To keep buying crafting supplies?!

[CraftyClaraChaos]

I feel the need to confess. I keep buying new crafting supplies, mostly fuelled by social media. In January I started with needle felting. Enjoyed it but didn’t complete the kit, it’s still in the cupboard. Went on to buy a sketchbook and set of black pens inspired by the zentangle pictures I saw on FB, turns out I wasn’t as good at that as I thought I might be. By June I had bought a set of acrylic paints and brushes. I stayed up till 2am when my DP was away and the kids were in bed, painted a lovely picture I was quite impressed by. Painted another following an online tutorial, was ok, but haven’t done another, although I’d like to. Painted my own Christmas cards using the kids watercolours but now feel uncertain about sending them out. Just received an engraving tool I saw advertised on FB (£100), but my head has already been turned by decorated cookies - I’m sure these are the way forward! Help me please?!

Just go with it, you’re not exactly wasting the kids’ inheritance on crystal meth and roulette, are you?!

This is normal for people who sew - they have enough fabric to outlive them - it is known as the stash.

If you can afford it, and you’re enjoying it, crack on.

I currently have enough cross stitch kits to keep me going until I’m 150 and still keep buying more!

Down with crystal meth! Up with crystal art!

One day you'll find a hobby you really love and will stick with it.. maybe. In the meantime you have to trial all the crafts you come across. hahahaha.. after over 55 years I'm still trialing!

😂 they probably wouldn’t feel the same way if they had to clear out my cupboards right now!

Interestingly, my partner clearly hasn’t noticed this new behaviour of mine, as he declared I have no hobbies for which to buy me Christmas presents! 😂 so maybe it’s not as extreme as I thought!

I used to have a craft shop, and I always used to say to people, it does not matter what you turn out, it's if you enjoy it! sounds like you are still waiting to find out what craft you really like
my tips;
best to buy a kit, they contain what you need to get a feel of whether you like the craft or not, without laying out for tools, material etc
try as many things as you want go to a craft shop and see what attracts you to it the amount of crafts is amazing
you can never have too much craft stuff!

Whatever you do don't buy a cricut machine as that's a slippery slope! I've got so much stuff I've had to set up a craft room 😂 luckily DH is supportive and I do make all my own cards and a lot of presents.

Don’t you know that collecting hobbies is a hobby in itself?
I crochet, and I have quite the yarn stash. So then I realised that buying yarn is a separate hobby to crocheting! I now know to not buy any yarn unless it’s fur a particular project - and any new project none of the yarn I have is quite right!

It’s called SABLE. Stash acquisition beyond life expectancy.

I was about to say this

The problem is I'm like 'i'll just have a look,but im not buying anything...'

£30 later...

I have massive fomo and a massive drawer full of kits i'll properly never get round to doing

Thankfully my ds has told me he'll do them if I snuff it

Sounds like there's something missing in your life OP and you're trying to fill it with crafting activities. I'm not sure they're the answer tbh.

Ditto knitters and crocheters! I have a very impressive stash of knitting yarn (another order arrived the other day, thank you Wool Warehouse) but I do use it!

It's perfectly normal, OP! You don't need to seek therapy yet. I mean, who knows? If lockdown (or the like) ever comes back, you'll have a lovely time keeping yourself occupied crafting.

I am a knitter. I have chests of drawers full of wool. Then I see more wool and think, "That would be PERFECT for such-and-such a pattern!" and then buy another big box of yarn.

I also do this with sewing (which I WILL get into one day, I promise) and books.

I am like this with books! Buying books & reading are two completely separate hobbies!
Though I do really want to try building one of those book nooks.... (also finding things to decorate the bookshelves is another hobby!) 😅

As long as you can afford it, I say, carry on!

Oops.

I’ve bought another 4m of fabric and another 1kg of chunky yarn just this morning. Not sure I can even store it!
If there’s another lockdown I won’t be bored. Or cold!

It’s amazing how many sellers on Vinted etc. are saying they’re selling off their (presumably deceased) mum’s stash. Lots of SABLE going on!

Nope, she sounds perfectly normal. You're not a crafter, are you?!

You are not alone.

I've got as much stock as there is in a Hobbycraft store and The Range and yesterday I was googling gelli presses. I make cards which I don't sell. Also a sewing machine and lots of fabric and sewing accessories, cross stitch stuff, acrylic paints, polymer clay, a recently bought macrame kit, felt for sewing things, wool (for a short lived granny square obsession). My Italian friend who I suspect was gifted a difficult canvas paint by numbers has regifted it to me, I'm not going to attempt that.

I also have a 4 storey dolls house, a garden shed and a beach hut. I also have a cottage and garden kit and I bought another dolls house kit on Facebook Marketplace, both still unmade.

i call them all work in progress projects and by the time I'm 80 (22 years time) I don't think everything will be finished and used up. I've told my niece that after my days it will all be hers.

The thing is, if you have a variety of crafting supplies, then you can do whatever you fancy doing. There is no law that you have to pick one craft and stick to it religiously. I usually have a few projects on the go at any one time.

My adult DD also loves crafting so I suspect when I’m no longer here, a lot of it will go to her, so not a waste.

I stand to inherit some lovely ones from my Dad one day!

Finish one thing from one kit and decide if it's for you

If it's not, pass the supplies for that craft to someone who would appreciate it and move on

Finish what you've started, decide if you want to do that again and if not, bin it.

i got really good at my craft and now sell them to local shops… maybe that’s in your future!

💯 this as my sewing room will attest! 😂