Craft Itch...

It’s that time of year again kids. That once a year time where I get the craft itch. This craft itch started a few years ago when one of my best friends was getting married. I was to be the Maid of Honor in her wedding and wanted to do something special from the bridesmaids and myself. So I did what any normal girl would do. I logged in to Pinterest and started my search. I found an idea I thought would be super easy – and managed to make it 1000 times harder. This project was for a “Letters to the Bride” where each bridesmaid would write a letter to the bride and send a picture with the two of them as well, put it in a book, put it together and BAM – perfect wedding day gift from the best girls in your life. Easy enough right? Well here’s the thing. I don’t really craft. Like at all. But I thought it would be easy enough to turn this into a scrapbook for her – and do it in their wedding colors. Black and white were simple and classic – this should be CAKE. Until I realized I didn’t have any of the correct tools to make said scrapbook. I had to enlist another friend’s assistance in what to buy – because I had no idea. This was such a stressful project for me. And really it wasn’t THAT hard. Picture, name, letter, glue it together, done. I put it off till the week before the wedding (which actually yesterday was their second anniversary so congrats guys!!) and barely finished it in time for the actual ceremony. On the morning of the wedding, the girls were all eating breakfast together when we gave it to her. Tears ensued (yay!) and I was greeted with “But you hate doing crafts! This makes me love it so much more!” But I hated it. I haven’t done another scrapbook since. I even gave away all the scrapbook paper and stickers and such to my trusted assistant because I bought everything thinking that SOMEDAY I would learn how to scrapbook. Maybe another time. I just don’t have the patience for it. I tried.

Last year’s “craft itch” was less of an itch to MAKE something, and more of a trip to the dollar section at Target (the devil) when their fall décor came out. I ended up with big coffee/soup mugs, some mini scarecrows, a little bin with leaves on it (because why not?), and a little paper pumpkin that I arranged on the island in my kitchen. I also hung up a fall sign that was passed down from my grandma. I bought every Fall smelling candle at Bath and Bodyworks and burned them simultaneously. I didn’t even care if my house smelled like a mixture of Pumpkin Spice, leaves, and burning fire. It was glorious. I attribute my lack of “craft itch” last year to the fact that I didn’t have cable. I had no way to scratch that itch.

 

This year though – it’s hitting me HARD. I need to scratch this itch. I have actually started planning for crafts. WHO AM I AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE NON-CRAFT GIRL?! It started last weekend after a trip to the apple orchard – I immediately wanted to bake EVERYTHING pumpkin flavored, bring out my decorations, carve pumpkins, burn candles, make SOMETHING. I decorated our home with my tiny assortment of fall décor, and immediately wanted more. So once again, I logged in to Pinterest and began my search. And then I wanted flowers. So I held off on my Pinterest search and did some grocery shopping – and stumbled home with a bouquet of Baby’s Breath and a couple Spider Mums to decorate. And some mini pumpkins (they were 3 for $1 so they’re pretty much FREE) and some Indian corn – because WHY NOT. So now I have a beautiful table-scape (thanks Sandra Lee – I love the Food Network) perfect for Fall. And then I turned on the DIY Channel (because I’ve got cable now – do you see a connection?) and started watching Rehab Addict. Now you KNOW I love my weird stuff that would entail “rehab” or “addiction” – aka Hoarders, Intervention, etc. But this type of Rehab Addict is about this bad ass chick who flips houses – and does everything inside them. She fixes the floors, refinishes old furniture, paints, knocks down walls, paints the outside, adds in details. She rules. And I could watch that show for HOURS – and I did yesterday actually. So then I remembered that we currently have an abundance of mason jars at my parents’ house – and wanted to add them to a project for the bathroom. And as I was googling “DIY projects with mason jars” a bajillion websites popped up. And then I found printouts for fall decorations. And then I found more printouts and other DIY things. So now I want to DO ALL THE THINGS.

I’m sure at some point I’ll tire of the DIY-ness, but for now it’s going full throttle through my system. Keep an eye out in the next couple weeks when (hopefully) I’ll be able to showcase some of my talents. Or maybe instead my Scrooge factor will be out in full force with people putting up Christmas trees while simultaneously throwing out their Jack-o-lanterns. You just never know with me. There really is no in between.

Hoping for the best in scratching this itch. And let’s hope I don’t scratch it till I don’t ever want to craft again.

Here’s hoping.

S