If you’re someone who loves crafting—whether it’s knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, or painting—chances are you’ve built up quite a collection of supplies over time. Maybe you have extra yarn, fabric, or beads that you no longer need. Instead of letting those materials gather dust, you can put them to good use by donating them to charities that accept craft donations. These organizations use your contributions to support a variety of causes, from providing therapeutic arts programs to helping those in need create meaningful, handcrafted items.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the best charities where your crafting supplies and creations can make a big impact.
1. Project Linus
What They Accept: Handmade blankets (crocheted, knitted, quilted, or sewn)
Mission: Project Linus provides handmade blankets to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or in need. The organization distributes blankets to hospitals, shelters, and social service agencies, offering warmth and comfort to kids during difficult times.
How to Donate: You can either make and donate blankets yourself or donate materials to local chapters, which then provide the supplies to volunteers.
2. Knots of Love
What They Accept: Hand-knit or crocheted caps and blankets
Mission: Knots of Love donates handmade caps to cancer patients and others who have experienced hair loss due to illness, as well as blankets for babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
How to Donate: Create soft, comfortable caps following their guidelines, and mail them directly to Knots of Love. They also accept yarn donations for those who wish to support the cause but aren’t crafters themselves.
3. The Giving Quilt
What They Accept: Handmade quilts and sewing supplies
Mission: The Giving Quilt connects quilters with charitable organizations that need quilts for their programs. They host quilt drives and work with other charities to distribute quilts to people in need, such as veterans, cancer patients, and disaster survivors.
How to Donate: You can donate your completed quilts or extra fabric and quilting supplies to support other volunteers who create quilts for donation.
4. Binky Patrol
What They Accept: Handmade blankets (knitted, crocheted, quilted, or sewn)
Mission: Binky Patrol provides blankets to children and teens going through traumatic situations, whether from illness, foster care, or homelessness. The blankets, called “binkies,” are made by volunteers and distributed to hospitals, shelters, and emergency services.
How to Donate: You can donate blankets you’ve made or contact a local chapter to donate supplies like fabric, yarn, or batting.
5. Art Feeds
What They Accept: Art supplies like markers, paints, brushes, canvases, and paper
Mission: Art Feeds provides art therapy and creative expression programs to children in trauma-affected or underprivileged communities. They use donated materials to conduct art lessons that help kids process emotions and develop self-esteem through creativity.
How to Donate: Art Feeds accepts a wide variety of art supplies. You can mail or drop off your unused craft materials to one of their programs.
6. Warm Up America!
What They Accept: Handmade knitted or crocheted afghans, hats, scarves, and squares (7” x 9”)
Mission: Warm Up America! provides warmth through handmade afghans, clothing, and accessories to those in need. Volunteers create entire blankets or individual squares that are then assembled into afghans and distributed to hospitals, shelters, and military personnel.
How to Donate: They accept completed items or even individual squares, which are sewn together by volunteers to make full-size blankets.
7. Dress a Girl Around the World
What They Accept: Handmade dresses and sewing materials
Mission: Dress a Girl Around the World aims to provide new dresses to girls in poverty-stricken areas, as a symbol of dignity and care. Many girls in impoverished regions don’t have access to new clothing, and a handmade dress is a practical and uplifting gift.
How to Donate: You can sew dresses from their approved patterns or donate fabric, elastic, and other sewing supplies.
8. Enchanted Makeovers
What They Accept: Craft supplies like fabric, yarn, and sewing materials, as well as handmade items such as blankets and pillows
Mission: Enchanted Makeovers transforms shelters into nurturing environments for women and children, with an emphasis on creativity and self-expression. They use craft donations to teach sewing and art classes that help residents rebuild their self-esteem and gain valuable skills.
How to Donate: You can send in craft supplies, handmade items, or even volunteer to help with specific projects.
9. Operation Gratitude
What They Accept: Handmade scarves, hats, and paracord bracelets
Mission: Operation Gratitude sends care packages to military personnel, veterans, and first responders, including handmade scarves and hats as tokens of appreciation. The organization also distributes paracord bracelets, which can be life-saving tools in emergency situations.
How to Donate: Follow their specific guidelines for crafting the scarves, hats, or bracelets and send them to Operation Gratitude’s donation center.
10. Hearts and Hands
What They Accept: Handmade items like quilts, baby blankets, hats, and scarves
Mission: Hearts and Hands connects crafters with organizations in need of handmade goods, including hospitals, shelters, and military care packages. Their projects range from donating quilts to veterans to providing newborn baby hats for NICU patients.
How to Donate: Check their current list of needed items and follow the guidelines for donation. They also accept yarn, fabric, and other craft materials.
Conclusion
Donating your craft supplies or handmade items is a wonderful way to give back while doing something you love. Whether it’s knitting a scarf for a soldier or sewing a dress for a child in need, these charities put your creative skills to great use. Not only do they provide comfort and support to those facing tough circumstances, but they also offer you the chance to make a lasting difference in someone’s life.