Finally, A Craft Marathon in Metro Manila!

Crafting has been part of my life for a very long time. Journaling, scrapbooking, collecting pretty papers and stickers, trying different pens, playing with washi tapes, and finding new ways to document memories are some of the things I genuinely enjoy doing. The problem, of course, is finding the time to actually do them.

I have so many unfinished projects. I know I'm not alone in this because every crafter I know has a stash of things that were started with so much excitement and then set aside because something else came up. There is always another responsibility, another deadline, another errand, another thing that needs to be done first.

This is why Craft ’Til You Drop: The Backlog Edition immediately caught my attention. The idea is to spend up to 12 hours doing exactly what we rarely give ourselves enough time to do: craft.

I have seen events like this being held in the US, where crafters get together and spend an entire day working on their unfinished projects. Some bring their journals and scrapbooks, while others work on crochet, sewing, painting, diamond painting, photography, or whatever creative project they happen to be working on. I have always loved seeing those gatherings because they are not really about learning one particular craft or completing one specific project. They are about giving people the time and the space to enjoy their hobbies.

Now we finally have something similar happening here in Metro Manila.

Twelve Hours to Work on Those Projects Half Done

The concept behind the event is very easy to understand, especially if you are a crafter. Bring your PHDs, or Projects Half Done, and spend the day working on them.

For me, this is probably the biggest attraction. I have journals waiting to be finished, supplies that I bought for projects that are still somewhere in my head, and ideas that I keep telling myself I will get around to eventually. Having an entire day specifically set aside for crafting makes a huge difference.

Instead of trying to squeeze journaling into an already busy day, you actually get to sit down and spend hours doing it.

Craft ’Til You Drop will also have different stations and resources available, including a Tool Bar, Sewing Station, Photo Printer, and Watercolor Table. There will be snacks, games, prizes, and plenty of space to work on your own projects. You can bring the craft you've been working on at home or use the opportunity to try something different.

I also like that the event isn't limited to one type of crafter. Journaling may be a big part of the community, but there is room for people who sew, paint, scrapbook, work with photographs, or simply enjoy making things with their hands.

Why I Think We Need More Events Like This

There is something very different about sitting down with a physical project compared with spending another few hours on our phones.

I love social media and I spend a good part of my working life online, but there are times when I really need to step away from it. Journaling gives me that opportunity. When I'm choosing papers, cutting things out, arranging stickers, writing, or simply deciding what I want a page to look like, I'm focused on that one thing.

It gives my brain a break from everything else that is happening.

I don't think crafting should be presented as a replacement for professional mental health care, because it isn't. But I do believe that having hobbies that allow us to slow down and spend time doing something we enjoy can be good for our overall well-being. We need activities that aren't about work, deadlines, likes, views, or productivity.

Sometimes, we should be allowed to make something simply because we enjoy making it.

And I think that is one of the nicest things about this event. You don't have to come with the goal of creating something perfect. You don't have to finish an entire scrapbook or produce a journal spread that belongs on Pinterest. You can sit down, work on one page, talk to someone beside you, have a snack, try a new tool, and enjoy the day.

That is enough.

The Best Part Is Finding People Who Get It

One of the things I enjoy most about crafting events is meeting other people who are just as excited about these things as I am.

If you're a crafter, you probably know what I'm talking about. You can spend way too much time looking at stationery. You can get excited about a new pen. You can have very strong opinions about paper. You can buy stickers even though you already have plenty of stickers at home.

And when you are around other crafters, none of that needs explaining.

That is what makes a creative community so important. You meet people who understand why you enjoy what you do. You can talk about supplies and techniques without having to explain why they matter. You can look at someone else's project and get an idea for something you want to try. You can share what you know and learn something new from someone else.

For people who may not have a large group of friends who share the same hobbies, an event like this can also be a way to find their people.

You may arrive with an unfinished project and leave with a finished one, but you might also leave having made a new friend.

And It Is Actually Affordable

I also appreciate that the event was planned with different budgets in mind.

The Friday pass starts at only ₱600, while the Saturday and Sunday passes are ₱1,100 and include meals. There is also a two-day pass for ₱1,900.

For a full day dedicated to crafting, with access to creative stations and tools, activities, food on the weekend passes, games, prizes, and the opportunity to spend time with other crafters, I think that makes this a pretty accessible experience.

More importantly, it gives us something that is sometimes much harder to find than craft supplies: time.

We buy the journals. We buy the stickers. We buy the paper. We download the photos. We save the ideas. Then life happens and the projects stay unfinished.

This gives us a reason to finally take them out.

I'm Really Looking Forward to This

What makes this particularly exciting for me is that this is something I have mostly seen happening outside the Philippines. I have watched American crafters attend these kinds of marathon crafting events and thought about how nice it would be to have something similar here.

Our creative community is huge. There are so many Filipinos who journal, scrapbook, sew, paint, crochet, make cards, collect stationery, do diamond painting, and enjoy all kinds of handmade hobbies. We have so many talented makers and hobbyists, and I think we deserve more opportunities to come together.

Craft ’Til You Drop is a chance to do exactly that.

So if you have a journal sitting unfinished on your desk, a scrapbook that hasn't been touched in months, a sewing project waiting for the right time, photographs you still haven't printed, or a craft project you've been promising yourself you will finish, this might be the perfect excuse to finally work on it.

Bring your PHDs: Projects Half Done.

Bring your supplies, your ideas, and the projects you've been putting off.

Most importantly, come ready to spend a day doing something you enjoy with people who understand why you enjoy it.

Craft ’Til You Drop: The Backlog Edition happens on September 4–6 at Assembly Grounds, The Rise in Makati City.

I'm really looking forward to being part of this, and I hope to see a lot of familiar faces there, along with plenty of new ones.

Because sometimes, we don't need another thing to add to our to-do list.

We just need a day to finally do the things we love.