DIY Beeswax Ornaments

One of my favorite things about the Christmas tree is our wax ornaments we made a few years ago. I wrote about them soon after I made them, but I never quite explained the process. With still a good six days until Santa comes, you surely have enough time to try this out. They make wonderful gift wrapping toppers, too!

Here's some from our collection:

Beeswax Ornaments 

What you'll need . . .

• Beeswax, of course*
• Old pot and glass bowl (or double boiler)
• Molds
• Spray oil
• Twine or yarn or ribbon
• Something sharp to poke holes

* Alright, with the beeswax, you can definitely head to your local craft supply store and get it either by the block or in little pellets. Don't forget to take one of those 40% off coupons with you to save on it. The pellets are easier to work with, but we've used block wax with no issue either. 

If you think ahead next year, consider heading to a local apiary for wax or ordering some online. I've ordered beeswax on Amazon that I use for ornaments, but also for different DIY things, like natural lotion cubes, zero-plastic food wrap, and 5-minute homemade deodorant.


How to:

// 1: Lay out all your supplies. Wax sets rather quickly, so you'll want to have the molds ready when it's time to pour. Clear out some space in your fridge, too. I liked putting mine in there to cool.

// 2: Fill a pot halfway with some water and place the glass bowl inside the pot to create a double boiler of sorts. Toss in some shaved wax an melt it over medium heat. I never got too detailed with how much wax. I just did a bunch (a pound) and if I didn't need it all, it would cool a bit while I waited for everything to set. I could re-melt it or store again for later use.

// 3: For my ornaments, I used simple candy molds made from plastic. Though I don't think this is the best practice, it got the job done. Some people use Brown Bag Cookie Molds, and they are gorgeous, but expensive. I'd love to find some of these on thrift for the future. I think silicone molds would work out wonderfully (and be easy to take ornaments out of).

In the end, you just need anything to mold. I got creative and used a decorative dish. Whatever you use, you'll want to spritz just the slightest bit of oil on it. At least that is what I did. Not too much or it might affect your end result. But just enough to help the wax slide out/off when it is set.

// 4: So, once your wax is all melted, slowly pour it into the mold (that's on a level, flat surface). It should start cooling right away. Very carefully transfer your molds to the refrigerator and wait a good 10 minutes before taking the ornaments out.

Just FYI -- I've even experimented with adding glitter and other texture to my ornaments (see image below). I've used green rice to make a wreath, etc. It's fun. Play around. My favorite ornament is the one I put very large flakes of hexagonal gold glitter inside of.


// 5: Once they are out of the mold and completely set (you may need to shimmy a bit), poke a hole where you'd like to thread some twine, ribbon, or yarn. You can even use a paper clip in a pinch. Just make sure you're not too close to the edge or it might break off.

// 6: Storage. Once you're done using the ornaments for the year, I like to store them in plastic wrap. They can break, so use care that they don't have pressure placed on them. I read once if your ornaments get a bit cloudy looking, you can quickly blast them with a hair dryer to make them a bit shinier. I haven't tried that trick myself.

So, there you go! It's a bit late, I admit. But -- honestly? I think these ornaments would be a fun activity you could do in the week AFTER Christmas to save until next year. Or even to make for other holidays. I have to say, they're one of my favorite DIY projects to date.

Oh! And they also add this nice, natural scent to the room that goes well with your tree's aroma. You could even put a couple drops of essential oils in them for good measure.

The countdown begins! Have you finished your shopping? There's a couple more days. Don't forget to check out my 2016 gift lists!

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DIY Craft Kits for Kids

I'm going to start moving some posts from our old family blog over to (never)homemaker. We had a lot of goodies in there -- so I don't want them to fade away. If you want to know more about why we closed that blog, click here.

I keep seeing those clever + colorful craft boxes popping up on blogs and sidebar ads. I mean, they're cute and all, but I just can't see allocating that type of money for an activity -- art -- that can be so simple an inexpensive. And at Ada's age, I also don't care to follow directions. It's all about exploration and expression. Imagination.

Still, I see value in thinking ahead of time to plan an activity versus letting it become a chaotic mess. (Well -- let's be honest -- crafting with young preschoolers is a recipe for a mess!) So, I decided to try out a few of my own DIY craft boxes.

// DIY CRAFT KITS

First: I don't think these produce containers are perfect for this purpose. Any leftover small boxes or zip bags might hold more stuff and contain it better. In the future, I'll go for function over form in this regard. These collections of goodies aren't the whole story either. The idea is that I'll pull out a box along with our collection of assorted paper so Ada can make whatever her little heart desires.

