A bit about DIY

I have done my fair share of DIY projects (here, here, here, here, here, here just to name a few).  And with the arrival of pinterest there never seems to be a shortage of inspiring projects or cute creations.  But when is it enough and how do you know if it's worth it.  Where am I going with this...?

First off there's the pride sense of accomplishment  in constructing something with your own hands- building from small pieces to create a whole.  There's sometimes monetary savings (with renovations or house stuff- you save BIG!), the ability to tweak things to fit your needs- so basically custom work without the high cost of labor.  And don't forget the perk of smugly saying- "oh that?  Oh I made that."

Lately I have been almost annoyed with the barrage of projects I see on pinterest- not annoyed that they exist, more annoyed that I like them and toy with adding them to my ever growing to do list.  It brings me back to being able to simplify my life, live it in the moment, enjoy more, frustrate less.  So again, when is it enough and how do you know if it's worth it?  For me many projects are just not worth it- to spend the time researching, gathering parts/materials, constructing, revising, and eventually executing the project cost more then the money saved and the pride sense of accomplishment I would feel.

I will add that I'm not naturally a crafty person.  I do enjoy making things and under the right circumstances (a fantasy world where I have free time) crafting can be amazing.  But I do not craft to unwind or find piece-  it's not therapeutic for me.  Usually it has the opposite effect on me- stressing me out.  So for now I will be content with just purchasing a few things I KNOW I could make.

What sparked this?  Purchasing new dryer balls.  We don't use dryer sheets- for many reasons, but we started because you simply can't while cloth diapering.  So I made wool felted dryer balls out of yarn.  It took a bit of time, nothing too crazy- and they turned out nicely.  Over time some have been lost, some turned into dog/baby toys and ultimately met their demise.  After actually feeling pain from the static of a recent laundry load- I said enough is enough.  I could have made more, but it wasn't worth it so I bought them instead.  Now I get to feel good about purchasing something handmade from someone who makes their living off of crafting and DIYing- a nice trade off.

Image above is from the shop I used: CleanSypria

Cloth and Craftiness

Countdown 6 days...

L had his 4 month appt today (a little late, but our original appt was cancelled- he is doing great in all physical/developmental areas btw). Our pediatrician is really sweet and L gave her many smiles and squeels. She commented on L's cloth diaper and how she hopes to use cloth with her next child. I was able to pass along info for Banana Peels, which is an online store that also has a show room near by. Having a show room/store is a huge deal because almost no stores carry a nice selection of cloth diapers. Online is great but it's important to feel them and see them to know what you really like- especially in the beginning.

We also received our wet bag from Monkey Foot Designs. It is absolutely perfect- great quality, adorable pattern (this is it). We needed a good wet bag to lug back and forth from daycare to home. Our daycare is awesome and will gladly cloth diaper as long as we provide the diapers and clean them at home.

Since L is getting close to the 6 month date (we are waiting till then to introduce solids), we picked up a cheap/functional high chair at Ikea (and a new cushion for our poang chair- it's great for nursing in). The high chair is just plastic so I decided to make a cushion out of some cute left over fabric. I was inspired by this design, but wasn't able to find the pattern for free so I improvised my own...it looks great from afar and ok up close...much like most of my sewing projects. So although he wont be eating with us for over a month (except for a breast milk popsicle which I am thinking of trying soon since he is teething so bad), he will be able to sit with us at dinner.

Wrapped

Going with the theme of feeling rushed, D and I are almost all done with Xmas shopping/prep.  Last year 90% of our gifts were handmade/from Etsy.  This year we were not at all that prepared- meaning we didn't make orders in time.

We did however craft up some of the gifts, I will post them on here after the holidays.  But for now, here are the gifts, wrapped.

We used our old stendig calender paper (like Anna did here), and added left over yarn to tie bows or felt triangles (also left over from a project) strung on ribbon.

Wreath

Yesterday I made a wreath from this DIY.