Dabbling in Crafts

Pieced together with ModPodge by Rose

A major part of my professional life is working with Graphic Designers and Instructional Designers to create engaging corporate learning. I’ve learned I have a very specific design eye that has helped set my teams' work apart. And while I spent a few years as an Instructional Designer as I climbed the ladder, I would never say that I was artistically gifted. Instead, I always have described myself as a crafty doodler.

And I did craft… before I had kids. If you looked at pictures of our wedding, you would see that almost all of the decorations and paper goods were almost all created by me. I loved designing mixed media art with Mod Podge, and decorated our first home on a dime with many of my own creations.

Crafting time was cut dramatically after my daughter was born, and basically non-existent after my son. The closest I got to crafting was pinning project ideas on Pinterest. And not ever doing them.

As if I knew COVID was coming, I decided to bring crafting back into my life in January of 2020. And I’m so thankful I did!

Rose, Just Help Me Get What I'm Looking For

Only need a little convincing to give crafting a try, not a full dissertation? It’s cool. I like others to get to the point, too.

Subscribing to the Idea: Wanna how why I started crafting again? Click here.

Craft 1: Candle Making: See the finished product for my first craft box.

Craft 2: Shibori: I even got my kids in on some of the projects with me.

Craft 3: Macrame: Things got groovy with one of my boxes.

Craft 4: Embossing: This kit took me back to my high school crafting roots.

The Final Verdict: I highly recommend Adults & Crafts subscription boxes.

Links to the Goods: Find out how you, too, can get started!

Subscribing to the Idea

At first, I found myself just wandering through the craft store feeling pretty overwhelmed by all the opportunities. Even with ideas and directions pinned online, I just couldn’t narrow it down to one thing I really wanted to do. I kinda wanted someone to just pick for me.

I already subscribed to many monthly boxes that had to do with cooking. And it dawned on me that there were probably monthly subscription boxes for crafting.

As I began my online crafting quest, I came across Adult & Crafts subscription boxes. Each month's box focuses on a different DIY craft project, which has been the perfect way for me to learn new skills like wood burning while also creating decorative accents for my home.

Whether I was working on a project alone or enjoying quality time with friends or family, the craft kits provide all the necessary materials and easy-to-follow instructions. No last-minute supply runs needed! I especially liked that no two boxes are alike and it was rewarding to challenge myself creatively each month.

These craft kits removed the overwhelm of choosing and planning a hobby. Instead, a new project arrived at my door each month, giving me something interesting to look forward to. Learning new skills through crafts has become a fun way to focus on self-care.

Let’s check out some of the projects I completed during my year subscribing to Adults & Crafts.

The First Project: Candle Making

The first box to arrive at my home was to make candles. It was a bit ironic, as I actually don't burn candles in my house. (Too many years in the insurance industry. Not a big fan of open flames!) But they looked so pretty in the picture, I thought they would make lovely gifts!

The kit contained all of the supplies I needed to complete the project, plus excellent instructions. The instructions were written in plain language and also contained images of each step. The instructions also gave different options to make red or blue candles. Clearly, I selected the red to create a Valentine's Day gift to my Mother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law, who both love candles.

Overall the project took about an hour to put everything together, and was the perfect way to spend a cold, snowy Sunday afternoon. (While my husband was indulging in hours of football games in his man cave.) I let the kids have some time on their devices so that this project could be some great "me time".

Sharing the Fun: Shibori

One of the most memorable kits was making Shibori. Shibori is a traditional Japanese textile technique used to create unique resist-dyed patterns. By binding, twisting, clamping or stitching fabric and then dyeing it, intricate designs emerge as the dye is unable to penetrate the bound areas of the cloth. It has a very similar feel and process to tie dye, so I invited the kids to join in!

The kit came with enough dye for the kids to be involved. It also came with a canvas tote to complete the process. But a quick run to Target, and we had white t-shirts for the kids to use as well.

You'll see from the pictures that I also chose to cover the whole surface in a plastic tablecloth. I always keep these around from birthday parties and such just for these messy-crafting moments with the kids. Impressively, the kids kept most of the dye in the containers. And they had a blast making their own designs, and I ended up with a fun new totes for bringing books to and from the library.

Going Retro with Macramé

A box that definitely made me raise an eyebrow was the one that contained a Macramé hanging shelf. I had seen that this was making a comeback. But I have to be honest, I had flashbacks to my childhood when we still had far too much of a 1970's vibe going on at home. But in an effort to being open to any and all crafts, I gave it a whirl.

I found the knot tying and braiding very fun, and harkened back to some of my knot-tying from Girl Scouts many years ago. The instructions in the kit had you keep the wood elements their natural coloI opted to paint them white to match other decor in our home.

When the shelf was complete, I adorned it with this antique Ball Jar and extra florals I had in the house. This lovely piece now hangs in my office and I enjoy it daily!

Bringing Back a Old Favorite: Embossing

The final project I'll highlight brought me back to an old favorite from High School: embossing. Back then, I would buy stamps and emboss custom cards and stationary for my friends. With this project I first got to dabble with water color painting on craft paper to create the background.

I then found this picture of a leaf online (the kit had come with other options). With the embossing pen, I traced the design onto the glass of the picture frame. I then sprinkled the embossing ink on top of the pen. My favorite part of the kit was the embossing torch, which worked much better than sticking it into the oven like I had as a teenager. The end result is this pretty picture, which also sits in my office.

The Final Verdict

I thoroughly enjoyed each of the kits I received over the course of the year. Receiving the boxes once per month gave me something to look forward to, but was also not overwhelming when our schedule was very busy. Most projects took about an hour to complete, and could also be enjoyed with my kids (if I didn't need some time just for me!) They didn't require an advanced techniques and would be interesting to both novices and more seasoned crafters. Finally, I loved that these were projects that resulted in items nice enough to adorn my home or provide as a gift to others.

Links to the Goods

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If you would like to try Adults & Crafts, click here! There are a variety of subscription options so that you don't have to commit to an extensive length of time to try it out. Plus look for codes on the site, as they often have opportunities for the first box being free or substantial discounts for signing up with longer subscription plans.