COVID 2020 has us all going a little stir-crazy and longing to enjoy friendships and fun activities. One enjoyable way to make and meet friends in the Harford County community is to attend the monthly Crop N’ Craft event, which is held at Cornerstone Community Church in Joppa, Maryland.* Whether you are looking for scrapbooking for beginners or are an expert painter, you will fit right in with this unique crafting group because you bring along your crafting project!

Let’s face it, we all have them: the unassembled photo album, the DIY project left undone, the sketchbook and charcoal pencils we once carried with us in younger days, kid’s crafts that were furiously unwrapped on Christmas day but have yet to be glued, painted and assembled; and don’t forget that folk art school project. Crop N’ Craft is a great way to leave the house and still get your creative to-do list completed. All you need is your craft and craft supplies to complete your project. Putting the crafting supplies in a stackable storage container, rolling craft case or scrapbook tote bag will make it easy to transport your project and assure that you have the tools and accessories to create something amazing.

Here’s how it works. Find a Crop N’ Craft day that fits in with your schedule and sign-up (or show up!) to the event. Crop N’ Craft is hosted over a several hour period allowing for drop-in crafters or those who enjoy spending the afternoon perfecting their project. Choose your workspace in the crafting room. Be inspired as you meet other crafters, see their handiwork and hear the stories behind the creations. Sip your fancy coffee and find a new friend. Stay for as little or as long as you want.

One chilly fall Friday, my daughter was off from school and I was hoping to have a fun parent-daughter day and meet some new people. We went to the Crop N’ Craft and my daughter brought her beaded keychain craft that she had received as a gift. I was her attentive craft assistant, with a fancy coffee of course. We were welcomed by other friendly crafters who were happy to see new faces and see what new crafting ideas might be discovered that day. I was able to focus on time with my daughter, but we were also able to all talk with others in the big room, and there was quite the variety of hobbies. One woman had brought her sewing machine and was finishing a long-term project. Another crafter talked about how she had discovered a partially embroidered family heirloom from forty-years ago and she was planning to finish the embroidery and knotting to pass down through the family. Another individual was making hand stamped Thanksgiving cards with cardstock, stamp pads, and embellishing supplies which she had brought along in her crafting tote. What happened next touched my heart. My daughter had finished her beaded keychain, took an interest in one of the scrapbooking crafters and asked to watch. The crafter welcomed her over and began to teach my daughter how to scrapbook. These ladies became my newest friends in a new place, and my daughter has continued to enjoy scrapbooking and recently made a scrapbook page for a friend’s birthday! On a return Crop N’ Craft visit, I brought both of my daughters. They painted vases as we talked with a crafter who was putting together a photo album for an upcoming wedding present.

In these days of COVID loneliness and boredom, Crop N’ Craft is a great way to socially distance while still meeting social needs of friendship, community and shared experience. Crafting is a wonderful way to build and nurture relationships in a setting that accommodates many age groups and hobbies, and allows for the creative expression of our lives. Crop N’ Craft is located just off of I-95 and is convenient to Fallston, Edgewood, Riverside and Bel Air. There are many restaurants and coffee shops nearby that are perfect for picking up a snack or meeting up with friends before or after crafting. Won’t you join us?

Please contact us for event details at https://cornerstonejoppa.org/contact-us/.
*Activities are conducted per CDC guidelines for group activities.