Crafting for Good: Project Linus

Project Linus

Project Linus

Want to give traumatized or hospitalized children something secure and soft to cuddle? Check out Project Linus, which provides handmade quilts and blankets to children in need across the country.

Since its founding in 1995, Project Linus has delivered well over 6 million handmade quilts and blankets to children in need. Because it works through local chapters, with chapters in all 50 states, the blankets and quilts that you make are guaranteed to go to children in your area.

The benefit to working with an organization like Project Linus, rather than contacting hospitals and agencies yourself, is that they’ve already made all of the connections for you. They’ve already reached out to the always-busy organizations in each chapter’s area, and they know not only what size and kind of quilts and blankets would be most appreciated by the children served, but also the very important requirements for a donation to even be accepted in each place (organic cotton isn’t required, but would be a great choice!). The donations to my closest Project Linus chapter are given to youth centers, schools, adoption centers, homeless shelters, and CASA. The organizations served by your local chapter will likely be different, but will all be local to you.

Project Linus also has a large collection of patterns that organizations accept and that kids love. When we make handmade items to donate, my favorite practice is to make duplicates–one for my own kids (or to save as a baby gift), and one to donate. Another fun way to include kids is to have them help you make an item to donate to someone just their age. My kids STILL talk about the time that they helped me make sundresses in their exact sizes to donate to a dress drive for Haiti. Although most Project Linus quilts and blankets are sewn, knitted, or crocheted, they do have patterns for no-sew fleece blankets that children could make with help and supervision.

Here’s where to find your chapter, so that you can become a Project Linus blanketeer, too!

Image Credit: Project Linus image via Project Linus

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