McH Inspiration Failbot

This month’s inspiration picture was amazing. I had all sorts of ideas pop into my brain. But like so many instant craft ideas I had a limited budget and limited time.  I ended up doing what I always do when crafting outside the box, I took a field trip to my local thrift store for ideas.

I live in a Navy town. Military communities have an advantage over run-of-the mill civilian towns, we have amazing thrift stores and garage sales. Why, you ask? Well because our community is transient. The military gives you a weight allowance to move and then moves you on their whim. So you learn to pare down. You learn to get rid of what you don’t need, the stuff your kid grew out of, and the crap your mother/grandmother pawned off on you. 

Most military both donate often and shop regularly at thrift stores.  For example, my daughter had a middle school concert last night and needed a white blouse and black skirt. I went to our thrift store and got a new white sweater, black gore skirt and cute one inch heel Mary Jane shoes all for 10 bucks.

Back to the inspiration.



My youngest modeling next to the fireplace



My first idea was a hat rack. I need one and I thought antlers...rack...hat...canes!  I went in search or canes or cane like things to glue/screw together.  Only they had one cane. And nothing else except a lot of golf clubs, but I draw the line at welding.

Idea number two.  Our downstairs I am turning, slowly, into a study/pub/TV room.  It needs something masculine. Something manly. Something with ANTLERS! And because it’s my house. Something with flannel.

I ended up taking all the left over Christmas wrapping paper off the rolls (don’t tell hubby) grabbed some cotton batting, and snagged few of my homespun’s.  To finish off with my modge podge medium.

You are jealous of my crafting prowess, I can tell.

It took the afternoon, and I stuck my fingers together only twice, but they were done.

Problem number two. I needed to mount them on something. It’s all well and good to have antlers but I can’t just leave it. I need them to be above the fireplace.  Mounting Idea #1. A bicycle helmet, drill out two holes and ta-da! But my children drew the line at me mangling one of their helmets.  Idea #2 A wooden plaque. This is still my idea.

But implementation is not going well. And cardboard tubes do NOT have a good life span. They bend, and crumble, and modge podge is heavy, and well we are at fail attempt number 4. 

Will I give up? Maybe. But my idea is amazing. Next time I will cut them out of foam. Or build them inset into a base.

Lessons learned. Inspiration is amazing, creativity rules, but sometimes your idea just doesn’t work. And you have to be cool with that.

He is "Mom you are so weird"