Share Handmade Kindness Challenge Week 1: Friends & Family

Hello! Yesterday I announced my month-long Share Handmade Kindness Challenge. Today I am back to start Week 1 of the challenge and I hope you can play along!

week 1

Week 1 (November 2 – 8) will focus on sharing any kind of handmade kindness with friends and family. This is often the easiest kindness to share, so it is a good place to start.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Participating is easy. Simply make and GIVE something to a friend or family member. It can be a card, sweet treat, handwritten note – anything made by the hand, from the heart counts. It is that simple! The more you give, the better. This is all about spreading kindness… especially when it is least expected. That’s it.

And since kindness is contagious, I also encourage you to share whatever you create on your blogs, social media, etc… and even here on my blog. Let’s inspire each other! Here are three options:

  1.  Post a photo of whatever you create on social media with the hashtag #sharehandmadekindness.
  2.  Link a project you created to this post using the link-up tool below. (At the end of the post – click “Add a Link.”)
  3.  Leave a comment on this post telling what you created. (This is great if you don’t do social media or have a blog. Easy peasy!)

You are welcome to do none of these, one of these, two of these, or all three! But for each you do, you will be eligible for a prize…

PRIZES

To celebrate this week’s challenge, I have THREE great prizes to give away. (And don’t be surprised if I end up with more!)

week 1 prize

This week’s prizes include:

  1.   A $100 Gift Certificate to Simon Says Stamp
  2.   A $25 Gift Certificate to Lawn Fawn
  3.   A $50 Gift Certificate to Paper Smooches

These three companies were very generous to offer these prizes. Please consider checking out their products – such good people!

I will give one prize to someone who I see participating on social media with the hashtag #sharehandmadekindness. I will give another prize to someone who links their project below. And a third prize will be to someone who leaves a comment on this post letting us know of their participation. All will be randomly picked on 11/9/15. (International folks are eligible, too!)

If for some reason you can’t participate, no worries. I will have other random giveaways throughout the week! Stay tuned.

KIND CAMPAIGN

I’d love if you also check out the Kind Campaign. This is a group of awesome people working to end bullying. Their work is amazing. I will be donating to them throughout the month and hope that you will consider doing the same. (Yesterday I shared about Hero Arts donating a percentage of their profits of some kindness stamps – be sure to check it out!)

BADGE

A few people asked if there was a badge or image they could share on their blog. You can download this one HERE.

SHK blog badge

LINK UP YOUR PROJECT

As I mentioned, you are welcome to link here to share your project to inspire others. This is optional! It is easy – you can watch THIS video if you need some help.

Thank you so much for joining me in this challenge! After years of making and sending cards, I felt a calling to do more. This should be fun! Hugs all around.


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628 thoughts on “Share Handmade Kindness Challenge Week 1: Friends & Family”

  1. So thankful to be reminded of the difference something homemade makes one feel inside.
    I’m encouraged this week to send one card a day to a family member, friend, neighbor, teacher, and anyone else I can reach.
    It’s really easy to put one in the mailbox to send out when you check your daily mail . Be a light to others this month – and soon it will become a habit. ❤️

  2. My card is for my niece who recently lost her mama after a sudden illness. My niece has been struggling with the loss and since I know what she’s going through, I want to send her a note that says I care.

  3. Today I sent a hand made card to a blogging friend who posted that she recently suffered a concussion. She has sent me random happy mail before, and now I am trying to brighten her day with a hand made get well card.

  4. Mailed a handmade birthday card to my brother yesterday. He will be surprised since we normally do not send each other cards other than Christmas cards.

  5. I made mugs for my friends..One said, “Classy, Sassy, and a bit Smart A$$y”, another said, “It takes a big heart to teach little minds” and the last one said, “You’ve CAT to be KITTEN me right MEOW” 🙂 I also made a tag that either said ‘Just for you’, ‘Spread the love’, or ‘Thinking of you’ that I had stamped and inked using distress inks. I then filled the mugs with stones and marbles and put an air plant in there that I had bought. I also added a butterfly. — Thank you Jennifer for this opportunity and for the giveaway. Everyone needs to spread a little more kindness. This world is beautiful but there are times we are reminded of how much darkness it’s made up of too. — Thank you for spreading the joy. I am sure I can speak for so many others when I say – we love you and YOU make our days better — YOU make us happy – YOU are amazing! 🙂

  6. I decided to make a card for my mom. Because she is amazing and does so much for me, and I want to show her how much I care about her!?

  7. I sent a card to a friend who has been suffering with terrible morning sickness and I will be sending another to a friend who is going through a really hard time. Thanks for the challenge prompting us to do more of what we should be doing 🙂

  8. I made a card for my Mom who is suffering from dementia and lives 3,000 miles from me. I call her every day but I know she loves “snail mail”. I know she feels excited to receive something in her mailbox but I am the one who benefits, the feeling that I have made her day a little brighter brings me to tears. I now am making cards for my brothers and sister who have the daily care of my Mom. Thank you for the reminder, a simple card in the mail can brighten someones day and let loved ones know their efforts are so appreciated.

  9. My niece recently took in a foster child and adopted her giving her a forever home. I made a birthday card for her 9th birthday to tell her how glad I am that she has joined our family.

  10. Back when I was in high school I used to write a card for a different friend each week just to give them a little encouragement. The kindness challenge is a great way to start it up again! And this will also tie in perfect with the Caring Hearts Drive!

