Tea & Crafts 1: Origami

Being transparent, the reason I started the 'Make Stuff' project was to have an outlet to cope with and process the environment we are in. Sometimes, it can feel quite defeating when so many things happening around us are out of our control. So, let's make stuff to remind ourselves that we are creators.

The idea came to me on a Sunday while I was sketching at the Brooklyn Museum and listening to The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living. To build the kind of community I want, I decided to host an afternoon with friends, combining tea and crafts. It would take place during my ideal hangout time, from 2 to 5 PM—after lunch and before dinner. It would be in my home, a space for playful creativity.

Each session would have a different theme, with the first one focused on origami.

So how did it go?

Even though it was pouring rain and the G train was down, there was a huge turnout. I even ran out of chairs for everyone!

Moving to NYC two years ago, I worried about making friends, especially as a self-employed person. But as I sat with a group of new friends, folding paper and sipping Taiwanese Alishan tea, I truly felt a sense of community.

Can Tea and Crafts grow into something bigger?

What will the next craft theme be?