Madigan made… a round up of craft prototypes experiments.
After a week filled with sparkly and easy crafts, I wanted to show you that there is a not-so-glittery-not-so-pretty-side of craft blogging. Just like I’ve shown you in the past (here. here, here, here and here), it is high time for me to share a few craft fails.
Now, I usually try to focus on “the positive” here on this blog. I enjoy showing you how to make my favorite creations… but please realize that my crafts don’t all turn out as planned.
I’ve said this before, but to succeed at creating, one must first be willing to fail. Every time I start a new project, a little part of me knows that it could be a huge flop. It is a risk you take when you sit down to the craft table. I just hope that at the end of that creative tunnel there will be a great project waiting for me. And some of my ‘riskiest’ projects have turned out to be my favorite creations. (i.e. my glass gem table, my wine cork lamp, thumbtack pumpkins and my milk glass trees)
So, what are some of my fails lately?
Well, first up is my attempt at a cute collar necklace. I was channeling my inner Anna from Downton Abbey and I wanted to make a lacey necklace inspired by the maid uniforms. I tried to make it out of small paper doilies and Mod Podge.
Um… It looked like I was wearing a stiff paper “V” around my neck… and not a cute doily-ish collar. Not the look I was going for!
But, this stiff and unwearable creation ended up being the springboard for me to create something that would work… A painted lace collar necklace that IS pretty and wearable!
Now this hot mess (literally) is not a craft fail… it is a cooking fail. I do a LOT of experimenting in the kitchen. My hubby is usually a willing test subject. Sometimes I create winner dinners and sometimes my recipes are not worth a repeat. Most of what I make is usually edible and palatable.
But I wouldn’t feed this recent food trial to anyone:
Now, my blog bud Angie from The Country Chic Cottage swears by this easy recipe for microwave peanut brittle. She has made it for many years and tells me that the recipe never fails for her. THIS is how the delicious and light brittle should look:
I attempted to make it for the holidays and ended up with my bubbling and burnt mess. I think one of two things could’ve happened… my microwave was too hot OR there was a user error. As much as I want to blame the equipment, I think the problem might have been me. (Maybe I used too much butter? I think that could’ve happened.) Since I cannot be sure what was to blame, I’m just going to have to try Angie’s recipe again because I LOVE peanut brittle! Dessert experimentation is JUST the kind of experimenting I like!
And this is SUPPOSED to be a bracelet, if you can believe it. I’m not sure what I was thinking…. make a bracelet out of ball pit balls? (They were leftover from this summer wreath I made a few years back.)
The pieces did not stick together with the adhesive I used. But… more importantly… when I step back and look at what this spikey and odd shaped bracelet would’ve looked like… it would have been ugg-o!
These projects are just the tip of my craft fail/experiment iceberg. I have plenty other trials and errors that I forgot to save or photograph. Like jewelry made from hardware store chain…I haven’t figured out a way to make that look cute without looking like, well, hardware chain!
How about you? What are some of your recent creative fails experiments?