Let's dive in and see what we're got.


The BLUE BOX: 

Ada knows her basic colors by now, but I think it's fun to focus on one color and its various shades. I just put in everything I could find that was blue in our supplies. I'll probably give her a glue bottle for the sparkles and help out with teaching her how to cut shapes out of paper with the plastic scissors (they work surprisingly well!).


The RAINBOW BOX: 

Markers, stickers, and even balloons! This box is bursting with all the colors of the rainbow, as well as a couple simple "stencils" (Play-Dough cutouts) to try out tracing. I can see pulling out a huge piece of paper and drawing big shapes to color in and stick with the stickers. Oh, and those stickers you can color yourself are really fun!


The STICKS + STONES BOX:

This collection is all about touch and feel. Popsicle sticks are fun for a variety of activities. The wooden beads will be fun to glue. And what kid doesn't love Googly eyes? I picture us cutting out shapes from thick card stock, glueing to the sticks and making tiny masks or something like that.


The DOT BOX:

My friend Leslie introduced me to these gigantic dot markers, and Ada's hooked. We practice writing numbers (in dot form) and drawing pictures. Or just having fun. Some crayons for coloring and plastic scissors. The glue stick is one of Ada's favorites. Cutting bits of paper and pasting to a larger base is always fun. Don't forget the Mr. Sketch smelly markers!


The PAINT BOX:

Pretty basic, right? Just a collection of Crayola Washable Paint and a big brush. What you paint is up to you. We've been trekking to our backyard creek to collect flat rocks for painting lately -- Ada can't get enough!

// SUMMARY

As you can see, there's nothing particularly smart or creative or mind-blowing about the groupings of these craft supplies. But by dividing them out into little containers, your kid will get 10,000 times more excited to create something. You also give them the power of choice.

And don't worry, most young kids don't care if they actually MAKE something that resembles anything in real life. The fun is in the process, not the product!


Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts, chat with us on Twitter or Facebook. And you can always email us with your questions and comments.

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The Rest of the Story . . .

When I asked what you guys want more of in the new year, some of you said you prefer the random kitchen sink posts. Me too! I have a heavier one coming later in the week (or, I guess, tomorrow!), so here’s something light. What’s we’re up to, what we’re digging, and what my new hobby obsession is.

I’ll call these posts, “the rest of the story . . .” since they feature snippets from Instagram.

// New Cooker

The cord to our old slow cooker was starting to deteriorate, so we decided to indulge in a new crock pot device this weekend. We could have replaced the cord, but the pot was given to us like 7 years ago by my in-laws (and it was already quite old at that point!). I had strongly considered ordering the Instant Pot. So many of my friends just rave about that thing. In the end, I figured I probably wouldn’t use all of its fancy functions enough.

What did we go with? The Aroma 3-in-1 Cooker! It’s a rice cooker, steamer, and slow cooker in one handy pot. It’s really lightweight and it has lots of functions, including a digital timer, which is something that has already made my life somewhat easier. Oh, and it was only $36! I’m already in love. We simmered some Miso Split Pea Soup to break it in (using lentils in place of the split peas). Delicious!

// Stitching Fun

Some of you who have read the blog for a long time might remember that I used to do a great deal of embroidery. (Maybe I didn’t talk about that on this blog, but -- instead -- my older one. I can’t remember!) Anyway, it’s been ages since I’ve stitched anything to completion . . . so I bought myself a little kit to play around with at Walmart of al places. Definitely worth the $5.

I’d never done any type of chalkboard design (or cross-stitching, for that matter), but -- wow -- I love it. I’ve already ordered a couple more chalkboard themed ones, including this “I love you a bushel and a peck...” and “Just be happy...” and, my favorite “You are my sunshine”. I figure they’ll make nice nursery art (or gifts) AND give me some quiet activity in the months ahead.

// Orange Hair

I got sick of purple said and decided to try orange on. The thing is, I absolutely LOVE the color. It looks awesome and even better when it’s washed out slightly. Warm, vibrant tones for sure. And they don’t look entirely unnatural during the fade phase (which is why I bought the color to check it out originally).

The only problem? My roots! Ugh. They’re so bad. I’ve decided to skip traditional coloring for my pregnancy, so the roots are here to stay and will probably get worse and worse looking. This stuff will be going back in my bathroom cabinets, though, for when I get a touch-up and want to pretend I’m a ginger for a couple weeks.