  11. I made a weeks worth of dinners for a elderly family member to make life easier for them! It made their day/week and I loved doing it for them!

  12. I made a card and 2 dozen cookies for a friend and delivered them today. Her hubby was diagnosed with throat cancer in June & they became empty nesters in August so I’ve been trying to leave goodies once a week with a card or tag to make her smile. She is now calling me the “Cookie Fairy” and I love that I can make her smile during this really difficult and isolating time.

  13. Thank you for challenging me to make more cards, I always want to, but seems I never do…so this week I make a birthdat card, just to let someone know how special she is…looking forward to next week. Hope I stay focus and faithful

  14. This is festival season in India..and I miss being home esp. around this time of the year.. I just got into cardmaking and inspired by your kindness challenge I have made couple of Diwali (festival of lights) cards to send to my family to let them know I always think of them no matter how far.. 🙂

  15. So after posting on Monday, I decided to make this a work-week challenge so yesterday I sent a handmade card to my aunt and uncle living in a senior facility and today I am sending one to my mother in an assisted living facility. Both can always use a quick cheer up and love it when I send them a handmade card!!

  16. What a great way to kick off the #sharehandmadekindness campaign! I can’t wait to go back and see everyone’s projects. I am thrilled to see how many people are participating. I made 2 cards for my mother and my husband’s mother. I think it’s so important to remind them how much they mean to us each and every day. Looking forward to next week’s challenge. Hope you have a great day Jennifer ~ thanks for all you do 🙂

  17. What a wonderful way to start off share handmade kindness campaign! Today I made 2 handmade cards for my classmates and I also baked some chocolate mousse for my family. This month has been great because I am almost done with my training and I just aced my finals and wanted to share my joy of accomplishments wit ph family and friends! Can’t wait for the next challenge. Thanks for always sharing kindness!

  18. My husband (of almost 47 years) died very suddenly in June. He had not even been ill. I took some of his shirts and made throw pillows (and 1 ball) for the grandchildren and the great great niece and nephews. I made sure each throw pillow cover could be removed for laundering. I had a saying about his love for these children embroidered on the shirts for the throw pillows. The children loved having these. Several of them remembered seeing their Poppa (or uncle) wearing these shirts and one said, “This still smells like Poppa!” So this was truly “handmade from the heart!”

  19. I’ve done a couple of cards this week (one birthday, one “get well” card for a neighbor recovering from breast cancer surgery). And I haven’t finished my 3rd project yet, but I’m working on a Christmas themed table runner for my mom. I’m hoping to have it finished this week, but it might end up being a month-long project because I’m a little slow 🙂

  20. I just looked through the cards that are linked above. You have very talented viewers!
    I made shaker cards for 6 great-nieces and nephews.

  21. I made this butterfly thank you card for my Aunt. She is my mentor and recently took my sister and I out for lunch. She is such a sweetie and loves to get our cards and saves them in a box.

  22. I made a cute yoga birthday card for my friend who introduced me to yoga over 10 years ago. She has moved away, but her birthday is this week and I thought I would surprise her with a cute yoga-themed birthday card.

  23. As part of our professional development day in October, I conducted a workshop for other teachers that demonstrated several cards along with suggestions for adapting them to be made by students of various grade levels. Two of my crafty friends gave up a whole day to help me out. I made “thank you” cards for both of them and surprised them with little gifts to show my appreciation.

  24. I have two birthday cards being given this week. One for my husband as today is his birthday. The other will be sent to my niece as she is turning three. I will post photos later hopefully.

  25. I made some Christmas cards to take to the local nursing home for those who don’t get any visitors or Christmas cards.

  26. I made a card for my cousin who just lost her mother and my favorite Aunt. This challenge allowed me to “Share some Kindness” during a time of sadness, and to let let her know she is still surrounded by all the love and kindness her heart can stand.

  27. I made a card for my uncle, who I just adore! He was in the hospital last week, so I took this opportunity to send him a “get well” card. Struggled to make a masculine card, but I am pleased with it!

  28. My card features MISSING YOU.mi like to regularly send cards to those back in Pennsylvania where I used to live for over 50 years. I am telling my friend just how much she means to me.

  29. I made a card with a delicate watercolored flower bouquet with a sentiment on the front ‘Just saying hello’ and inside a handwritten note inviting a friend I haven’t seen for awhile to lunch. She will love it!

  30. I to upload my very first Fall Shaker (using my new fuse tool and evolution advance) card I sent to my son’s teacher who moved to Virginia, but I am not sure if it uploaded successfully.

  31. Last week-end we saw 2 couples of friends we met when we were expatriated. It has been 2 years since we saw them. We had so much fun and it was so wonderful to see them again that I made two handmade cards to thank them for their hospitality and for all the good moments that we have shared again.

  32. I am doing something every day of this week. I’ve got the bug. Today, I sent a bunch of handmade cards to my mom since she likes sending those out to her friends. Thanks for the infection 😉

  33. I’ve been working on an album for my daughter and her family for a couple of months, and I finally finished it and gave it to them! This summer they traveled and camped around Alaska for two weeks and took lots of pictures, so I chronicled the trip with an album. It was very fun to do (I felt like I was on the trip, especially when I did pages on places I’d been), and it was very heartwarming to watch them look through it as a family and relive their adventures!

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