It seems like these days everyone you know is a creative master. With the help of Pinterest, YouTube, and Craftsy, everyone has these expert skills that they can now whip out a gourmet dinner set out on the newly remodeled outdoor dining area they just made out of cardboard, pallets, and chalk paint. I admit it, I am a crafty gal, I love glitter and crafts, and I do my best to stay out of Michael’s when I have time and money to burn. But I am a little overloaded with craft ideas and I feel like I have all the supplies to decoupage myself a new house, but I need focus!
So here are a few time saving tips that I have had to learn the hard way.
Set a goal
This seems fairly simple. However many of us have this idea that we know we can be creative people, but lack the focus and direction of how to accomplish it.
Just like working out how to lose weight, do more yoga, or finish a work project, completing your creative goals needs you to have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish and when.
Recently a friend of mind wanted to teach me how to chalk paint. The idea fascinates me that I will one day purchase furniture, haul it home and in a few short steps I too can have a house full of trendy beautiful furniture for just pennies. But, the day came when my friend showed up to the house all prepped with cans of paint, brushes, and her shelves she was painting for her house and I stood there with a picture frame because when I had gone out to find my project piece I realized I had no idea what I was doing. As it turns out, chalk painting isn’t that hard, however after painting my picture frame and watching paint dry I no longer had any desire to sand, paint, repaint, sand, wipe, and touch up furniture.
So I set a smaller goal. One room at a time I would slowly add one piece at a time until the room felt complete. I started with my guest room. I found one project, a small mirror piece to redo for a beach theme with some starfish and rope. As long you don’t try to throw yourself into the middle of the glitter and glue, you can actually accomplish a lot in a short amount of time.
Clean up before and after
I have a craft room that also doubles as my office, and work space for my business. So I am surrounded daily with scissors, tissue paper, glue, and ideas. For me, I need to have a clean ready space for creating something new. I have a small crafting area and I have to spend a few minutes prepping (meaning, clearing the junk that gets thrown in my office because there is “no other place for it”)
It is so easy to get excited about completing your project and then blow off putting away your supplies properly, cleaning up your mess, ect. But when you don’t, you waste time and money when you can’t find what you are looking for the next time or your fancy new paint brushes are now ruined with dried paint because you left them out.
Make YOU time for crafting
As mothers and wives, many of us complain we don’t have enough time to do the things we want to do. Crafting, learning a new skill, and reading are on my list of things I would like to enjoy more of. But I feel guilty for running off after dinner to go paint pots or try a new craft idea. However making time for yourself actually isn’t that hard to do. Maybe you have to get up a little bit earlier in the morning and set your craft project supplies out the night before. Or I found that my husband also longed for some time doing things he wished he had more time for like reading his comic books, playing video games, or oddly helping me with my craft projects. So instead of turning on the TV at night we have been spending more time doing the things we like to do and less time checking Facebook or watching mindless shows.
Be creative and creatively make time to do the things you love.
You won’t be an expert at everything you try the first time. But do the things you enjoy doing often. Don’t spend your time wishing you could be the next Pinterest star and grab a paintbrush and do it!
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