I’ll have a video on how to apply Overtone hair depositing conditioners for you on Friday.

// Best Cupcakes

Despite being awfully sick, there were some really good points of our weekend. One of my favorites is when Stephen was downstairs running on the treadmill blasting Built to Spill. Ada was playing in the next room (ALONE!) with her doll house (thank you, Gigi and Granco!), and I decided to surprise everyone with some cupcakes. It’s the best gift to give, especially when you get to enjoy them yourself.

If you’re looking for THE BEST combination. Try this chocolate cupcake recipe (from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World!) and this peanut butter frosting (halve that one since it’s for 24 versus 12, which is what the cupcake recipe yields). So good. With the frosting, I like to add a couple tablespoons of granulated sugar at the end for texture/crunch AND a dash for salt for flavor.


Hope you’re having a great Wednesday!

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Have Fun. Make Stuff. Yourself.

We haven't written about many of our crafty projects in a while. It's not that we're not making stuff. I guess we're just being quiet about it! But in the spirit of all things doing-it-yourself, we thought we're recap some of our favorite tutorials for you!

DIY LIGHT BOX

Now that the sunlit hours are starting to dwindle, photographers out there might enjoy this tutorial on how to make your own light box. It's a cheap, easy way to get better photos indoor during the winter months.

RECYCLED T HOLIDAY GARLAND

The holidays are on our minds a bit early this year since decking the hall in our house might take some extra preparation. This festive garland is made from recycling t-shirts. New sewing or other crafty skills are required!


YOUR OWN WORT CHILLER

Beer enthusiasts might enjoy our entire series (go to the "Home Brewing" section) on how to make your own beer. This particular tutorial covers this lovely piece of equipment that's critical to the process.


CRAFTASTIC ENVELOPES

Snail mail isn't out of style -- especially if you jazz it up with fun details like these homemade envelopes. You can use any kind of paper or card stock. And they're fun for sending invitations to parties and other events.


PRETTY (EASY) ETERNITY SCARF

I'm not exactly a pro-knitter. But even I can handle this project! Just in time for the chilly weather, you can make your own eternity scarf . . . and it's much easier than you might think!


And today on (never home)maker, baby! we're asking experienced parents to help us out. Will having a baby be the end of, well, US as we know it? We're starting to freak out.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!!

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Father's Day Pancakes

Stephen's first (unofficial) father's day was a good one. The weekend started off with a 20K race across some intense, hilly terrian. I sat this one out and was still somewhat tired from last week's 5K race.

Stephen? He took the course head-on and finished in third place with a time of 1:15:35.

We kept the weekend low-key. Relaxing in the sun. Napping. (OK. That was mostly me.) Eating. But no celebration is complete without a special breakfast. Our favorite way to mark events is with pancakes.

Always, aallwwaayyss pancakes.


FATHER'S DAY PANCAKES

What you'll need . . .

• 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• Couple handfuls of rolled oats (uncooked)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup puree (pumpkin or other)
• Chocolate chips
• Chopped fresh strawberries

Method . . .

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Note on the puree: You can really use anything. Applesauce, pumpkin puree, and we used a homemade carrot/parsnip puree!
2. Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until everything is well moistened.
3. Add in the strawberry chunks and chocolate chips.
4. Then lightly oil a pan and set over medium heat. Cook as you would "normal" pancakes -- until browned on both sides.
5. This recipe can easily feed two people for two days of delicious breakfasts. Just store extra batter in your refrigerator.

Later in the day, we took a nice, long walk (Stephen was still recovering from his race, and I wasn't feeling like running). Then we visited my dad (and mom) for Father's day.


I also got some time to learn some sewing basics from my mom and finish my very first project, "quick-change" baby pants.


I wrote way more about the project on (never home)maker, baby! this morning. Looks like I'll be sewing tons month in the next 23 weeks!

Hope you all had a great weekend. In other news, we were able to get our grocery bill down to $63 this week. And at least $14 of that was stuff we really didn't need. Our $50 is looking more and more possible! Now, don't forget to check out our Tazo Iced Chai Giveaway. It ends tomorrow at 9PM EST!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Accidental Blondies

We ate these blondies so fast, I almost didn't have time to snap a photo of them. Inspired by one of Richard Simmon's recipes (in his Dazzling Desserts cookbook we have all come to know and love), we've made these treats vegan.

