Crafting A Kinder World

Michaels celebrates Random Acts of Kindness Day with $100,000 in giveaways

Random Acts of Kindness Day is Friday, Feb. 17, and to celebrate the spirit of the day and encourage others to participate, Michaels will give away more than $100,000 in gift cards at its 1,060+ stores and on its Facebook page.

Throughout the day, Michaels will randomly hand out thousands of gift cards in its stores and through Facebook to inspire people to in turn do something kind for others, such as donating their gift cards to a school, church or hospital, or using the cards to buy supplies to make a special homemade gift for someone.

“This is a fun way for us to say thanks to our loyal customers and an opportunity for them to pay it forward with a DIY gift,” said Michaels Chief Marketing Officer Paula Puleo. “We hope that our participation in Random Acts of Kindness Day will inspire our customers throughout the year.”

The unofficial holiday falls during Random Acts of Kindness Week®, Feb. 13-19, founded by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, an internationally recognized nonprofit organization based upon the powerful belief in kindness, and dedicated to providing resources and tools that encourage acts of kindness.

Customers who want to participate in the holiday with a hand-made gift can find suggested projects to share at Michaels.com/sharethelove.

If you love old needlework books with that charming “found in a dusty drawer” sort of feel, Early American Embroidery Designs has a lot going for it. This is not a trendy modern pattern book, and honestly, that is exactly why it stands out. It is based on an 1815 manuscript album and is packed with over 190 historical motifs, which gives it a lovely reference-book quality for stitchers who enjoy heritage designs.

What makes this one interesting is the sense of history behind it. Rather than feeling overly polished or modernised, it comes across as a genuine slice of early American needlework style, with floral, vine, basket, repeat, and spot motifs that would suit all sorts of decorative embroidery projects. That makes it especially appealing if you enjoy traditional embroidery, antique-inspired sewing, or adding old-fashioned detail to household linens and keepsake pieces.

It is also the sort of book that feels more like a design resource than a step-by-step project manual. So if you are the kind of stitcher who likes browsing motifs, adapting ideas, and pulling little elements into your own work, this could be a really fun one to have on the shelf. Sometimes those older reference-style books end up being the ones you reach for most, especially when you want inspiration that does not look like everything else on Pinterest.

For CraftGossip readers, this would suit anyone looking for vintage embroidery pattern books, historical embroidery motifs, or early American needlework inspiration. It has that quiet, useful, slightly scholarly feel, but still in a way that is very approachable for modern stitchers.

This is one for the crafter who loves history, traditional motifs, and embroidery books that feel like little archives of inspiration. Not flashy, but definitely the sort of book that could quietly become a favourite.

Have you read?