Crafting--Not my Strong Suit

I have a lot of anxiety--I stress over little things.  I used to bake my stresses out.

Now while I still bake quite a bit, I realized that baking kind of defeats the point of going to the gym if I keep it around the house. But just look at these yummy cupcakes I had here around Thanksgiving.

Thankfully I had a baking order, sold the leftovers and then took some to my in-laws for our Thanksgiving dessert.  I think they were a hit! :)

I knew I needed to find a new hobby to relieve me.  Gym, baking, blogging--are all fun, but I wanted to take on something new.  SOOO---I tried crafting. Yeah, not really my thing....not that I don't love doing it--BUT, for some reason, it doesn't turn out like I had hoped or envisioned.

 You see, I like that farmhouse style, but what amazes me is it that style is kind of expensive to get little things here and here that are deemed "Farmhouse."  Who would have thought that plain, and simple with a little rust on that galvanized metal would be a little pricey--not to mention a simple wood sign being upwards of $80.

On that note, I told myself, "Self, you can do this on your own."  While I was pumping myself up, little did I know that the materials for crafting aren't that cheap (Cheaper than the product itself though).  AND, when it was all said and done--I realize why people charge what they charge.  For the record, it is easier to buy it unless you want to give it a go on your own.

My first craft project was a footstool.  My husband and I went to a local auction house.  This little dandy was like $2.  I thought for $2, why not see if I can play around with it and make something of it.  It was really in rough shape.  Here's a similar pic of what I had to work with.

Now mind you the top was not in that clean, fine needlepoint design.  It was rough, falling apart, dusty and you could see the original horsehair underneath. 

 This is what the horsehair would have resembled, but again, it was no where near that clean.

I stripped all the padding/cushioning off of it and left just the frame and original board.  I painted it with a "rub effect"  Again, I know NOTHING about crafting.  I dusted it off well and I used a white chalky paint and painted over the already dark stained frame. After I painted each section, I took a paper towel and rubbed in areas causing it to look a bit distressed.  I love the color it turned out!

 I added a new foam padding to the board and covered it with burlap.  I thought it needed something else for decorative purposes, so I literally "sharpied" (coined it---used a sharpie marker) and stenciled on a D for our last name. Honestly, it looks kind of cute just sitting there in the corner.


My next project just involved playing around with some leftover wood scraps from our new construction.  I mean I might as well try to use all of that left over lumber if I can--and I was just playing around.  I started with a board that was just big enough for the word JOY.  I probably should have stained my board first to create a better wash color, but it works for now.

I love that little chalky finish paint.  Its really a nice color.  I also purchased a little wreath from Hobby Lobby that I wanted to use as the O in Joy.  I debated buying garland and creating one, but this was the same price--so, I rolled with it and took the easy way out.

After painting the board, and letting it dry, I found a font I liked on the computer.  I played with several fonts, and different size fonts to get the right fit for my board. I printed the letters and cut them out. Remember I just needed to use the J and Y as I was  using the wreath for my O.

I used carbon tracing paper for my J and  Y.  I do not have a steady  hand--so its a good thing I like vintage and rough design. :)

I colored in the J and Y with a red paint.  I used sand paper to rough it up just a bit, and traced over the edges with a black sharpie (remember--unsteady hand--so I thought this would help with the paint job too)
 Then I placed my wreath in the middle and hammered in a nail to help hold it in place. It actually turned out pretty cute, and looks nice on the front porch.  Only took about $10 to make and that was because I bought the wreath.  The other items were just laying around the house.  So--for $10, I will LOVE it! :)

For the next time though, I will just remember that I am NOT crafty--and leave it to the professionals.  :)