7 Crafty Ways to Kick The New Year Off Right

Happy Crafty New Year! Do you have big plans and goals and resolutions for 2021? Or are you taking it more mellow and easing into the year instead, just happy to have survived 2020 mostly intact? Whether you want to start off big or small, indulging in your love for craft can be a great way to start the new year. Here are 7 crafty ways to kick the new year off right:

1. Pick a Word of the Year

One way to approach a new year is to choose a “word of the year.” It’s a word that you can use a touchstone throughout the months to come. It can help guide you, center you, and remind you of what your priorities are. How do you apply that to crafting? Check out our full post on Choosing and Using a Crafty Word of the Year.

2. Start a Year-Long (or Big) Project

Get yourself on the right foot with the crafty new year by starting a huge project today. It might be a year-long project. Examples include:

• Crocheting one motif every day to be put together into a blanket at the end of the year.
• Taking a photo every day for Instagram related to yarn, knitting, or crochet.
• Joining a 365 project on social media.
• Starting a knitting or crochet blog.
• Choosing a “one every month” project (making one scarf per month for example) and starting the first one today.

One really wonderful type of project that people often begin at New Year’s is the temperature blanket. Learn more:

• What Is a Temperature Blanket?
• Stitch Patterns for Temperature Blankets
• Yarn and Colors for Temperature Blankets
• What Location and Time Period to Use for a Temperature Blanket

We also suggest doing a variation on the temperature blanket this year by tying it to another goal you care about. It’s called a Habit Tracker Blanket.

2a. Join Marly Bird’s Daily Prompts

Each day, we’ll give you a daily prompt for your knitting / crochet. Prompts include project ideas, book recommendations, articles to read, days to buy yarn, etc. More details coming on the blog on 1/1/22.

3. Take Five Minutes to Knit or Crochet

Kicking off the new year doesn’t have to mean doing something big. You can take just five minutes today to knit or crochet. This is a way of honoring the craft and the value that it has in your life. It’s a way of reminding yourself that it’s important to you, important enough to make room for it at the beginning of a new year. And it’s a good time to stop and think about what you want in crafting in 2021.

4. Reflect Upon Your Last Year in Craft

Take some time to reflect upon your last year in craft. This can be a big thing or a small thing. For example:

• Many people use the Top 9 tool to collect their most popular nine Instagram photos of the year – are any of yours craft related?
• You might also do a short social media story or slide show highlighting your favorite makes of the year.
• Did you accomplish something you’re really proud of? Print out a blank certificate of accomplishment for it and give yourself an award.
• Or go back through all of your WIP and FO images of the past year and catalog them in a scrapbook or journal.

5. Learn a New Craft or Technique

Challenge yourself to learn something new this year. If you knit, learn to crochet (or weave or embroider or whatever). Or choose a new technique to learn within your craft. If you crochet, try broomstick lace or tapestry crochet. You might not actually start learning the craft today (although you could!) But you can take initial steps including:

• Choosing the craft or technique that you’ll learn.
• Committing to a plan publicly through social media. (Hashtag #marlymademedoit if you want me to see it!)
• Ordering (or taking out of storage) the supplies that you’ll need to get started.
• Finding a class and signing up for it.
• Locating a blog, online tutorials, or other resources that can help you learn.
• Reaching out to friends to see if anyone else wants to learn with you.

6. Make Something For Yourself

Take some time today to knit or crochet something just for yourself. It might be something small. Or it might be a small start on a bigger gift to yourself. So often we craft for others (especially throughout the holiday season.) Turn your attention to yourself. It’s a great way to start a crafty new year.

7. Give Gratitude to Your Craft

Craft gives you so much. It may provide comfort, healing, excitement, inspiration, focus, distraction, community … and so much more. Take the time today, through prayer or making a list or whatever works for you, to just give a little gratitude for the craft. If you want to go further, consider how you learned the craft, who has influenced you, and how you get your craft supplies as areas for additional gratitude.

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