Hi, friends! You’re invited to join our family for twelve days of rugged adventures around the craft table! We’ll be keeping it simple, crunchy, and a tad old-school as we focus on making memories together. And who knows, maybe we’ll create a few treasures along the way, too.
Not the Glue-Gun Mom
I’m going to be honest with you, my friends. The whole artsy-fartsy thing isn’t really my forte in motherhood. Ironically, my own homeschool mom truly excelled at highlighting the arts in our home. In addition to the outpouring of music (she was and still is a piano teacher), we had a gigantic art cupboard perpetually brimming with paper, paint, pencils, and paste for voluntary bouts of creativity. In addition, each and every year we were sure to join forces and create at least a dozen elaborate art projects as a family, especially in preparation for holidays.
Vivid are the memories of gluing lace onto homemade valentines, dying eggs, and painting pumpkins, to name a few. But December in our home was practically a Christmas craft marathon. We made bird treats and cookies and lip balms and ornaments and gingerbread houses and snow globes and lots of messes. There were even a few years there where we tried to burn the house down by making candles and Dad (a former volunteer firefighter, and a current one now) lost his mind. 🎶It’s the most wonderful time of the year!🎶
Yes, I loved doing crafts growing up. But since becoming a mom, I seem to have lost the knack. Truth be told, I’m a better shot with a rifle now than a glue gun.
In fact, “crafty” is an adjective that could only describe me rarely and even then, most often it would be referencing moments of artful wiles and not literal artistic skills. In other words, I’ve become craftier in personality than hobbies. Cue sinister eyebrow raise.
And my crafting complications don’t end there.
For one thing, I HATE MESS. When I hear the words “glitter” or “glue” or (heaven forbid) “glitter glue” in succession, pangs of panic begin to squirm around in my gut. Merely typing those g-words has me needing a paper bag, and not for making a googly-eyed hand puppet, thank you. Heee-hoooo. Heee-hooooo.
For another thing, I CAN’T STAND CRAFTY CLUTTER. Worse than the initial mess for me is the clutter that hangs around for weeks or months or years afterwards . . . you know, the permanent mess! Inevitably, kids form emotional attachments to all the unsightly monster-concoctions of paper goods, glue, and artificial bedazzles which kindergarten teachers the world over celebrate in the name of creativity. And more power to them! (It’s not them, it’s me.) Maybe I just don’t speak crafter. In my mind, “plastic gems” is an oxymoron. And shouldn’t “pom-poms” be relegated to cheerleaders? Come on, they need to be seen, guys. “Artificial moss” makes me upset, mostly because when we lived in Florida it fell off the trees in clumps larger than me. And don’t get me started on bags of pricey pinecones. When did fire-starters become such a commodity? Do you know how many of those I’ve raked into burn piles in my lifetime? I digress.
Considering my many aversions to the art corner, you’d think I’d just let festive crafting live in the world of Christmas past, yet every December I say “this is the year! This is the Christmas I’m gonna get crafty with the kids!” And then, inevitably, like one of the three French Hens, I chicken out.
It all comes down to this: what I remember best and look back with the most fondness for among my childhood holiday memories are not the gifts or even the big outings. Well, hunting for the perfect tree was always a very memorable farse. But the best of times were those we spent at home doing simple things together like making a wreath or covering gingerbread in piles and piles of candy.
The truth is that our family created the most memories while we were creating something, side by side. And I believe this to be a universal truth. Why? Because it’s in our DNA. The human race was created in the image of the ultimate . . . Creator. I think everyone of us is born with this desire to create things and see our visions come to fruition and to look at them and say, “this is good.” How do we let our little humans try their hands at creating? I think the most obvious places to cultivate creativity (at least in our home) are the kitchen and at the craft table. And while we’ve done a lot of cooking with the kids, we’ve done far less crafting with them.
Our kids are nine and six this year, so I’m thinking the whole “Christmas Craft Extravaganza” is a bit now or never. Well . . . lords, start leaping, and ladies, start dancing, because we’re going for it. I’ve compiled a list of twelve (count ’em, twelve!) Christmas craft days for our family. And I’ve decided to blog our crafting adventures (the good, the bad, and the gloopy) for your enjoyment as well as for my personal accountability in seeing this thing through. Time to bust out those pom-poms and cheer me on, girls!
Now that I have a plan, I’m actually really excited (albeit intimidated) about the challenge of tackling twelve consecutive craft days as a family. And the kids are so thrilled, they readily agreed to forego nearly all Christmas presents this year! They actually blew my stockings off when I posed the idea to them by agreeing gleefully and without hesitation. Kids never cease to astound me. Anyway, I’m relieved to do less shopping and wrapping this year because I’m going to need all the extra headspace and energy I can muster for calm crafting! 😆
To be extra craft-cautious and ensure that this Mama stays merry, I’m also instating FIVE GOLDEN RULES for our 12 Days of Christmas Crafts:
1.) Crafting materials should be mostly natural or made from recycled/ sustainable materials (aka: not a bunch of plastic, synthetic crap from the craft store). When this has not been the case in our family craft projects, I have found that the resulting Hobby-Globby-Goblins have had a tendency to suddenly up and disappear with only an exfoliation of glitter to show for their short legacies. (Let’s just say, I’m not cut out to be a kindergarten teacher, ok?)
2.) The crafting process needs to be joyful for parents and kids! This means that the crafts chosen need be simple enough for everyone to participate and shouldn’t be overly fussy.
3.) The end-products created should be useful and/or beautiful; things that can be readily welcomed into our home.
4.) SET UP & TEAR DOWN IS TO BE A FAMILY AFFAIR. All family members will help in both preparing and cleaning up after craft time.
5.) Craftime must be contained IN SPACE & TIME. Crafting will not overflow to areas beyond the art table and craft sessions will be kept within a reasonable time frame.
So, what do you say, want to get crafty with us? Come along, forage some craft supplies, and get in touch with your naturally artistic side . . . or just make yourself some popcorn and enjoy the show! Twelve days from now, I may wish I’d joined you.
Stay tuned! Our first crafting adventure goes live tomorrow! I’m praying for peace on earth and goodwill towards mom (you know. . . me). Anyway, that is my grownup crafting wish.
Much love, ~Candace Arden
Access our 12 Days of Crafting here: Holidays, Birthdays, & Events