They were supposed to be rocky road brownies . . . but after I had mixed together the wet ingredients, I discovered we didn't have any cocoa powder.

AHHHH!

The whole reason I was home on a Wednesday with time to bake (it was crazy wonderful to actually have time to do stuff I wanted to do) is because there was a horrible ice/snow storm. So, I wasn't exactly gunning it to the grocery store to replenish my supplies.


No cocoa powder? No problem! That's one of the best pieces of advice I can give you. Generally, what I mean is -- if you don't have the specific ingredients a recipe, don't worry. You can always substitute something else in a pinch. Just get creative!

ACCIDENTAL BLONDIES
(Print This Recipe!)

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon Bob's Red Mill egg replacer (whisked with 3 tablespoons water)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup hazelnut meal
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Spritz an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with canola oil. (My pan is glass, I don't really know if that matters much, though.)
2. Whisk together the oil, sugar, maple syrup, egg replacer, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Combine until smooth and well incorporated.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the hazelnut meal, coconut flakes, flours, salt, and baking powder. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just incorporated. (I mixed by hand -- don't over-mix.)
4. Fold in the chocolate chips and peanuts. Then pour mixture into the pan.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes -- until edges are golden brown and middle is set. (You can test middle done-ness by sticking a toothpick in and seeing if it comes out clean.)

Richard Simmons recipes? Yes. This is for real. And we've been baking our way through the book for a few months now. If you want to check out other recipes, follow these links:

• Coconut-Carob Pie
• Purple Sticky Rice Tart
• Pomegranate-Dream Bundt Cake
• Fortune Cookies (though, they didn't turn out so well)
• Pear-Strawberry Faux-Pie
• Apple Cider Pound Cake

In other news, I finished my cowl-neck scarf. I had planned to make it longer, more of a double-wrap, but I got inpatient. Plus, if I had made it longer, I don't think it would have turned out as nicely.


If you'd like to make one, all you need to do is:

1. Get some colorful yarn (I used Stitch Nation "Full O' Sheep" in passionfruit pink and poppy red).
2. Get some knitting needles (size US 9 / 5.5 mm).
3. Learn the basic cast-on, knit, and cast-off methods (you can find links to instructions on my eternity scarf tutorial).
4. Cast on 50 stitches. Then knit your scarf until it is your desired length (basically, it just needs to fit over your head with about a 2 inch gap on all sides so it will drape nicely).
5. Cast-off and then stitch the two ends together with a basic whipstitch.

What are your weekend plans? Our treadmill is being fixed tonight! Otherwise, I want to organize the house more. I'm addicted to tidying up right now, so I must take advantage! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Weekend Happenings: Style Edition

Some of you liked my style post on Friday. Some of you described me as a "hot mess" -- ouch! I definitely don't claim to know what I'm doing. At all. Which is why I'm even bothering to do it. Whether or not I'm wearing exactly the RIGHT match, it's way better than sweats and jeans every single day.

(On that, I think we can all agree.)

The worst part of it all is taking the photo. I feel so awkward! And it shows . . .

This time around, I tried my best to think about how the clothes were fitting me. The last outfit was, according to many of you, too "flouncy" and "shapeless" . . . so I tried to go with skinny jeans on bottom and a looser top. I even invested in some prettier shoes (more on my weekend spending in just a sec).

Not much color here, but it's a grey, gross day outside. I guess I'm using that as my inspiration. And working with my awkwardness. For sure.



Jacket is from Target
Shirt is from Gap
Jeans are DKNY (via TJ Max)
Shoes are Target
Necklace is J. Crew (via outlet store)

Back to the shoes. I bought two pairs this weekend. One at Target (suede wedges) for just shy of $30. One at The Shoe Depot (leather flats) for -- again -- $30. I also bought a shirt, belt, and sweater vest from Target, all for around $50. But here's the thing. After this last indulgence, I'm not buying ANY clothes. ALL year.

Even I don't know if I can do it. But Chrissy (The New Me) passed along a link to The Great American Apparel Diet, wherein participants sign on and agree to not purchase any new clothing items for an entire year. I immediately sent them an email and said: COUNT ME IN! (You can still buy accessories, shoes, and underwear. Thankfully.)

I spent hours this weekend cleaning my tiny closet and organizing my clothing by type and color. I'm hoping I can keep it this way (I tend to accumulate gigantic piles on the floor at times).


