Crafting Isn't Just For Old People, Young People, or Pretentious Hipsters Anymore!

When I was, twelve(ish), I had a table down in the basement where I did crafts.  I hid out down there during the summer heat or when I was bored, and just went to town.  I'd listen to music (Sinead O'Connor was my favorite - probably because it was the first non-kid tape that wasn't my mother's that I'd ever owned) and just make.

The things I'd make weren't great.  I decorated baskets with stiffened fabric made into ruffles, bows, and flowers.  I'd turn that same fabric into earrings and barrettes.  I was not cool, and I'm pretty sure no one but me liked what I was making at all.

And honestly, it wasn't even the stuff I was making that caught me in its web, but that I was making.

I went through years of sporadic creation, making the occasional skirt or embellishing a shirt without the end, instead of the making, being the focus.

So, in the last few months, a few things have changed.

1. I have hatred for my apartment, but can't afford to move.
2. I work at home, and can multi-task (i.e. crochet, weave, glue, etc.) without getting the stink-eye from my peers.
3. I began getting a mysterious subscription to Vogue delivered to my house, in my name.

The last item was the biggest influence.  I don't remember ever subscribing to it, but I began getting Vogue delivered to my house.  The first time I got it, I refused to look through it (body-image stuff).  It didn't get thrown away, instead sitting with the rest of the pile of mail we didn't go through.

Finally, Jon and I faced the chore of sorting the mail.  Instead of throwing it out, I remembered a project in the Big-Ass Book of Crafts by Mark Montano using magazine pages.  

Instead of copying the exact craft, I used the method and made a rug/mat.

That began my obsession.  

I keep getting the magazines, and continue trying to find uses for them.  Coasters, bracelets, earrings, garbage cans, picture frames, key dishes, jewelry boxes - gee whiz!

But that was just the beginning.  The making sparked the creativity, and it spread to all sorts of stuff.

Crafting may or may not be creative in itself.  Often, it's just following instructions.  However, the act of making something out of raw materials forces you to look at things differently.  Instead of accepting as is, you think of how to improve.

So, I hate my apartment.  I can't afford to move.  I make better.  Painting, decorating, changing.

It's not just that!  I'm writing - like, that's a big deal since I'm so often blocked.  I'm painting.  What?!?  I've never done that!

Crafting can be done by anyone.  It's calming, it's useful, it's very definition covers all manners of methods.  It's creative.  Even if someone thinks they're not creative, or are dull and literal, they can craft and enjoy the benefits.

Instead of watching TV, pick up some yarn.  Work the brain instead of putting it asleep.

How to Make a Home Office

I work at home, and that's pretty awesome.  It means that I get to wear pajamas (if I want, though I don't recommend it.  Take a shower and put on real clothes so you feel like a real person), I don't have to eat two out of three meals from a vending machine, my only co-worker is my husband who works in the office down the hall.

What's less cool is trying to find the space to build an office.  We're living in a one-bedroom apartment (regardless of how many rooms the landlord insists there are in this place), and my husband and I both work at home - so it's an issue.

At one point, I'd cubbied myself away in a small storage room (smaller than the cubical I'd previously worked in) but it had temperature issues (freezing in winter and a sauna in the summer).  Also, it was tiny; I was constantly looking for reasons to escape it during the day.

We discussed sharing an office, but that really wouldn't work.  The natures of our jobs and work habits are completely at odds.  I'm a call center supervisor, so I conduct meetings and take the occasional angry call.  Additionally, I like to listen to music or have movies running in the background while I work through emails and run numbers.  Jonathan (did I mention my husband's name is Jonathan?) writes, and doesn't like noise distractions.

The solution was to give me space in our bedroom.  I gave myself a couple of guidelines to make sure I had a niche carved out that was completely separate from our sleeping/sexing/beauty/dressing areas both for concentration while working and ability to sleep.  Also, I didn't want to break up the flow of the room with dividers or have any tacky motivational posters/phrases around.

1. It needed to have it's own design, separate from what we put together for the bedroom that didn't clash
2. It needed to be big enough to work and spread things out when necessary

Because of our room size, the first hurdle was the desk.  We got a small desk on sale for about fifty dollars.  You get what you pay for, so it's ugly particle board.  Decoupage!

I really like the look of newsprint, and I'd recently decoupaged an old, tacky jewelry box with newsprint, which sat in the vanity area as an accent.  So, I created a unified work station that also tied into the rest of the room.  To keep the wall interesting and still draw a mental divide, I made some newsprint flowers.

You can also see the Kermit drawing my husband made for me when I was having a bad day.  Yeah, I'm lucky to have a guy that will draw me Kermit to cheer me up.

I also have a shelf, where I keep my speakers, supplies, etc.  It was looking a little plain, so I painted a cherry tree above it.  No true inspiration other than I like blooming trees, the only thing I really know how to paint are trees, and the pink matched the curtains of the French doors.

Because the desk is small, when I need more working space, I have a TV tray that was purchased for less than $20 new at a local department store.  It's not your mother's ugly aluminum TV tray with some painted advertisement on it.  It's wood and stained to look like cherry, so it doesn't stick out when it's put away.  Or when it's out, either.  When not in use, it slips conveniently between the night stand and desk.  It allows me to have some instant space to place papers, books, lunch, or crafts on while I work.  Did I mention that working at home also allows me to craft while I'm working without getting evil looks from my peers?

I get that having a whole room dedicated to working is ideal for maximum performance.  However, not everyone has the luxury.  Just because you don't have square footage doesn't mean you can't have a functional, attractive work environment that invites me to utilize it more than any beige cubical ever did.

(Someday I'll have learn how to take nice pictures.  For now, you get the sucky ones.  Trust me, it's much nicer than it looks.)