Crafting with the Kids
Celebrating a Victory
I live in a family neighborhood; and given that I, too, have kids, I am all about children—my own or my friends’. As a diehard crafter, I focus a lot of my work on things they can use or display. If possible, I love to have them join in the fun of doing it yourself to produce something attractive and useful. When others get involved, you quickly expand your range and repertoire. It keeps me motivated and on the hunt for materials with which to fashion and fabricate all kinds of odds and ends. One of the more unusual is a shadowbox that I made for a friend’s son, whose basketball team recently won their league championship. His mother wanted to commemorate the event with a special gift and turned to me as the resource for the DIY project. She didn’t want an ordinary box of no consequence, but a nicely finished piece that would contain some basketball memorabilia including a basketball hoop like this - https://www.ballersguide.net/best-portable-basketball-hoop-reviews/. She gave me the exact measurements and showed me where it would ultimately go. Since it was to be the focal point of one empty wall in her son’s room, I decided to go all out on quality. If I had to take hours and hours, so be it. I was ready, willing, and able. I decided that wood would be sturdier than foam board, and while a bit rustic, it offered the look I wanted for a child. It would resemble the old shadowboxes I used to see displaying artwork and personal treasures at the town museum. Making a wood box is more of a woodworker’s job than a craftsperson, but I have a saw, a bench screw and a vise, so it was within my reach. I got help from a friend to make the grooves for the glass front so it could slide open. I thought about, but rejected, the idea of pull-open doors. With a bit of careful labor, the shadowbox was ready to stain and mount. My friend gathered some items and mementos from her son’s room so we could place them strategically and fit them all in by using some small platforms made from wood scraps. The stain had a nice medium gloss finish that matched the shutters and headboard of his room. It was truly a décor enhancement. The boy could change out the contents of the box anytime, but at least he would have some inkling of how the final item should look. I truly hope it is the kind of project that he will treasure all his life and perhaps keep beyond into adulthood. Who doesn’t remember those exciting basketball days of one’s youth? A shadowbox can make memories live forever. Doing something like this is the inspirational side of crafting and goes well beyond decorations for a party. I crossed the bridge from craft to art with the shadowbox. It will remain a one-of-a-kind project when I look back at my work.
Great Crafts, Great Friend, Great Time!
Not all my friends or family members share my love of crafts, but when someone shows interest, I go all out to expose them to the wonderful world of handmade projects. A crafting show is a great way to share one’s passion and show off the extent of creativity possible with a few simple materials and tools. There can be a fine line between personal crafts and professional-grade art, but I don’t care to make the distinction. Nor does the craft show. Some of the wares were simply amazing in terms of scale and workmanship. My friend tagged along but become more and more drawn to the process as we surveyed the booths and made our way down the long aisles. There was only one downer about the entire experience. My friend, who can’t kick the habit, insisted on smoking in the car. She said she would have a nicotine fit if she had to wait two hours to get home. I agreed, but regretted it later when I smelled the car interior later that night. Yikes! The upholstery and carpeting simply reeked. It was a day of great crafts, great friends, and a great time; but the consequence was deadly. What was I to do? I didn’t want to wait until the next day to take the car to the carwash and pay $15 or more. I think airing out the vehicle was a smart move, but there was a lingering odor some hours after. It was getting late and the corner store was closed so I couldn’t pick up a bottle of Febreze spray. I didn’t have any scented candles either. I had to get creative. As a crafter, I was used to thinking on the spot. I would make an air freshener from things in the kitchen. I finally found something to help after reading https://www.nomoresmokesmell.net. It reminded me that I had a bottle of lemon-scented essential oil which would be perfect for this job. Ages ago, I bought some at a craft fair to perk up my workroom after it started to smell like mold. (We had a lot of rain this year!). I mixed the tiniest bit of the oil with some alcohol to dilute it. I pulled a eucalyptus leaf off the tree behind the house and tossed it in a plastic spray bottle that I use with water when I am ironing. I didn’t think a few chemicals would hurt it, or the fabric on the seats of my car. I gave the mixture a name—lemon delight, hoping the title would motivate it to perform to its optimum level. Cigarette smoke is tough as you can smell it for days on clothing, furniture, or hair. This had to work long enough for me to drive the car in the morning without gagging for air. It worked fine, and after I told a friend, she went into all kinds of ecstasy about it and started to search the Internet for recipes. You can use any ground up plants instead of eucalyptus leaves, or vodka instead of alcohol. Vanilla extract is a nice scent or peppermint. Whatever you have on hand. I opened up a whole new world for her.