The no-buy rule will definitely help me indulge my creative side. Not only will I be trying to figure out fun outfit combinations . . . I also plan to make some of my own accessories. (With tutorials, of course.) Remember my hand-knit eternity scarf? Yup. I got out the knitting needles this weekend and starting on a new project.

Progress photos will be posted later in the week!


Speaking of hot messes, my friend Jesslynn came over on Saturday. She's been telling me about how awesome the 30-Day Shred is, so we did Level 2 together. I'll admit that at first I was a bit cocky -- thinking that all my cross-training would make it easy to complete. All I can do now is laugh at myself.

The workout was SO intense and gratifying, I immediately went out and snagged a copy for myself! I can't wait to go home and do it again tonight!

What did you do this weekend? Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com. (And don't miss our awesome Basil Pesto French Toast recipe!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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DIY: Recycled Holiday Garland

After cleaning out our closets last week, we had a ton of old, ripped t-shirts we planned to trash (they weren't donation-worthy because they had holes, etc.). But I hate throwing things away. Blame it on the hoarder in me. Or the environmentally conscious girl who hates this wasteful time of year.

I don't know which of my multiple personalities is responsible for this one. But Saturday morning, the idea hit me the moment I woke up: MAKE SOMETHING FESTIVE WITH THEM! We had planned to decorate all day anyway . . . so I carved out a few hours in the AM, switched on a movie, and got to work.


BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Skill-wise, all you need for this project is the ability to braid and make a basic tie/knot. (Did I just hear a cheer from the crowd?) I'd say in all, I used about 7 to 10 shirts for one garland. How many you use is up to you, the length, and number of colors you want in your finished masterpiece.

Things you'll want to consider.

• Cloth: T-shirt material is much easier to work with than dress shirt material. It stretched and hides imperfections in your cutting much more easily.
• Colors: I went crazy with ours because we love punches of all hues in our home. However, you may want a more monochromatic look.
• Length: Depending on your desired use (tree, fireplace, etc.), you'll want to make your garland as long as necessary. We compared ours to a garland we already had. Not terribly technical, but it works!
• Time: You can take your time finishing it -- but if you're like me and want instant gratification, you'll need to set aside about 2 hours.

STEP 1: Cut Shirts Into Strips

We didn't do this step all at once. Instead, I cut as needed (so, I'd cut, then braid, cut, then braid). It may be easier to cut it all first. Let me know. Anyway, you don't want your pieces incredibly long or else they will be difficult to braid. I'd say a good length is 6 to 8 inches.


You'll end up tying pieces together to get the length longer as you move along. And honestly, you'll figure it out along the way, too. But here are some other tips to help you along:

• How many strips? Difficult to tell. But I'd say we used at least 20 (times three, for each strand in the braid). Probably closer to 30. And our finished garland is about 16 to 18 feet long.
• How long should they be? As I mentioned above, you don't want them much longer than six to eight inches. Otherwise, they'll get tangled as your braid.
• How thick? A quarter inch to a half inch. If your material is thin and stretchy -- thicker. If it's hefty and bulky, thinner.
• How straight to cut? As straight as you can, but when you strech the pieces, they'll hide little imperfections. Fool-proof, I tell you!

STEP 2: Braid Away. Then keep braiding.

Tie three strips of fabric together in a big knot. Then slip that knot inside a drawer (or heavy book, etc.) so that you can braid without it moving all over the place. Then just braid. And braid. And keep on braiding.


When you come to the end of a strip (an inch left), tie on another strip. You can use the same color or another color depending on the look you're going for. I used all different colors, but tied it together by using a piece of black the entire way through.

Then keep braiding. And I mean, it'll take you a while. So, set aside some time.

• How tight? I'd describe ours between a tight and loose braid. A medium braid, if you will.
• What to do with the ties? We were for a rustic look -- leaving the ends of the ties sticking out. If you want a cleaner look, make sure they're tied tight and you can either cut off the ends . . . or weave them through until they're unnoticeable (sort of like in knitting).
• HELPFUL HINT: It's good to gently tug on each end of the strip before tying it onto the rest of the garland. This allows the edges to curl in and hide imperfections (as mentioned above).

STEP 3: Embellish with Knots and Ties

They end up looking a lot cuter than they sound. And be creative -- you can come up with your own knot combo to create flowery looking things. Or bows. Or whatever you like, really.


Here's how I made the basic "berries" on our tree garland.

