I can make that!

Do you suffer from Icanmakethatitis (aka No-need-to-buy-cos-I-can-make-it-myself disorder)? This disorder is fairly common amongst arty-crafty types and also among DIY enthusiasts. It can creep up on you without warning. Just small signs at first ("I will have a go at making a bracelet") then moving on to full blown symptoms: "Why buy a fitted kitchen when I could make the whole thing myself from scratch?!"

I admit, I have Icanmakethatitis. I blame my Dad. I caught it from him. When I was little we would wander around the shops or craft fairs on the weekend and I would say, "Daddy, can I have one of those puppets/doll's houses/games/scooters?" and his reply would be "No, dear. I can make you that!". However, he vary rarely did. It's not that he couldn't, he's very talented and has made lots of things around the home from metal and glass coffee tables, to whole sheds from scratch and he always did all the DIY. He also worked 12 hours a day and half days on Saturdays, so no wonder he didn't really have time to make a lot of these things for me.

I mentioned to my Dad in passing last year, not expecting him to get round to it, that I would like a darning mushroom. I was therefore extremely excited when he sent me this lovely creation in the post. Sometimes knowing someone with Icanmakethatitis is not such a bad thing!

Turned yew wood darning mushroom

Since I got into crafting on a more regular basis and especially since I decided to make all my Christmas presents, the Icanmakethatitis has worsened. I find myself thinking and saying "I can make that!" when wandering around shops and looking online A LOT. But, is that really such a good thing?

When you see an item that you like, you are not just paying for the materials, you are paying for the time it took that person to make it and also the original idea that they had. However, isn't it tempting when you see something to start planning how you would go about recreating it for yourself? Thoughts such as "I would save money if I made it myself. I could personalise it. I could learn a new skill!", all flit through your mind. But how many of us have the time and inclination to make these things?

Here is a case in point. About 3 years ago I saw this amazing lamp on sale in London. It has an amazing price tag too, unfortunately.

Via: Meme en Autriche

Essentially, it is copper wire with those small birds you can get from craft and floristry suppliers sitting on wire rods inside. I really wanted it, but couldn't afford it, so my first thought was, yes, you guessed it, "I can make that!". I set about collecting as many colourful birdies as I could and even started looking at old lamps that I could reappropriate. However, I didn't get any further with my project and those dear little oiseaux are sitting forlornly in my craft room.

"We had big dreams once. Now we just sit in a jam jar gazing out at the world"

You would have thought I'd learnt from that failed lamp attempt, but, no! My boyfriend and I have always liked this rather groovy Campari bottle lamp, which can sometimes be found hanging in trendy bars and restaurants:

Photo by Vineyard Adventures

Goodness knows how I would manage to make this light shade, but here are my little empty Campari Soda bottles waiting on the window ledge for a day that will probably never come:

Five Campari bottles, sitting on a wall...

I'm not sure I will ever be cured of Icanmakethatitis, but I will try and be more realistic and accept that I don't have the time (even if I think I have the wherewithal) to make all these things. If I really want something, then I should give credit where it's due to the person who made it by buying the one they made.

I think the key is to stick to making things that you are not able to buy: something personalised or unique that will have special meaning for you or the person you are making it for. It's much nicer to have something that you know nobody else will have, because you came up with the idea and made just the one :)

Party hair band

If you are looking for a stocking filler for a young girl, or something for your little princess to wear in her hair during the Christmas party season, here is a quick, cheap and easy crafty make for you!

All you need is:

• a plain elasticated hair band
• some pieces of ribbon about 15cm long (if they are recycled then so much the better!)
• a pearl or large bead
• 2 beads with large holes through the center (I used two plastic, glittery star shaped beads)
• a short length of thread
• a small piece of felt
• a pair of scissors
• hot glue gun or strong glue

How to make the party hair band:

1. Take the lengths of ribbon and bunch them together with the pieces lying at different angles, crossing in the centre. 
2. Use one length of ribbon to tie a knot around the middle of your bunch to secure in place. Leave the ends of this ribbon long and use them to then tie the bundle of ribbons to the hair band. Cut the ends or incorporate them into the ribbon bundle if you prefer.
3. Thread the beads with large centre holes onto the ends of a couple of the ribbons and knot above the bead to secure into place.
4. Thread the pearl or large bead onto some thread and tie it around the ribbon bundle and hair band so that it sits in the centre of the ribbon bundle. Knot it securely in place at the back.
5. Cut a small piece of felt into a rectangle, round the ends using scissors and then pinching the ribbon bundle to push the ribbon ends upwards and inwards to surround the pearl, glue the felt in place on the back of the bundle of ribbons. This will cover the thread and knots and secure the decorative part to the hair band (see photos below).

Voilà! A pretty hair decoration for any discerning young lady ;)

I made this as a small gift for my 11 year old niece for Christmas. All the ribbons are from my ribbon store, collected from boxes of chocolates, clothing tags etc. You could make it more festive by using red, green and gold ribbons and adding small bells or choose ribbons that match a party outfit. I would love to see your creations if you decide to have a go!