Crafting. The mere mention of the word is enough to bring me out in a cold sweat.
I don’t know about you but in the run up to Easter my Instagram feed was full of Pinterest-perfect images of lovingly created bunnies and made-from-scratch chicks, and it’s the same at Christmas, Halloween and any other event that’s been commercialised within an inch of its life.
Hating crafting is quite ironic given I’m actually quite a creative person – give me a mixing bowl and some ingredients and I’ll happily bake you something nice to eat – but crafting? Nope.
On reflection what it actually boils down to is that there’s crafting, and then there’s crafting with kids.
10 reasons I hate crafting
1. We have cream carpets. Enough said.
2. You need bucket loads of patience. And patience isn’t one of my virtues.
3. Nine times out of 10 it ends in tears (the kids – not mine, although to be fair I’ve been close on more than one occasion). If you’ve got a perfectionist who wants the end result to look exactly like it does on the box crafting can be a Very Bad Idea.
4. It bungs up the vacuum cleaner. Stray feathers, rogue beads and errant pipe cleaners – prepare to break nails getting them out of the brush bar. (See my essential cleaning hacks for lazy mums).
5. Glitter. Once you’ve opened a pot of glitter you’re never, ever quite rid of it. It’ll wink at you on the carpet when you’re vacuuming, it’ll wink at you from your cheek when you look in the mirror three days later and as for getting it out of their hair – good luck with that.
6. Glue. Glue that doesn’t stick, glue that does stick and glue that sticks one part of whatever it is you’re making, but not the other. Give. Me. Strength.
7. ‘Tools’ that are never up to the job. The plastic needle that breaks on the second stitch, the paint pots containing paint that’s already dried up, the jewellery kit with elastic that snaps – I swear someone somewhere is laughing at us.
8. The bits. As well as the aforementioned feathers, beads and pipe cleaners gamming up the hoover, there’s also all the bits you inadvertently tread on or have to peel from your bare feet. Nice.
9. The mess. They’re quite happy making it, but they never want to help you clear it up, do they?
10. The aftermath. I’m referring of course to the ‘work of art’ you’re left with afterwards. The plaster of paris Minnie Mouse who looks like she’s been punched in both eyes, the pom pom with an unfortunate habit of moulting – is it wrong to make these things ‘disappear’ as soon as you think you can get away with it?
Are you a home crafter or are you happy to leave these things up to school and nursery like me? I’d love to know which camp you’re in!
Linking up with…
We LOVE crafting, but I totally get the glitter thing. We used glitter for a Christmas craft two years ago and it is still ingrained into our dining room table! We have cream carpets too, but we bought a messy play mat and a tuff spot tray, which helps to contain the mess!
I love crafting but I so lack patience… sometimes it’s easier just to buy things lol
Haha! Yes to so many of these things – especially glitter! I do love crafting with my daughter, but she’s young enough for me to direct rather than set free with the glue/feathers/sequins. That’s when the real mess begins I’m sure! #TwinklyTuesday
I ha EA always crafted because I am too poor to buy what other people make! But, ha ha. I feel you! Thanks for this great post. I saw it on #TwinklyTuesday.
I went through a major crafting phase a few years ago- now I look at those projects and I think WTF? They are shit!
#twinklytues
Crafting is just grim, grim work. I avoid it whenever possible! Glad it’s not just me 🙂
I do crafts with my girls now and again but I wouldn’t choose to do it myself….lol
I hate the mess….Ugh! Glitter! It was only invented to torture us.
#TwinklyTuesday
Consiering I do scrapbooking I don’t do crafts that often with my daughter. I find the best way is to let her loose with some glue and bits and don’t have a plan as such. This I find easier as she can just make what she likes!! xx #twinklytuesday
Hahah I am shit at crafting too. I tried for Easter.. I bought 80p sponges and some paint to make cards. I got the whole kitchen ready (we have cream cupboards and are trying to sell our house), got it out on a table, shower curtain on the floor, and she did it for approximately 3 minutes before demanding a snack and running off. I am taking comfort in the fact she’s not that into it too!! #TwinklyTuesday
Hate it hate it hate it!! I’m so with you on this abs could have written it myself! #twinklytuesday
Haha yes to all of these! Plus they get bored after 10 minutes and you end up finishing the flippin’ thing yourself! #TwinklyTuesday
Hahaha. I LOVE crafting! But I do agree with the hoover & glitter!!
Ha ha! I love crafting but this list is all true! And I throw projects out very quickly – it’ll be interesting once my toddler is old enough to notice.
I’m nodding along with this post. I made an advent calendar at Christmas and my gosh it was so much effort!!!
I’m so not a crafty-arty type mum… though I would love to be sat at a table doing block painting and making crazy stuff with my little boy BUT in reality I know I’ll be doing all the (hard) work while he’ll be distracted with his cars in less than 10 minutes! SO NOT WORTH IT!
#TheListLinky
I am rubbish at crafting! I find the whole thing totally stressful! Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
Haha! I’m half and half – I love it as it makes them so happy, but I do hate the mess and it gets all over the house! #thelistlinky
I could have written this! I HATE CRAFTS. I am not at all creative, hate a mess and am fed up with ‘artwork’ being dumped in a cupboard until I can sneak it to the bin #thelistlinky
I couldn’t agree with you more! I hate crafting! This was one of the reasons i sent my kids to nursery and preschool, they can make all the mess they want there. Not at home when i have to get involved and then clean it all up! #thelinkylist
Ha ha, before kids I used to love crafts and always thought that I’d do loads with my children. Then they were actually born and I avoid it like the plague for all of the reasons above!
#TheListLinky
I love this so much, there is definitely a perfectionist child in this house… mmm ok and a perfectionist mummy too. Any craft is highly likely to result in tears…. oh and the Other Half banned us from glitter years ago, though U’m sure if you look hard enough you can find remnants of it in the carpet. #PostsFromTheHeart
Thank you for this – it’s a joy to know it’s not just me!!!!!!! #coolmumclub
Spot on! Just reading those words glue and glitter made me want to start crying into my coffee!! Thanks for linking up to #coolmumclub lovely xoxo
Oh don’t get me started on crafting. For starters when did it go from being called ‘making stuff’ to being called ‘crafting’?? It sounds ridiculous!
As someone who studied art for years I love making stuff. I make Christmas cards and I bake but I don’t make with my children.
They drop stuff on the floor, the put the red paintbrush in the blue paint, they don’t stay in the lines.
It brings me out in a rash!! #coolmumclub
I quite like the idea of crafting although the reality never lives up to expectations! The mess, the fact that it only occupies them for such a short space of time and the fact that I have to resist the desire to make it look “right” all drive me a bit potty! #coolmumclub
[…] is a win win activity in my book (as opposed to indoor activities like crafting – urgh!) because they can run riot and splash water to their heart’s content and you can sit […]