1. Take two 3 inch strips of fabric and lay them out in a plus sign fashion.
2. Tie one strip around the other -- with the meeting point in the center.
3. Do it again, but with the other strip -- with the meeting point over the other meeting point.
4. Keep doing this until you have about half an inch left.
5. Then tie two of these "berries" together . . . and then tie around the garland as you wish.

VARIATIONS

On the fireplace garland, I followed these steps. But I also wanted a chunkier, more textured look. So, I braided together three braids (not as time-consuming as it may sound because it was a much shorter -- maybe 5 foot -- garland). I also wanted a shaggier effect with the embellishments.

So, I made some berries. But I also added simple knots (like you would for shoelaces). And even tied some shorter, leftover pieces in a simple tie around the whole thing.


STEP 4: Marvel at Your Creation



It's pretty cool, right? Not only does this project make great use of what would otherwise be considered trash, but it's also pretty pet-safe. We always complain that we can't "have nice things" because Rivey and Scully bite in to everything with a surface. Yeah, the cats have ruined everything from computer chargers, to lamp wires, to ornaments and even x-mas trees.



Even if your cat or dog gets a hold of this decorative touch . . . he/she can't really destroy it completely. Though, we've decided that this year -- just for the month of December -- we're keeping the cats under lock and key. At least for the workday.

How do you pet-proof (or even kid-proof) for the holidays? We'd love some tips! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Passionate Affair Come and Gone: My Relationship with Embroidery

I must admit that I'm writing this post more for myself than for all of you. Last year, I had a short love affair with embroidery. It was passionate, and my fervent desire to create gorgeous pieces of art with needle and colorful thread was indeed all-consuming. And then one day, I just stopped. Kind of like when Forrest Gump reached Monument Valley and simply stopped running. I don't know if any of you have taken the Myers-Briggs personality type test. I have on several occasions -- and I'm an ENFP, tried and true.

Perhaps THAT's why I can never stick with any of my side-projects: "An ENFP needs to focus on following through with their projects. This can be a problem area for some of these individuals. Unlike other Extraverted types, ENFPs need time alone to center themselves, and make sure they are moving in a direction which is in sync with their values. ENFPs who remain centered will usually be quite successful at their endeavors. Others may fall into the habit of dropping a project when they become excited about a new possibility, and thus they never achieve the great accomplishments which they are capable of achieving." (Info from www.personalitypage.com.)

Wow. A window into the essence of my very being. Haha. Or, just something that is a reality in my life notwithstanding. Back to embroidery. I enjoy it. But, like with knitting, I can never truly relax. I have made two projects since last year. The first is this bird with a cage. The second is an A letter monogram.



Looking at these photos is enough to make me want to take a sick day, stay home, and learn the stitches again. Er, maybe just devote some time over the weekend. Have any of you ever dabbled in craft -- only to find yourself completely forgetting how to do it a year later? Well, that's what this post is about for me. If embroidery is something that captures your interest, you only need a few things to get started.

What you'll need . . .

• Needle
• Colorful floss thread
• Fabric of some sort
• Fabric marker
• Embroidery loop
• Pattern (or not -- but I find it helpful)
• Patience
• Time
• Sticktoitiveness

Method . . .

1. Really, you just get a piece of fabric that is relatively thin enough so you can trace your pattern onto it with a fabric marker. Try a simple design. Or even draw your own. Go rogue, if you dare.
2. Go online (and how convenient -- because you're online right now!) and learn some basic stitches. (Back stitch, running stitch, chain stitch, etc. -- all can be found with a swift Google search.)
3. Consider purchasing (or going to your local library to acquire) an embroidery book. I have Doodle Stitching by Aimee Ray. Along with being a gorgeous book to leaf through, it's "full of practical and whimsical projects that are neither boring or stodgy" (from Amazon).
4. Take 5 or 10 minutes each day to devote to your project. This way, you avoid burnout. It's going to be my new method (kind of like No Workout is Too Short or Slow, remember that?)

I think that last tip is going to be the key for me. As you see, ENFPs "are basically happy people. They may become unhappy when they are confined to strict schedules or mundane tasks. Consequently, ENFPs work best in situations where they have a lot of flexibility, and where they can work with people and ideas. Many go into business for themselves. They have the ability to be quite productive with little supervision, as long as they are excited about what they're doing." (Again, from www.personalitypage.com.)

So, do you have a story like mine? Any half-finished projects hanging out in your closet? Anything you feel like resurrecting? Any other ENFPs out there? Or other Myers-Briggs types? I find it fascinating, really. Because, at least for me, a lot of the description is right on!

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