He Made, She Made: Behind-the-Scenes Blog
Jonathan Fong's Tips for Would-Be Makers
July 15, 2011
I am a lover, not a fighter and a writer, not a crafter. Set a pair of googly eyes in front of me, and I don't see the face of a charming refrigerator magnet, or a cute and clever way to personalize my son's sippy cups. Nope, I just see two blank, round eyeballs staring up at me with utter disappointment.
But I'll be the first to admit, maybe I'm going about it all wrong. It has been known to happen. On the seldom occasions I've worked up some crafty exuberance, my ambitions get too lofty. My plan to decoupage an old table with personally meaningful children's book illustrations started and ended with me ordering a used copy of Shel Silverstein's Light in the Attic and buying a big tub o' Modge Podge.
Maybe I need to call upon the big (glue) guns for some expert advice.
Jonathan Fong, the he behind "He Made, She Made" (she being creative mastermind Courtney Watkins), is kinda great at making everyday objects go from drab to fab. For the first episode out the gate, he and Courtney turned backpacks into artistically expressive carryalls. (Back in middle school, my Jansport was lucky if I pinned on a few Nirvana buttons.) His take on my crafty paralysis?
I'm probably intimidated. Fong told me that giving things a personalized touch may take some trickery, but it shouldn't be scary!
"Don't feel like you have to be perfect," is Fong's first rule of crafting. I have to make peace with the fact that sometimes things won't turn out exactly as I imagined them. (Or as good as they look in a picture that's been retouched and professionally styled -- crafts and my bikini body have something in common!) The key to good crafting is enjoying the journey as much as the finished product.
Of course, if the finished product is a really big deal to me, Fong urged that I try a practice run. "Try it out first on a different medium," he said. "For example, if you're painting something on canvas, try it out on a piece of paper first. It helps you be more confident, and you won't be afraid to mess up."
Fong's other rules? "Don't be afraid to substitute materials." For example, a craft may call for you to use something like felt, but if you don't have that around maybe you can cut up an old T-shirt, or blanket.
Oh, and here' s a big one: Wash your hands before you start!
I think I'm on my way to a life free of dirty looks from googly eyes…
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