Craft Friday: a Declaration

I knew I wasn’t alone in shunning Black Friday, and I figured I wasn’t the only crafter who spends the day making rather than buying~but, wow! Is it ever exciting to see our revolution take off!  My pal Kirsten of Through the Loops has made a really generous offer to encourage us all in our quest for hand made.

Today, I invite you to write a declaration–post what feels right to you. Maybe:

• why you’re rejecting Black Friday
• what you love to craft for the holidays
• your history of crafting gifts (did you start as a kid? a college student?)
• your manifesto about crafting rather than buying

Email a link to your blog post to me at pomogolightlyATgmail.com, and I’ll add links throughout the day to this post and share them on FaceBook and Twitter. Want to read some declarations:

Sara makes her declaration with a history of her hand crafted holidays.

Tara declares cuddling and crafting go together.

Mary Lou declares glitter and kids go together perfectly for Craft Friday.

Oh, my declaration? Of course.

It’s been eleven years since I last shopped on Black Friday. Most years I’ve visited family or friends, spent time knitting or sewing or crocheting, or written the first of my holiday greeting cards. The rejection of Black Friday didn’t start off that way; different priorities begged my attention, and I obliged. I’m relieved, though, not to feel the compulsion to get the best deal or beat the crowds.

This year, it seems more important to me to craft conscientiously on 11/29. I detest that some big box stores start Black Friday on Thanksgiving day. I’m baffled by the need and desire to shop on a day set aside for gratitude. The things don’t matter. People matter.

And crafting is a way for me to honor the people I love, to offer them something beautiful, to step away from crass consumerism. I like to buy my supplies from indy merchants, and I like to focus my mind on the person for whom I’m creating as I knit or paint or stitch. It matters to me that layers of love and good wishes are built into whatever I’m creating.

So for me, Craft Friday is about pushing back against what the commercials urge me to do. It’s about thoughtfulness and mindfulness. It’s about fun. It’s about the people I love.

Thanks for reading my declaration. Be sure to share yours! Viva la Craft Friday!