Chances are you’ve heard the adage, “Put your money where your mouth is.” And most of us have a cause that we donate to on an annual basis. But, sometimes, you just want to do something tangible.

I have good news for you. Since 2012, July 21st has been the designated holiday known as “Craft For Your Local Shelters” day. This means that you can pick a project (or more) to assist your local shelters by crafting something useful.

Erika Lindquist is responsible for the holiday. She came up with the idea after adopting her rescue dog. According to an article on the iheartdog.com website, she wanted to offer an alternative to those with some financial challenges.

“If someone is unable to help their shelter financially, they can help by making simple, yet meaningful, items for the animals,” she said. If you want more information on her and her project, she has a website called SewDoggieStyle that you can visit by clicking here.

IDEAS

There are some great ideas that you can read up on, but I’ll highlight a few that look simple enough that even something without a ton of crafting talent can create:

Adopt Me Bandanas. These can be made with scraps of fabric and either painting, screen printing or embroidering “adopt me” on them.
Fleece Tugs. Gather up your fleece, cut into strips and then simply braid them together.
Rectangle Dog Bed. This involves a pillow, some fabric and basic sewing. I’ll leave the instructions to the experts. Click here for the 411.

There are lots of ways to help your local shelter. If you aren’t up for crafting, but still want to get involved, shelter can always use volunteers. Share any pictures with us of craft items you create for your local shelter on our social media sites.