If it is simple crafting, they can just do it. If it is more complex, or more grandiose in scale, ie prepare the village for zombie invasion, then I like to make a skill challenge out of it. In my skill challenges, every player has to contribute. We roll initiative, highest goes first then clockwise around the table. I hand over almost all control of the narrative to the PCs. Almost all skills can be shoehorned in, if the player can make it plausible or reasonable. Each player can only use a skill once, and they can't use the same skill as the player previous to them used. Action point rerolls. I figure if you can earn an AP (via milestone) during a skill challenge, you should be able to spend them as well. Also, be explicit about what the goal of the skill challenge is, it will help define the narrative.

Example; Village preparation for zombie invasion;
Rogue; Streetwise, can find cache of building materials or best possible layout for defenses
Bard; Diplomacy to rally PCs and villagers and keep them organized
Wizard; History; recall previous invasion scenarios and the types of defenses that won or lost the day.
Fighter; athletics or endurance, build stone wall in manner put forth by wizard

If you have decent players, or one good one to take the lead, this usually goes pretty well.