Welcome Blanket: let’s build a new tradition… together!
Let’s use our head, heart, hands, and histories to craft the country we wish to see.
We are on our way! Since 2017, over 6500 Welcome Blanket gifts have been made, exhibited, and distributed to refugees and other immigrants arriving to the United States.
Welcome Blanket Basics:
Welcome Blankets connects people living in the United States with our country’s new immigrants through stories and handmade blankets, providing both symbolic and literal comfort and warmth. In the Welcome Blanket Project, each handmade blanket is a physical manifestation of this celebration of refugees and other new immigrants: “Welcome to the United States and your new life here! We are thrilled you have arrived.”
Welcome Blanket gifts include space to share stories important to makers’ families about immigration/migration/relocation. Together, the welcome blankets and notes create symbolic and practical gifts of welcome for new refugees coming to the United States. These gifts are collected, cataloged, and displayed at art institutions and exhibitions. During these exhibits, we create spaces to amplify the message of welcome by hosting craft circles, performances, discussions, forums, and legal assistance for immigrants. After each show’s close, our 30+ partner refugee resettlement groups present these tangible gifts of welcome to our newest neighbors.
Ways you can Help!
As a local yarn store/maker space/guild/ community group, you are an incredible craftivism resource. I would love for you to be a community partner in our newest iteration of Welcome Blanket. Here are some ways you can help:
Share Welcome Blanket Project widely! Blast info about Welcome Blanket across your website, newsletter, on social media, and, of course, by word of mouth! When posting, please tag @welcomeblanket / use #welcomeblanket so we can share what you are doing. You can even share a few squares of a work-in-progress. Here’s a link to some easy to share language and social media posts.
Be an official Community Partner! Be listed on our website’s “Community Partners” page (address, phone number, instagram handle, and website) with the ways you want to be involved with the project. This is an opportunity to highlight the incredible community that you provide and bring more people to you.
Welcome Blanket is a big project and there are so many ways to collaborate. If you would like to talk about more ways to collaborate than what’s in the form, let’s talk!
Ways to be listed as a Community Partner:
Sign up below to share how you will be participating. You could be a site for participants to work on their welcome blankets (if it feels safe and doable), and you could provide various ways for them to do so, such as:
A) Beginners Welcome: Beginners can come by during business hours for help. Some craft-curious folks will want help getting the right supplies to get started.
B) Gatherings and Craft-A-Longs: Host gatherings for participants to make welcome blankets together. This is a fantastic way to build community at your store. Welcome Blanket is also a great first project! If you tag us on Instagram with gathering info, we can share widely.
C) Discounts for Welcome Blanket Project: Offer reasonable discounts for Welcome Blanket knitters. For example, you may offer 10% off yarn to people making a Welcome Blanket. The details of the promotion are up to you.
D) Donations Welcome: Some people may want to buy supplies from you for others to be able to support others making Welcome Blankets. You may accept their payment and then give those supplies to someone wanting to craft a Welcome Blanket. These generous donors are also invited to write welcome notes. (We will also always happily accept monetary donations, if anyone wants to contribute.)
E) Drop-off location. Some knitter, crocheters, and sewers may want to drop off their blankets with you for shipping/transport. We are working on securing partnerships to cover some of the shipping costs. If you are in Los Angeles, we may be able to coordinate possible pick up / drop offs. We will keep you posted!
If you have any questions or thoughts, please let me know (our FAQ may answer them most quickly!). If you are already on our website or are ready to join Welcome Blanket for the first time, please fill out the registration form. We will publish your organization name, address, website, phone number, Instagram handle, and how you will be participating.
In Community,
Jayna Zweiman, Founder/Creator Welcome Blanket