Creating projects, or mistakes?

Do you wonder how some DIYers seem to pull off seemingly endless effortless projects one after the other, from  material scraps or a pile of craft nothings? Me too.

For I am not a builder.

And I am not a crafter or sewer.

I am a buy-a-piece-of-junk-and-arrange-it kinda girl first and foremost.

There's great worth to what I do. I don't HAVE to know how to build, and I save alot of money. It's pretty hard to fail by arranging ready made stuff.

However!! You at times get these things that need things done to them. Enter: building and crafting.

I don't have a hubby to run to for an extra hand, so how do I get around this? I have to pick up the tools and figure things out. I call friends on occasion for guidance. But that's generally after the bruised knees have already taken place.

If you don't pick up some tools now and then, you'll never be able to learn how to do whatever it is you want or need to do. You will constantly be relying on someone to do it for you. And sometimes that can mean a loooong wait. ;)

Ok. Honestly? I just wanna do it myself. Pride? Ohhhhh yes.

This little contest I'm a part of? It's been pushing me WAY out of my comfort zone every week I've created something new.

Remember this? This thing took the entire ONE WEEK of spring break to do all these steps. New things I had to do and figure out:

- buy clear spray for the first time (which one to get?? Oh the stress!)
- figure out how to mount heavy things indoors so it doesn't really show
- find where my mounting stuff was
- find the right tools (that weren't stripped)
- figure out a bbq wire brush did a better job at hacking off loose rust than my reg scrub brush
- exactos are terrible bulletin board cutters
- wrap burlap (for the first time) on that scruffily cut bulletin board and let's throw in radius corners for a first time too
- find my glue gun and glue sticks after trying other glues that did not work
- figuring out drilling small holes in the wall is better at finding studs than using a glitchy stud finder
- how to take decent photos in the darkest/brightest little corner of the entire house (3 photo shoots later)
- how to entertain a 10 yr old for an entire week while building this
- make 101 more mistakes along the way
- give up 10 times, then try 20 more times

The list truly is longer than I'm even revealing. But all those steps took effort. Every one of them. And some of the steps landed in the dumpster. BUT, every step got me just abit further education wise.

It's so much easier to go buy that old dresser,  clean it up, prop stuff on it, stick a fork in it and call it done. Creating from a pile of nothing? Whoooole different story.

For those that craft and constantly create from nothing, I commend you. You are amazing. AMAZING. Creating new things from virtually nothing is exhausting and exhilarating. But there is great worth to the effort. I know now how to do a few more things than the week before. And that added to the 'ol brain card file immensely.

Still on my list of wanna-dos...

- how to build stuff out of wood with real frameworks and everything
- removing the fear out of all things electrical so I can put in my own lights (done it but don't like it)
- figuring out why my stud finder does NOT work
- figure out my tablesaw (not excited about this one)
- how to sew a slipcover. AFTER my sewing machine is uprighted and working again.
- to have the guts to lift and reseal a toilet again (I thought once was enough but apparently not)

And my ultimate goal in life? To know how to build ANYTHING my little heart desires. And that's a tall order.

(all the So You Think entries to date HERE)

I generally don't build stuff, so these three are my latest attempts. One a week. Oh my gosh, my brain cells will never be the same. Many many failures took place during these three tasks. But I gained something with each one.

Failures dictate valuable learning experiences that didn't work so you could figure out HOW to make it work. There is great value to creating a dumpster full of flops, although you may not feel it at the time.

My point to this post? Be proud of your new creations and failures alike, for you are on the grow! One hack at a time.

How about you?

How often are you pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone with projects? What's on your list of failures you've yet to master?

And do you too wish it was legal to have a burn pile in the back 40 to save on dump charges for all those failures? :)



And, just a note of thanks for continuing to vote each week and being a part of this fun little showdown. I'm  really enjoying sharing this event with you and playing with the other contestants I also highly consider my friends.  It's alot of hard work, but even more fun. :) WHITE voting until Friday.NEW post Sunday night.