I’ve never been much of a crafty person. I have little patience and even less creativity.  One of my Best Year Yet Goals (how long since I’ve mentioned those) was to be more creative.  I have this idea that I can find something I like and *BOOM* I can make it and it looks as good as I expect it to. It never happens that way.  I think that’s probably why I stick to cooking — those things really turn out pretty good.  Did they always — no — I’ve just been cooking for years and have gotten better. So how can I expect to be good at crafts without really trying?  Because I’m irrational.

I decided that the family needed some new Christmas Stockings.  The day I made this decision I got an email from Michael’s and it provided a “how-to” homemade Christmas Stocking project.  This looks easy enough and I really like the way the finished project looked.  I head down to Michael’s and collect the items needed to make 4 stockings (for me, MS, mom and Lilly).

Micheal’s often overwhelms me — there are so many people and the awkward aisles often confuse me.  There also never seems to be any rhyme or reason to how things are organized.  For example, I needed a hot glue gun and went to the aisle marked “Glue” and “Hot Glue” and “Glue Guns”.  What did I find?  You guessed it: Glue.  No hot glue and no glue guns.  After I wandered around for a while I found an employee and she was kind enough to show me where the glue guns are — near the yarn…obviously!  What was I thinking.

With Glue Gun in hand, I spend another 90 minutes looking for the stockings, the felt letters and the decorations.  90 minutes. Ninety Minutes.  Good god, I wanted to scream.  I actually had set my basket down and was planning on walking out because I just couldn’t find what I needed and wanted to call it quits.  For some reason, I picked up my basket and finished the torture that is Michael’s.

I got what we needed and headed home — for a nap.  I got enough supplies to create 4 stockings — with no adornments left over.  So first come first served on the decorations.  This means, Lilly probably isn’t going to get the stocking she wants.

I planned on us all creating our stockings together after dinner the following Sunday night.  I get home the next day and found that my mom had already put her stocking together.  So much for doing this as a family, eh?

MS and I worked on our stockings after we watched an episode of the Amazing Race.  We spent about 30 minutes sorting letters laying out our design and yes…reading up on how to use the hot glue gun.  We actually had a pretty fun time creating this little bit of Christmas cheer.  We haven’t hung the stockings yet, as I need to get some of those temporary hooks that attach with a gummy sticker thing — then can be removed without damage. I wonder if these things will really destroy my walls.

What kind of Christmas Crafts are you working on?  What was your first real craft you started with?  Does Michael’s frustrate you as much as it does me?  What is the next craft I should try?