How Can Tulips Help Your Mental Wellbeing Bloom?

by NatalieH

Who are Mental Health UK?

Mental Health UK work across the UK, bringing together nearly 50 years of expertise from four national founding charity partners to improve understanding and provide vital care. Living with a mental health condition can affect many aspects of daily life, from your physical health to your home, work and ability to manage money. Every year they provide thousands of people across the UK with practical advice and information to help understand and manage their mental health.

Plant a tulip and seed a conversation

The theme for this year’s event is 'nature' – something fitting, after a year where we’ve seen more of our four walls in our homes than the four seasons.

As we enter spring and the nation eases out of lockdown, we’re inviting you to reconnect with nature and the environment.

But we’re mindful that everyone will be in a different place of comfort, so we’re asking you to do this in a way that works for you.

Mental Health UK have teamed up with award-winning artist Paul Cummins MBE on a campaign to spring into action! The tulip has a colourful past. Having withstood a virus, it flourished brightly against all odds and flowers each spring. Quite simply, the tulip is a timely emblem of hope and rebirth through adversity.

Paul has donated a unique illustration of a tulip to Mental Health UK. During the week, we want you to download it or draw your own tulip, colour it in blue and stick it in your window as a symbol of mental health awareness.

Download your illustration by visiting the Mental Health UK website here

How Can Tulips Help Your Mental Wellbeing Bloom?

We share a selection of tulip project to inspire you to join in with the 5 Ways to Wellbeing, as we know, crafting is a great way to connect with others! Connection is about relating to one and other and feeling understood. Speak to the people in your life, be it friends, family, colleagues or neighbours. Build new connections to expand your circles – this could be at work, school or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Developing these connections will support and enrich you every day, why not create a tulip with someone in your life? Don't forget to tag your creations with #mental wellbeing so we can create a library of tulip makes here on CraftWorld!

Quick Craft: Origami Tulip

Learn basic origami techniques to create bloomin' pretty tulips for your home in support of Mental Health UK! Click here to find the full step-by-step video tutorial and download the instructions to create your own origami tulips.

Create your own origami paper tulips from patterned paper or recycled materials such as newspaper for an entirely different effect!

If you want to go one step further and encourage friends and family to craft with you for a good cause, why not host a Creative Connection and  fundraise for Mental Health UK whilst crafting?! Find out more and register here https://mentalhealth-uk.org/get-involved/creative-connection/

Floral Feeling Cushion

This tulip-inspired cushion is so easy to knit! Designed by Ella Austin knitted cushion, this beautiful knitting project is suitable for a beginner and is a beautiful home décor project to challenge yourself with! Click here to access the free pattern!

Tulip Culpeper Cushion

This simple colourwork design is soothing to knit and will look gorgeous in your home. You can choose between the tulip and the rose design. Click here to access the free pattern!

Crafting Calm

With all the added stress and pressure we’ve been under lately, we’re taking a moment to reflect on how craft can help our mental health. Ready our article about Crafting Calm here.

Find more about mental wellbeing on CraftWorld here.
Make a donation to Mental Health UK

Happy crafting,

Natalie