Get Creative
Unplug to get CREATIVE with craft nights, painting, macramé, yarn crafts, pottery and more.
Crochet for a Cause: Whether you know how to crochet or you’re just learning, this is an EASY project to keep your hands busy and create something fun and meaningful. In partnership with the digital wellness company, lilspace and yarn bomber, London Kaye we are launching an Unplug and Crochet for a Cause Challenge to spend less time scrolling so we can make "Welcome Home" signs that will hang in transitional living spaces for at-risk youth who are moving out of homelessness. Learn more and take the challenge HERE.
Group Crafting: Host a crafting night in your yard or at a local recreation center or park. You may find craft classes already in existence that you can invite your friends to attend. If not, enlist a local craft teacher to hold a how-to class in a spot that is permitted in your city.
Paint a Little Masterpiece: Try a Painting With a Twist class led by an artist where you can sip, socialize and create. Take home kits are also available if leaving the house isn’t an option. There are many art studios offering take home kits so search and find one near you.
Sidewalk Chalk Art: a great option while we are limited by Covid restrictions. Have a group in your neighborhood create a walking art exhibit using the sidewalk as your canvas.
Create a Fairy or Woodland Creatures Garden: For kids or adults, making a miniature garden can be fun and therapeutic. Encourage your neighbors to create a fairy garden walk. Place the gardens out by the street so people can walk through the neighborhood and see them all.
Share Your Story: Host a story slam! Share stories of the sunset you experienced prior to cell phones, or emails or texts you wish you’d never sent, Facebook fights or Twitter wars that got ridiculous or tall tales of your digital addiction. Host an event and invite others to share their stories. Ask everyone to share their “Six Word Memoir” on unplugging.
Decorate a Lantern: Purchase a paper lantern at stores like Walmart, Michaels, Amazon or the Paper Lantern Store. Decorate with paint or markers adding colorful pictures and uplifting words (or decorate on tracing paper and then glue it on). Use holiday lights (stuffed inside) or buy a mini light Here. Want to incorporate upcycling? Use old milk cartons. Consider bringing these creations to businesses that are struggling or nursing homes (along with letters that they will love!). Have a social distancing street gathering where neighbors make their own and then hang them in the trees for decoration, outside windows or on porches unifying their community!
Host an Unplugging Block/Neighborhood Party: Bring your community together (if Covid allows) by hosting a party with games, food, beverages and more. If you give party-goers an activity to do with their hands it will help it be a fun unplugged event. Consider having a sidewalk art competition, or having everyone add an item to a time capsule or a story for a neighborhood memories book. Let people decorate something like paper lanterns (described above) for decoration and to take home after.
Personalize a Phone Storage Bag: You can become a Community Member and order our signature cell phone sleeping bags for a large group HERE. AND, you can also decorate your own storage container for a more personal touch. Whether you paint it, tie dye it or bling it up, decorating your own cell phone bag will be one way to personalize the practice of giving your cell phone (and YOU) a break once in a while. Check out our activity guide for some DIY container options.
Origami: Learn the timeless art of paper-folding. Traditional origami is derived from Japan and consists of folding a single sheet of square paper into a sculpture without cutting, gluing, taping, or even marking it. Shown to improve spatial visualization skills, origami allows children to comprehend, characterize, and construct their own vernacular for the world around them. Try creating this lotus candle holder which you can then light with a votive (or battery operated version) when you kick off your NDU practice.
Find your Balance: Try finding your focus and strengthen your inner balance while learning the art of rock balancing. This project costs nothing but time and definitely helps to develop patience and bring out the Zen a little more in all of us.
Create some Ephemeral Art: Grab a couple of artistic friends and create an ephemeral art project on the beach or somewhere out in nature. These works of art are created with a rake, nature and imagination. Make a beautiful statement and share it with your community. Be inspired by the likes of artist Andres Amador whose awe inspiring works of art are not to be missed.
Make some Nature Art: Take items like sea shells, pebbles, pieces of wood, and flowers to create a design or meaningful picture. See what you can find in your own backyard or neighborhood. Use a shadow box or piece of wood for your base. Create a dragonfly, the sun or even your family. By using natural products your art work will truly be one of a kind. Follow along with Jasmine from Feeling Nifty if you want a DIY tutorial.
Immortalize some Memories: Take those sea shells, coins and small mementos from your trips that are cluttering up your house and turn them into a Plaster Keepsake Vase . It’s a nice way to have some intentional time with your kids while repurposing an old vase or other item. Mom Amber Thrane shows you how to make the magic happen.
