Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Craft Club SLC, founded by Janelle Widtfeldt, fosters connections among women.
- The club hosts sold-out crafting events, partnering with local businesses in Salt Lake City.
- Widtfeldt emphasizes the importance of community and combating loneliness through creative activities.
SALT LAKE CITY — Janelle Widtfeldt has built a supportive community of women through one of her favorite hobbies — crafting.
What began as a small endeavor to connect with more people has become a growing space of sisterhood and creativity.
Widtfeldt, founder of Craft Club, began the club in 2024 to help with her friend groups that seemed to be splintering. Friends getting married, moving away and going in life's different directions made getting a group together difficult. She noticed the isolation was not limited to her; many women in the Salt Lake area were discussing the same thing online. An idea began to form in her head. She used her creative tendencies to create a club for women of all ages, where they get together and craft.
The first Craft Club activity involved a small band of 10 women. Now, the company hosts multiple activities each month that nearly always sell out. Craft Club partners with local businesses such as coffee shops, restaurants and breweries to host the events.
As women of all ages attend, the group fosters an opportunity for connection.
Widtfeldt finds and organizes the projects ranging from candle-making to painting, tote-bag designing, collages and other crafty endeavors. The goal is to add variety and ensure projects for every type of person.
One of the most important aspects of Craft Club is welcoming women seeking new friends and a safe space. While groups of women are welcome to come, Widtfeldt believes it is important to create a fun space for anyone coming solo.
"I started tables called 'Solo Crafter Tables,'" Widtfeldt said. "We started this table, and it has really grown a ton. Its main purpose is to help connect people and bring a sense of community. … That has been one of the ways that we have eased people's minds and put them in a more comfortable space, knowing that there is a spot for them, with other women looking for the same thing."
Through the various activities, Widtfeldt has witnessed just how important connection is.
"We are in this sort of loneliness epidemic. That is the No. 1 thing I see. It is easy to get caught up in social media and doom scroll for a really long time," she explained. "Women connect in a way that is different than men. We can go to something like this, be creating and connecting on an emotional level."
Many familiar faces have returned again and again to the Craft Club, craving the connection and womanly influence in their life.
"Women need this and want this in their lives. That has been something really special to me. It truly is impacting their lives," Widtfeldt expressed.
We are in this sort of loneliness epidemic.
–Janelle Widtfeldt, Craft Club founder
The activities have been dubbed "ultimate girlhood." They give women a chance to create and get out of their comfort zones, and they also leave with new friends.
"When you go, you feel it and see what Craft Club is and how special it is. You feel that you belong there. You find your space and other women," Widtfeldt encouraged. "Try it once and see how it is. The girls do a good job of taking care of each other; I feel really lucky to have all of them."
Today, Widtfeldt has moved full-time to running the Craft Club. She emphasized that the activities have changed her life and made her want to become a better person.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the Craft Club SLC website or @craftclubslc on Instagram.
