Local TikToker uses platform to build crafting community

Published 1:30 am Thursday, August 13, 2026

Every Tuesday from 4-6 p.m., the Bee Hill Bakery in Silverdale hosts the Kitsap Craft Club, a weekly meet-up for crafters organized by Ashley Del Missier. She created the group out of a desire to use her TikTok following to create more community events, particularly for people in their 20s and 30s.

Del Missier noted that she had found it difficult to make friends in Kitsap and wanted to create a space for people to gather and build friendships. “I have a small TikTok following, but I figured I had the reach and I could use it.” She also commented that “crafts can bring people together,” which was why the club was one of the first community outreach efforts she pursued. But if you follow her on social media, you will find she is creating much more than crafting events. She hosts roller skating meet-ups in Lions Park and even a romance book club that meets once a month. Just like the craft club, these events are open to all, and Del Missier works to make them as free to the community as possible. “I just want to plan more community events,” Del Missier said. “I tell people not to be afraid to come alone.”

In addition to the weekly crafting meet-up, Del Missier has also organized several larger events, including a Twilight viewing party at the Tracyton Movie House where people were encouraged to bring their quiet crafts and enjoy the film together. She plans to organize more of these larger events for the community in the fall.

There is no required skill level to attend the Kitsap Craft Club; in fact, you don’t even have to be a crafter. The group happily welcomes everyone who comes in, and there are board games available. “At the end of the day, it’s about community,” Del Missier explained. “I want people to feel comfortable outside of their comfort zone.”