's service buddies responded! It was so nice to present to them. Why? Because often we don't express our feelings about people til after they pass away. It was fun to read and see all of the wonderful feelings and memories people had of them through the years. Some, I never imagined!!!!"
32. Drawings
Sonya's most meaningful project:
"Drawings inspired by my mom."
33. Family Trip Scrapbook
Tomlis2004's most meaningful project:
"My scrapbook album from the trip to the Badlands I took with my mother and my daughter. What a fantastic way to enhance the awesome memories!"
34. A Photo Album
Breardon2's most meaningful project:
"My most meaningful craft project I ever created was putting together a photo album for my Dad. My Dad was in the Navy and was assigned to USS Arizona. He was on it when it was bombed on December 7th, 1941. While I later lived in Hawaii in 1974-1976, I collected photos of his ship and with the ones I already had of him, put together a nice photo album of his tour of Hawaii and of that infamous day in our country's history. He enjoyed my efforts putting it together for him. Now that he has passed, I now have it, and it means a lot to me."
35. An Anniversary Album
Marathon803's most meaningful project:
"50th Anniversary album for my parents because it was a momentous occasion that needed to be documented, with over 100 friends to capture and it is the most beautiful album I have ever created."
36. Scrapbook for The Caring House
Mamahano23's most meaningful project:
"Right now I am creating pages for a scrapbook for residents in The Caring House in Torrance, CA. This home is to care for people in the end stage of life. I am a nurse volunteer there. We do not want to forget any of our residents and families are encouraged to choose their favorite photos and the papers for each page. This activity is very fulfilling and gives our residents and their families joy at a very sad times in their lives."
37. Albums, albums, albums!
Laurie's most meaningful project:
"I am currently working on my youngest's (daughter) time in the Navy. It's hard when we don't get pictures from her, so I do stalk her Facebook feed. But she knows it and posts pictures occasionally for me. After her Navy album, there's my son's Marine album. Then all of our vacation albums. And I can't forget our everyday albums. Gosh, that's more than one, isn't it? They are all meaningful."
38. Birthday Scrapbook
Beth's most meaningful project:
"I made a scrapbook for my sister's 40th birthday. She does not craft at all, so although I knew she'd like it, I had no idea her reaction to each page she turned would be filled with gasps and (happy) tears!"
39. Africa Scrapbook
Betczynski's most meaningful project:
"I made a scrapbook for a friend about his time building an air strip in Africa. He had taken the most beautiful pictures of animals and people."
40. Album of a Life
Seawhit's most meaningful project:
"After my dad died, I made an album of pictures and stories of his life. He was an amazingly quiet, unassuming man and I wanted to make sure that he was not forgotten. When I was done, I made copies of the album for my niece, nephews, and my brother. All of them learned things about Dad that they didn't know. I included copies of letters my dad wrote when he was hospitalized for two years in a TB sanitarium that provided a glimpse of him as a young man in his early 20's. During that time, he learned leather working by correspondence - letters were given to the nurse who delivered them to a man on another ward who was an accomplished leather artist. It was fun to read their playful banter."
Crafting and Meaning
Reading through all of your wonderful, meaningful projects, in the end, brought me back to the wanderings of my own thoughts and memories of the projects that I've done. I, like a lot of crafters, often show my affections through creations. Sometimes that's an apple pie and sometimes it's a winter hat. Sometimes it's a painting of a lost loved one, or a favorite place, and sometimes it's making the invitations to a wedding.
Each one of these most meaningful projects share a single quality, if no other. They are all about the happiness and love of someone else. All of the projects that came to my mind were ones about people I love too, and the desire to reflect the happiness that they've brought onto me back to them.
If we can agree on one thing, when it comes to creating, I think we can agree that making items for others or that remind us of others, ends up bringing us deep satisfaction and joy. When I consider, again, questions such as: why do I create? What does a meaningful project look like or what should it look like? How do my creations have meaning? I think the answer is in the responses we received, tucked inside each piece, be it in the stitches of a quilt or hidden deep in the sparkle of an embellishment. We create to share and to bring joy to ourselves and others. A meaningful project can look however we want it to look: it can look like home decor, framed and on a wall. It can look like pajamas. It can look like a book of photos or like a tag that reminds us of our strength and resilience. How do our creations have meaning? They have meaning because we all have meaning, and when we share joy, be it by the quiet gifts, like cooking dinner for our families every night, or the louder ones, like months of energy put into a single scrapbook, we feel meaning, show meaning, give meaning, and ultimately create meaning through love and the desire to take the love and happiness we have received and then give it back, wholeheartedly, tenfold.
What is Your Most Meaningful Craft Project?
The initial survey may have ended, but we don't want the conversation to stop there. What is your most meaningful project? Have one that definitely stands out? Maybe a few? Please share your stories with us in the comments below. If you have photos, don't forget to post your creations on our gallery. We have an active community of other creators, like yourself. If you're not a Scrapbook.com community member yet, don't worry! It's free and easy to use. You can sign up for that by clicking right here: Create an Account. When you post your crafting pictures on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, use the hashtags #LifeHandmade and #ScrapbookCom so other Scrapbook.com community members can see your artwork!
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Like this article? Read more in our articles section, where we have helpful how-to's like how to go about brain storming your dream studio and entertaining ones like funny quotes about crafters that we can all relate to! Thanks for stopping by.
