When I was a little kid, I was way into beading and making jewelry, so it's probably no surprise that I dabble in DIY and crafting as a mom. It started innocently enough, the way it so often does, with dry macaroni and big wooden beads on string. By the time I was in middle school, I was hunched over my Caboodles, sorting seed beads into retired pill cases for hours on end, and poking my fingers with needles as I maneuvered the beads onto string, creating some sort of accessory that I’d present to my mom hours later. I still have all the supplies, and enjoy pulling it all out on occasion, for gifts or when I need to freshen my own stash of earrings. My other go-to projects are handmade cards and paper flowers, which sound kinda nerdy — OK, they are definitely nerdy — but I swear they’re actually pretty cute.
Why am I telling you all of this? Because I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. For me, it was beads, for others it’s scrapbooking, or knitting, or sewing, or one of the billion other things that we can do with our hands. Very, very few moms are actually Pinterest perfect, but many of us have that spark of creativity, or that urge to turn nothing into something.
And that, my friends, can be an awesome thing. Here’s what I mean:
We Have A Plethora of Random Objects That Can Double As Toys
Right now, my son is super into a teddy-bear-shaped hole punch that has been in my craft supply stash since I was 10 years old. Maybe that makes it an heirloom? Either way, I like seeing him try to figure out what it does and how it works.
We Aren’t Afraid Of Putting Things Together Or Working With Our Hands
Sometimes, this means that I can work patiently with my little as he tries to figure out his xylophone and his blocks. Other times, it means I’m stacking them 10-high without even realizing that he’s just watching me play with his stuff. Oops.
We Give Great Gifts (When We Take The Time To Make Them)
Just pretend like you didn’t notice that I asked you about your favorite color, your jewelry preferences, or the decor theme of any rooms you have which may or may not benefit from a bouquet of paper flowers that will never die (even if you want it to).
We Aren’t Afraid of Messes...
Disclaimer: We are only unafraid of messes that don’t involve wire shards, needles, permanent ink of any time, glitter glue, or tiny seed beads.
...Or Messing Up
I wish there was a market for half-finished, tangled bracelets, and handmade cards with crooked lettering, but alas the trend hasn’t really hit yet. When it does though, my son’s college fund is set.
And We’re Cool When It Takes More Than One Try To Get Something Right
There’s a reason that Pinterest fails are a thing. It can take a while, or a few attempts, before a new craft or project actually starts to take shape. Thankfully, we’re used to that, and don’t mind when motherhood calls for us to be patient, too.
We Don’t Dwell On Mistakes
And speaking of Pinterest fails, even if it turns out a certain project isn’t going to work out for us, it’s not going to be the end of the world.
We Don't Freak Out If Our Kids Get Super Dirty
I mean, we don't love it either. But we're not losing sleep over it, that's for sure.
And We Celebrate The Finished Product
Even if the finished project is merely a stacked tower of blocks, a pile of torn stickers, or a page covered in marker scribbles, you can bet that we are going to be thrilled to see efforts paying off.
