When a crafter starts a project, there is always an intention to finish. Often a project is being made for a loved one. Finishing is important for two people, the crafter and the intended recipient. But what happens when the crafter passes away without being able to finish the project? Across the world, this is a common and challenging situation.
Loose Ends started when lifelong crafters Jen Simonic and Masey Kaplan thought about the ways that crafts bind generations together—and how each handmade piece connects the giver to the receiver. In 2022, they started The Loose Ends Project, where skilled volunteers finish the projects of crafters who have passed away or are unable to continue due to illness or disability. Â
Loose Ends helps to carry out the wishes of the original crafter and leave the project owner with a tangible reminder of their loved one. Finishers also get a lot out of finishing. There is so much joy in completing something for someone. Crafters are an incredibly generous group of people, so it’s not surprising that they are willing to do this.
The organization drew global attention on air and online, and, while it initially focused on knitting, it quickly expanded to accommodate crochet, needlepoint, quilts, basketry, weaving, and rug hooking among other fiber arts. As of Summer 2024, The Loose Ends project’s volunteers have finished over 2000 volunteer pieces! These are treasured pieces that now can be used by the families. A blanket for a new baby from a grandparent that has passed on, a final sweater from mom, an afghan from a beloved sister. These are just some of the projects that have been finished around the world.
There are currently 26,000 finishers in 64 countries with active projects in The US, Ireland, Scotland, England, Switzerland, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Mexico, France, and Sweden.Â
At this year’s h + h americas conference, Loose Ends won the Golden Scissors for Innovation. This new Craft Industry Alliance award recognizes those who have offered outstanding leadership and innovation in the past year, celebrating groundbreaking products, ideas or business models launched within the last two years.Â
The support from the craft community has been overwhelming, and people have offered all types of help. Why am I telling you all this? We would love for you and your business to get involved, too. Would you like to be part of a global effort to ease grief, create community, and inspire generosity through craft? It’s also a great way to raise awareness and connect with volunteers who craft and buy craft supplies. Â
To make things easy for you, we’ve thought of three main ways you and your business can join the mission of the Loose Ends Project: Finishers, Projects and Monetary Donations. Let’s dive into each one more with some practical examples.
Finishers:Â The more, the merrier. We ALWAYS need finishers. So how do we match projects with finishers? Projects are matched by location. Having a multitude of finishers across the world in a variety of areas is key to being able to finish every project that is submitted. Loose End volunteers are an army of crafters waiting to help when a need arises.Â
Here are several practical things you can do:
- Post on your social media about our work and tag us.Â
- Hold a Loose Ends sign up event.Â
- Share about the Loose Ends Project in a newsletter to your subscribers.
- Sign up to be a finisher yourself.
If you need information to include in the campaign, our website has a wealth of resources to pull from to inspire you.
Projects: With 26,000 finishers waiting to help there is a ton of capacity to complete projects. Can you help us raise awareness through your audience? We need help raising awareness all over the world.Â
Here are a few practical things you can do:
- Help us raise awareness by sharing on social media that we are able to help complete projects.Â
- Share about the Loose Ends Project in a newsletter to your subscribers with a specific call that we are looking for projects to complete.
- Share with family and friends that we accept these projects. Sometimes the best way for people to hear about us is through trusted friends and family. And then we are there when they need us.
Direct people who have projects to the Loose Ends website.
Donations: Every penny counts in the nonprofit space and all donations big or small are appreciated. Do you host any kind of promotions or events where we could be the recipient? We would love for you to consider the Loose Ends project as a recipient.Â
Here are some ideas:
- A sales event where a donation is made to Loose Ends with each purchase during a sales event.
- Add an optional fee is added as a donation to Loose Ends as part of your ecommerce processes.Â
- Host a finisher meet up with a donation and zoom with the founders of Loose Ends Project. Contact us if you are interested in that!
- Your idea here 🙂 Really, we are very open to ideas. It’s a big mission and we know you are creative!
And now, if you are reading this and are really clever, you have realized something. This could be a great and simple content series for your audience. (Hey we all need easy content from time to time for the schedule). Here is an easy 3 month campaign you could run next year (or even this year if there is time).Â
Month 1: Share about Loose Ends and how someone can become a finisher.
Month 2: Share more about Loose Ends and how someone can send projects to us.
Month 3: Run a special deal or promotion with your audience to benefit Loose Ends.Â
Loose Ends is excited to partner with Handmade Seller magazine to help grow visibility and extend the reach of this important work. Thank you so much for helping us raise awareness.Â
Want to partner but are not sure how? Email us at info@looseendsproject.org
