Wearing too many hobby hats

I’m hoping that my husband doesn’t read this column (if you know him, don’t tell him!)… and some of this, he’s well aware of. I am a craft junkie. I’m fairly certain that many of my readers know this by now, but just in case you don’t… there’s the first step — acceptance. My sister and I call it hobby hopping. I will fall in LOVE with a craft and buy all new equipment and supplies to do that craft, watch YouTube and TikTok videos and read articles, check out Pinterest and all of those things for research to learn as much as I can about the craft.

As someone who loves to research and learn (and shop!), the preliminary part of the craft is the most exciting to me. The first few times I fail at an attempt, I get mad and disappointed and want to walk away. I usually don’t walk away immediately, I continue to try and get good at it. But once I get pretty decent at it, I’ve already found something else I want to try and it needs a new set of skills, supplies and more.

My craft room looks like Hobby Lobby dumped its leftovers into the room. I’ve moved through epoxy cups, sublimation, scrapbooking, jewelry making, wreath making, sign making, furniture re-dos and quilting. I’ve stuck with quilting but I put it down a few times here and there for a break.

I will not get back into a craft for a while and then suddenly, my interest is renewed! And I’ll get back into it or get a ton of ideas, butttttt never actually get in the craft room and do it. I don’t know why I get into these spells of diving off the deep end into a craft and then I slowly wade out of the pool and into the distance. I love crafts of all kinds, I love the process (when I can get it right!) I love the finished product and I love being able to give handmade gifts to my friends and family. I love to display the handmade projects throughout my home.

Do I wish that I could figure out the one hobby that will keep my attention forever? Yes. Do I also like that I have a vast knowledge of lots of different crafts, materials and processes? Absolutely. Do I wish I had just a little of that money I spent back? Also yes.

I feel like while my crafting all requires some level of technology, I could have a bigger problem with hobbies. I could be obsessed with video games or something else. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, but I feel like I’m producing something that can be useful or decorative versus just playing on a screen.

I really wish that more of the hobbies that get labeled as “older” would make a comeback. Woodworking, quilting and things like that. We are entirely too reliant on companies to provide us these items. Do I spend three times more on materials to make something? Yeah, usually. But I can look at that product and know that I did that. Are there mistakes in it? Probably. But only machines make things identical each and every time it’s made (and not even then, honestly). As I write this article, I’m painfully aware that I’ve got a blank felt hat and a brand new wood burning kit in my craft room waiting on me to try my hand at making a custom hat for myself and then I think about the prices I saw online to buy one… and I probably should’ve just bought one. But this one will be truly personalized. It’ll be made by me!