Sewing and knitting for charity - use your craft skills to help others

If you've got the knitting or sewing bug and you're looking for some projects to get your teeth into and do some good at the same time you could do a lot worse than using your skills to volunteer for charity.

We've collected together an assortment of projects and patterns charities around the world are looking for help with, so read on to find out how you can volunteer from the comfort of your own home.

Cats Protection

Cats Protection has a series of Craft for Cats events and even a Facebook page for those wanting to make a difference.

Teddies for Tragedies

Teddies for Tragedies started as just bears, but now you can knit blankets, jumpers, mittens and even hand puppets for children in refugee camps, orphanages and hospitals in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and South America.

Francis House Children's Hospice

Francis House Children’s Hospice offers the families of very sick children a respite from their role as carers and gives the children a loving home from home. Each year for Easter knitted chicks are made to help raise funds.

Knit for Syria

Syrian winters can be cold, and displaced people can be living in damp and draughty conditions such as tents, caves and abandoned buildings. As well as collecting money to buy supplies, Hand in Hand for Syria also collects knitted or crocheted blankets and clothing which is then taken to Turkey to be distributed in Syria. A list of the items needed is on their website.

Dress a Girl Around the World

This charity provides dresses from pillowcases for girls in Africa and are looking for volunteers to make more. There are several sewing events being held around the country and the UK effort, and so far they have delivered more than one million dresses.

Little Dresses for Africa

This non-profit organisation distributes simple dresses in orphanages, churches and schools in Africa. A pillow case pattern is great, but any simple pattern is also fine. The organisation also makes britches for boys and washable sanitary pads that allow menstruating girls to attend school. The organization started in the USA but it has a UK representative where you can send donations and crafting.

Project Linus

Project Linus provides quilts and blankets for sick and traumatised babies, children and teenagers.

Bonnie Babies

Helping premature babies in the UK, Bonnie Babies provides premature baby clothes, blankets and tragically, burial clothes too. Organisers are looking for stitchers, knitters and crocheters to contribute.

Breastfeeding Network

Hospitals and community midwives use model breasts to show new mothers how to breastfeed and how to express milk, but they cost £35 each, and knitted versions work just as well. The charity has a pattern and welcomes them as donations to sell at its annual conference and other events to raise funds.

The Big Knit

The Innocent Big Knit has raised almost £3 million for charity. The Innocent drinks company sells special smoothies with woolly hats on, donating 25p from each purchase to Age UK. They always need knitters to make the hats.

The Donkey Sanctuary

The Donkey Sanctuary is looking for volunteers to knit and sew products it can sell in its gift shops to raise much-needed funds.

Made4Aid

Anyone can donate handmade art and craft items or supplies to Made4Aid, to be sold online to raise money for aid. Money raised is donated to Médecins sans Frontières / Doctors without Borders - which sends doctors to war zones and the world’s trouble spots.