Here are some simple ideas and crafts and projects that you can feel free to use at a Joyfestival or just for calm and joy and happiness in your own life! Hopefully they will lead to time spent in pure enJOYment:
Crafting Bags of Gratitude
I was once inspired by my friend, Lois, to start writing things down when I was grateful, on little pieces of paper and putting them in a pretty fabric bag. When I need to, I take them out and read them to be inspired by the blessings in my life. May your gratitude bag be a source of joy for you too!
These small bags, which have a Velcro closure, are a way to hopefully help you capture and remember the good and positive things that happen in your daily life. You can use this bag as it is, or artfully personalize it later, however you wish.
Every time you feel grateful for something, you can write it down on a piece of paper and stick the paper in the bag. The bag can be a place where you’ll be able to keep notes and memories of events and things that were good or make you happy or feel grateful for in life! Build your way to more positive day when you open the bag later and read what’s inside. The bag is also a way to feel better when things aren’t looking so positive in your day, week or month. You can go look at all the good once noted down and try to remember those things on that day right when one needs a little lift.
Have on hand: either small fabric bags with Velcro enclosures or another way to “contain” the gratitude writing later on! The bag could also be a drawstring one.
Creating Gratitude Jars
This is a similar idea to a gratitude bag, but in a jar you can make look pretty and have sit on your kitchen counter or somewhere visible. Here, you will decorate a small container in which you’ll be able to keep notes and memories of things that make you happy in life! Build your way to a more positive day when you open the lid and read what’s inside later on.
Create a way to capture and help remember the good and positive things that happen in daily life. In this container, you’ll be able to keep notes and memories of events and things that were good or make you happy in life! Build your way to more a more positive day when you open the lid and read what’s inside later.
One inexpensive way to do this is with small mason jars with lids, small baskets, or small boxes with lids. Your supplies will include jars with lids or small boxes or baskets, any and all odd craft materials, including fabric scraps or material and ribbon you may have around and could use to decorate. Tacky glue, fabric glue, decoupage, scissors, markers and a few permanent markers so something can be written on the top can also be helpful.
One place to look for mason jars, if you don’t have them around is Oriental Trading or Michael’s.
You can even decorate the mason jar lids or container covers with phrases or images that represent gratefulness or gratitude to you.
Vision Boarding
Your vision board will be a collection of images, words, photos, drawings, affirmations and anything that focuses on your goals and makes you happy. Creating one can help you conceptualize your ideas and focus and help you motivate to accomplish your dreams. Think of the feelings you want to evoke in your future, or evoke more of right now in your life. You’ll want to think about what are your goals, what makes you happy, what would you like to accomplish this year, or even in the near future? You can make boards for a more general theme or a focused area you are working on. And you could also have different boards. Like one for your dream vacation might have pictures of Cancun or Maui or one for a more meaningful life might have pictures and words that hint at your greater life purpose and what you want to attract for that.
Once you get your idea of your focus or theme, then start with the board and start getting images from magazines, catalogs, etc. After identifying your future aims, cut out pictures, words, 3 dimensional items, fabric cutouts, used stickers and other crafting items to “envision” these ideals on a poster board.
Glue everything on the posterboard, add any words or embellishments you’d like. Hang it prominently where you’ll see it often, if not every day and look at it!
Supplies to purchase for this craft/program:
Posterboard (like white tagboard,) in size of 12 x 12 or close to it. It can be ordered in a larger size and cut to 12 x 12 ahead of time also. It’s also helpful to have on hand gluesticks, child safe or regular scissors, fancy fisker scissors with the various edges, tacky glue, washable markers, thick and/or fine tip ones, any washi tapes you think could be fun to add a border with, and/or any stickers that have words on them.
Most importantly, you’ll want to have lots of magazines that have lots of pictures and/or lifestyle type periodicals. Alternatively, you can also take apart old wall calendars that have pictures you like on them or anything with lots of colorful graphics that might have images you are attracted to. Old flyers, pictures and anything that can make a collage or vision board would also work.
Rose Colored Glasses
Find a bunch of cheap sunglasses or even clear glass glasses without prescription lenses in them. Purchase stickers with roses on them and stick them in the corners of the lenses for rose-colored glasses. Make it fun for adults and kids. You can have a bin of glasses and a small container of stickers and a mirror nearby so people can view themselves in their new “outlook!”
Sample verbiage: “Please take a pair of “rose-colored glasses” for an upbeat, positive and fun way to see the world. You can decorate the glasses with more roses for an even sunnier point of view ☺”
Gratitude Journals
Take a simple notebook or small journal book and decorate to your heart’s content. You can print out labels for the inside of these notebooks that say, “My Gratitude Journal” or “Happiness Room Journaling” or whatever you’d like. This notebook is where you can feel free to write down things I’m happy about, or put down my thoughts about things I am grateful for.
Later on, if you’re feeling upset or feeling unhappy, you can take out the notebook and read what you wrote in the past. Reading and using a gratitude journal can help one trigger thoughts and memories of what has made them happy or grateful for previously. It can also help people to remember what makes them feel happy and grateful now
One activity to do with a Gratitude Journal is to list 1-25 (or more) of things that you feel grateful for. They don’t have to be in full sentences, but can just be a list of things you noticed to be grateful for in that moment in time.
Gratefulness Card Writing Activity
Create colorful and unique one of a kind greeting cards for all occasions. Get lots of creative card making materials (if you need inspiration for this one, take a look at the C3 Joyfestival gathering kit! You can also look here.)
Grab all of your cardstock, stationary supplies, stencils, stampers, fancy papers, card forms, cards, stickers, washi tapes, fisker edge scissors, glue sticks, ribbons, hole punches, some inspirational books on card writing or card making, envelopes, stamps and your address book.
Take a moment to think of all the people you may want to thank for something or tell them you’re grateful for something they’ve done, or for who they are. Put pen to paper and embellish the card with any crafting supplies. This can be simple or elaborate. The point is to have fun crafting away and touching people with your cards as well.
Picture Frame Decorating
It’s always fun to have personally decorated simple frames to put your photos in! One inexpensive and easy way to do this is to purchase small wooden crafting frames online.
These frames can be decorated with paint(s,) stickers, scrapbook embellishments, colored and metallic pens and markers, glitter glue or other craft materials. The goal is for you or your friends or guests to be able to easily personalize a picture frame they can take home – a frame that will hold a picture of something that for them represents what it means to “Celebrate Life!” to have a JOYFEST, or anything upbeat and memorable to them. Any kid guests will enjoy it too.
Making Lavender Sachets
Lavender is a calm way to soothe oneself and lavender sachets are a nice portable way to put them under your pillow, in your drawers or anywhere you would like that calm and pleasant smell.
To easily make your own lavender sachets:
- Dried lavender can be purchased in bulk from Amazon or at your local craft store.
- For the sachet bags, the easy upcycle way would be re-purposing old nylons (pre-washed) by cutting off the feet. You can also find sweet little white organza bags that are sold online in bulk and are very affordable as well.
- You can tie the sachets with fabric ribbon at the top or even add pretty buttons and embellishments to the ribbon to make them look extra pretty.
Paper Boat Making
This one is a big HIT for kids, but adults like it too. Have a variety of pre-sized paper available along with the instructions:
The young guests (and adults too) will have a ball making and/or floating these boats in the bathtub or a collapsible, small kiddie pool. It’s also a great activity that encourages problem solving and teamwork.
All of these crafts and more that you dream up can possibly help one to up their Joy Quotient! Feel free to email with your Joy Quotient expanding craft ideas as well.
