Craft-tastrophy.

Oh my goodness.  Why do Do-It-Yourself projects do this to us?  Why do they suck you in, make you believe you can, and then crush your self-confidence one mistake at a time?  I am sitting here still recovering from what was flop of a DIY day. 

I want to preface my recounting of events to say that we are down, but not out.  We are crushed, but not conquered... 

For some time, I've been trying to convince Miles that covering much of the wall space in the nursery with peg board is a great idea. 



I know, his thoughts exactly.  However, it's going to be awesome.

It is not going to just add color but also texture!  It's also going to add a unique and easy way to hang and store stuff in her room! 

Obviously, I'm pretty into the idea.  

I also fell in love with some DIY pom pom decorative lanterns, which, of course, I found on Pinterest. 

The biggest hold up in all nursery decor decisions has been that I hadn't found the bedding I wanted to use, therefore, I hadn't found what colors I was going with.  Sarina hooked me up by finding one through the Land of Nod that was just what I was looking for - color and pattern.  Here's the valance, for you to see.

So, now I knew - blue peg boards on the wall, red accents everywhere.  Naturally, I wanted to do two of the pom lanterns in red and one in orange (to go with her bedding) and hang them above the changing table/dresser for her to look at.

That tutorial is perfectly detailed!  I know exactly how to do this, and I can't wait to be able to say I did them!   Oh, here is the right fabric - light and cheap!  This is going to be fun!

And, Miles has finally started to see my vision.  He's thrown in some great ideas for the room decor, too, and suddenly we are all into it. 
 
Yesterday really solidified our excitement, when we bought the peg board and discovered a spray paint that was the exact color of the existing wall.  We then moved the guest bed into the study to really start making that room into the nursery.  We are on roll that can't be stopped. 

Spray paint - that will be perfect!  We will be able to quickly and easily cover the peg board, and we don't have to have to try to find a paint that matches, now!  I love Lowe's!  That store is great!  See how well we work together, taking the bed apart, moving it bit by bit into the study.  Oh yeah, look how nicely that bed fits in that room - desk and all!  

That's what happens.  Do-It-Yourself starts off so positive, motivating, and inspiring.  And, then today went down. Cruel, cruel crafts....

Miles has cardboard spread out in the garage, peg board laid on top, and spray paint ready to go.  He joyously goes to our new favorite store, Lowe's, to buy more spray paint (we only bought one can to test color).  He puts on his special, I don't care if I get spray paint on you, clothes. 
The wind sure is strong today, almost as strong as these fumes...and are those streaks going to stay there...is that blue paint all over my garage floor?

I set out my fabric, put on HGTV, printed an exact template for a 3" circle, and started tracing circles.
And, continued to trace circles, and began cutting circles...and never finished cutting circles.

The breakdown goes like this, though.

Miles finished the first peg board, and we intelligently decided to let it dry, check it out, and give his brain a rest from the high.  I spent about 30 minutes tracing only fifty circles, about 90 minutes cutting the only fifty circles, and about 60 minutes beginning to glue the fabric to the lantern. 

So, Miles was pretty devastated, when the color and coverage was perfect on the pegboard but it was streaky.   He can't stand things like that, and even though I really am okay with it, there is no way he is hanging it in his baby girl's room.  The floor of the garage was covered in paint, and that meant we were walking through it and into our house with it.

So, I was pretty devastated, when the collective three hours I spent on the pom pom lanterns got me about one-sixteenth of the way finished with one lantern. 

I wish I could tell Miles that craft-tastrophy gets easier to deal with the more it occurs to you, the more you have to deal with it.  But, it doesn't.  It really is so defeating every time. 

However, I really do refuse to truly be defeated.  We won't give up on the peg board project.  We are going to prime the one he did today out.  We are going to find a paint that matches and get a can.  We are going to roll it on the peg board. 

It's going to work and be fantastic!  See, not conquered.

The pom pom lanterns will probably be modified.  I'm thinking one lantern.  I don't know what I'll do with it.  I'm not joking that it's going to take me about 24 total hours to complete the one.  It's looking wonderful, and I really do wish they weren't so time consuming.  I love the look. 

My one lantern won't look awkward and alone!  See, not out. 

I'll keep you updated.  Hope you can sleep in the meantime.  I will be sleeping, because craft-tastrophies are exhausting.