Update: It's Been....

The Desert Bus For Hope 2023 Craft-Along is now open & accepting submissions until 11:59pm Pacific on Sunday May 28th!

Hello, Crafters!

This is Erika, your intrepid Prize Coordinator. We know many of you are eagerly anticipating the start of this year’s Craft-Along. We’re pleased to let you know that submissions for the 2023 Craft-Along will begin May 8, 2023 at 10:00am Pacific. The submission form will be open for three weeks and closes at 11:59pm Pacific on May 28. So make sure you have your ideas ready to go. I’m so excited to see what you all have planned for this year. Seeing all of the amazing crafts that you lovingly create and then generously donate is one of the highlights of my year.

If you are a newcomer to Desert Bus for Hope and don’t know what the Craft-Along is, or perhaps you have watched in previous years and want to know how you can contribute your own awesome crafts to Desert Bus, then read on!

About half of the prizes we auction and giveaway each year to raise money for Child’s Play Charity are created by our amazing audience. Every year we host the Craft-Along, a chance for viewers to make an awesome, one-of-a-kind, handmade prize to be donated to Desert Bus. We use that prize in either a giveaway or an auction to raise money, all of which goes directly to Child’s Play Charity.

If you wish to participate there will be a submission form to fill out. You will give us a little bit of info about yourself, including your experiences as a crafter and examples of your work, along with an idea of a prize you would like to make for the Craft-Along. It does not have to be something that exists now, but it does need to be something that can be completed over the summer. Once the submission period is over I will review all of the submissions and select the prizes that I would like to have as prizes for Desert Bus 2023. You will be notified about a week after the submission deadline if your prize has been accepted or not.

If your prize was accepted, after you have finished making it and completed some administrative work (taking photos and writing a description) you will mail the prize to us. All of the prizes have to be in our hands by September 30, 2023, so plan the scope of your prize accordingly. Make sure to allow for shipping time, especially if you live outside North America!

If this is your first time with the Craft-Along we have a few tips and suggestions for making a great submission. The better your submission, the more likely it is to be accepted. Here are some of the things we look for when evaluating a submission:

• Have a single clear and concise idea for what you want to make. Do not suggest multiple ideas or themes for the item. Just settle on one idea and commit to it!
• Include photos of your previous work! This is super helpful if you have participated in previous years as it speeds up the review process but it is critical if this is your first time! Your proposal will not be accepted if you are a first time crafter and do not include photos of your previous work. We have to see what you can do!
• Plan for shipping. Think about the size, weight, and fragility of your prize. Your prize may be shipped internationally twice so take that into account. Items should ship in a package that is under 1m in length and weighs less than 15kg. They must also be able to stand up to possible rough handling as the postal system is not always gentle on packages!

Those are some of the key points you should think about as you are getting your submission ready. Also be aware that we cannot accept all of the submissions each year. We can only handle a limited number of prizes, and as a result we have to turn down some wonderful ideas from talented crafters. But even if you are not accepted this year you are always free to submit ideas for next year!

We are very excited to see all of the wonderful ideas you have in store for us. Check back here on May 8 to get your submission in!