Beyond the Book Club: 10 Creative Groups to Start With Friends
Let the good times roll while you enjoy shared interests like wine tasting, preserving, crafting and cooking
Laura Gaskill
November 10, 2016
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Book clubs always sound like a good idea — but if you find yourself with the best intentions yet little time to actually read the book, you’re not alone. So why not skip the book and get right to the fun part? If your goal is simply to spend some extra time with your friends or neighbors, there are plenty of creative ways to make that happen that don’t involve a lot of prep time. From wine clubs to a monthly art night, here are 10 ideas for creative groups to start this month.
1. Cookbook club. Choose a cookbook (could be a new one or a classic tome) to focus on, and try out at least one recipe from the book at some point over the course of the month. Your group can decide how to handle the gatherings: The host could cook a dish from the book, or you could bring ingredients and cook something from the book together, then discuss your thoughts while you munch.
2. Wine tasting club. Sipping wine with friends in the name of education? Sounds good to me! Choose themes for each month’s tasting as a group (wine growing region, grape varietals) and instruct each member to bring a bottle that fits the theme, along with some tasting notes from the wine seller. You may wish to set a price range in advance that everyone feels comfortable with. Then swirl, sip and compare notes.
3. Small-batch preserving club. A fun way to learn more about the art of preservation is to do it as a group experience. Each month, choose an in-season ingredient and a recipe to showcase it (such as pickled cucumbers or black raspberry jam). Have the host of the month sterilize the jars and canning equipment beforehand, then make the recipe together.
4. Art night. Wish you had more time to devote to your creativity? Start an art or craft night with a group of friends. Once a month, meet up to draw in your sketchbooks or create a project together. If it’s a simple sketchbook drawing session, each person can be responsible for bringing their own materials; if you want to do a different project each month, you may want the host to provide specialty materials for everyone.
5. Potluck dinner club. Think of this as a more organized version of your typical potluck dinner. Choose a theme and have each member sign up to bring a dish or an extra (flowers, place cards, wine) and gather on the big night to savor and enjoy. Using a shared online document or spreadsheet can help keep everyone organized.
6. Big-batch cooking club. This club is ideal for busy families because it allows you to stock your freezer with yummy homemade meals (think lasagna or chili) and catch up with your friends at the same time. Choose a single recipe in advance and split up the shopping. If you’ll need extra pots or pans, have group members bring their own, along with freezable containers to take home their share of the food. Open up a bottle of wine, put on some music, tie on your aprons and get cooking!
7. Flower-arranging club. Doesn’t having a beautiful handmade floral arrangement or wreath each month sound delightful? Cut down on costs by purchasing big armfuls of flowers at your local farmer’s market or floral mart (where the florists shop) and divvying them up among the group. Check out online tutorials or books ahead of time, then help one another with your creations. Remind members to bring their own vessels to take home their finished products, and trade off on purchasing supplies.
8. Periodical club. No time to read a full book? Try a periodical club instead. Simply choose a thought-provoking article (or several) from a magazine or independent journal each month and meet to discuss it. There’s no right or wrong periodical to feature, so go with what your group is interested in.
9. Harvest + handmade swap. If you have many friends and neighbors with bountiful gardens, this can be a wonderful excuse to get together. Set all of the produce to be shared on one table, snacks on another, and make swaps at the end of the evening. If you live in an area with cold winters, you could always transition from a “harvest swap” to a “handmade swap” once the gardens have been put to bed for the year. Trading a few handmade items can be a lovely (and cost-effective!) way to start collecting holiday gifts.
10. Outdoor dining club. If you live in a mild climate, you could keep this going year-round. Cook up dinner on the grill and relax outdoors afterward. Light a fire in the fire pit (or just light candles) and pour hot drinks to keep the party going.
Tell us: Do you love a traditional book club, or have you tried something a little different? Share your own experiences with clubs and groups in the Comments.
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Tell us: Do you love a traditional book club, or have you tried something a little different? Share your own experiences with clubs and groups in the Comments.
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Crafting--sewing--quilting club. Six of us once a month. Different house each month. Hostess made lunch. Loved catching up with everyone every visit. Also did short trips to fun places. So sad when it finally ended after many years---different reasons for everyone.
I love my knitting group, but lately I've been spending more time with my rowing friends (or as we call ourselves, the Broads in the Boat). We all started rowing in our 50's with the local club and met on the river. Now we are pooling our resources to buy a quad and learn boat maintenance and repair. Some of us like to race at the masters level. We meet for monthly "Broad" meetings as shareholders in the boat.