Samantha Mutschler with one of her hat recipients  Courtesy Unraveled by Samantha Dawn  03/23/2015 AT 03:10 PM EDT  Samantha Mutschler has turned her hobby into a way to help others.  The West Orange, Florida, resident spends as much time and money as she can creating colorful and cozy hats for children fighting cancer, reports the  Mutschler's mission to cover the head of every young cancer patient began when her family friend, Katie Karp, was diagnosed with bone cancer. Wanting to comfort the 12-year-old in some way, Mutschler, 24, decided to make a blanket for the girl. The creation was such a hit that soon Mutschler was being asked to make wraps for the patients of the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children through  , a nonprofit set up by Karp's family that works to keep kids with cancer optimistic.  Wanting to give more to the children she was cheering up, Mutschler began crocheting in 2011, making simple hats to include with her blankets. In a few months Mutschler had created her own cancer support program, Unraveled by Samantha Dawn, and was taking requests from young patients and their families for hats.  From SpongeBob SquarePants to sharks, she has crocheted beanies featuring all kinds of characters and animals, with Disney princesses being a big favorite. Mutschler has donated more than 160 of her hats so far, sending some as far as Holland and Australia.  Mutschler is willing to add and alter any details a child desires in order to make their hat perfect for them. To add even more magic to her gifts, she often makes care packages with stuffed animals and dolls to send along with her hats.  Mutschler is currently working on turning this passion project into a nonprofit, and she has a  to help support her drive to bring smiles to young cancer patients.  "It brings joy to them; it brings joy to me," Mutschler said. "I know I'm doing what God wants me to do. My dream is to one day see a team of ladies working for me in getting more hats out to these precious warriors."  If you would like to commission a hat from Mutschler or donate to her work, visit
Samantha Mutschler crochets hats that look like animals, superheroes and princesses to help keep kids with cancer smiling