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SD and Crafts

Simpleton21's picture

Do any of you have a skid that makes crafts all the time?  My SD (10 almost 11) does.  I actually think it is great that she enjoys crafts and art and stuff like that but I don't really want to keep her masterpieces because I'm not that impressed.  I know that sounds really mean but she makes some really weird stuff.  When she draws a picture or something like that I will hang it on the fridge like I do with my boys.  I also plan on framing one of her pieces of artwork from school and hanging it in our dining area.  I am going to do it with one of my son's pictures as well.  However not all of the stuff she makes is something I want on display in my home forever just because she made it.  

Last night she hot glued twigs and sticks to the lid of an empty pringle's can (before I got home from work).  SO sent me a Marco (basically recorded facetime message) because she wanted to show me what she made.  She holds it up and was explaining how awesome this was and SO says, "oh yeah, that's cool, we can dig a hole in the ground and hide a spare key in it" and she says, "yeah, that is what I was going to say"....Um, no it wasn't at all what she was going to say.  I could tell that once he said his idea she automatically attached onto that.  That kind of thing drives me crazy because she does it all the time.  She will always just go along with DADEEE and what he thinks.  Sometimes it is like she doesn't have a mind of her own.  

Anyways, I'm just really not impressed with her pringle can creation.  Sure I'll bury it in my backyard at least then I don't have to keep it on display inside my home.  My problem is faking the excitement about her creation.  I just can't act like it is the greatest thing ever like SO does.  I mean seriously, it is a cardboard can with a plastic lid, once it is buried with only the top showing it will start to break down and we will have a muddy yucky "spare key" holder.  Woohooo! 

Comments

Llilac1's picture

My SD gives me things she makes. I usually put them in the trash or her bedroom shelves when she goes to her moms. If it’s somehing she seems really proud of I might give it longer life. Even if she was your bio I don’t think you’d want everything she makes.

Exjuliemccoy's picture

You have a SD...And she GIVES​​​​​​ you things? Things...like GIFTS? Like, she wants you to RECEIVE something from her???

This does not compute. Where's my fan?? I need to lie down!

Simpleton21's picture

Hahaha, well it isn't like super special gifts.  Creations I would rather not receive.  

Simpleton21's picture

I have a lot that I would like to throw away but I don't want to be mean either.  I defintely don't keep everything my bio son makes either.  She got a glue gun for Christmas and every since then she has  been making some really crappy creations.  Wallets made out of a zip loc baggie and hotglue (basically a baggie with a bunch of hot glue blobs), a make-up brush cleaner (a piece of cardboard with hot glue blobs).  I like the thought of throwing them away or just putting them in her room somewhere! LOL!

Aniki-Moderator's picture

"Sorry, DH, but that Pringle can will break down from the moisture in the soil. Voles/moles could destroy it while digging. Ants will get in there for any remaining food particles."

There are any number of reasons why this is NOT good for a spare-key-in-the-ground...

How often is SD "creating" new things? Display on the refrigerator for a week. Display on a shelf in her room. You may need to devise a system for keeping/purging so the "artwork" doesn't become uncontrollable piles. Perhaps you and Dad can steer them into "researching" and "planning" before the actual creative process to cut down on twiggy chip containers. Wink

Simpleton21's picture

Ha, I wish I would have said that but I was trying my best not to roll my eyes and barf.  I just said it is interesting.  We don't even have a spare key.  My dad has one and lives close by.  We should get one but when I do I won't be storing it in her crap creation.  I think by then it will be all broken down and deterioated anyways.

SD is creating new things every time she visits which is Tues and Thurs on the weeks we don't have her for the weekend and Wed on the weekends we do have her....so basically ALL THE TIME!  I leave the drawings on the fridge for a while b/c those aren't as hideous. 

I think she researches her ideas on youtube but not sure where the twiggy chip container idea came from.  I just know that I am not to keen on keeping them all and acting as if they are the greatest craft/idea ever!  SO has a box of her creations so I will just add them to that.  It is in the garage and out of sight, lol!

Aniki-Moderator's picture

You do not always have to act like it's great. "How interesting" or "how unusual" are perfectly acceptable answers.

Can you check out some art books from the library for SD?

Simpleton21's picture

Well good because she get's "that is interesting" a lot from me! LOL!  

That is a good idea.  I think a family trip to the library would be good for all of us.  She has a cool art kit that she rarely uses b/c she is to busy making glue gun creations.  Her drawings are actually usually pretty decent and that is why I will put them on the fridge and will hang one.

 

secret's picture

LOL... I hear ya. My kids have made some godawful things in their time.... that, and the gifts... oh man... one time, they got me this candle holder for long slim candles, 7 in all... 6 around and 1 in the middle... the thing looked like a tacky chandelier, chipped silver paint... they were SO proud...

Anyway as to their craft stuff, I have it easy I think, in that I have 2 living rooms on my main floor - one is more formal, the other is more family oriented.

In the family room, I have some wire strung up along one wall... and clips... the kids have rotating pieces of art that go on there.

I take a picture, and the picture goes into their individual albums along with the date time and other info to include... the actual art stays until there is a new one to display, or one month max.

SS is always making things for DH and me - the latest is 2 11x17 pages of rainbows. Both are hung up on the wire. Both are already in the album... so once we take them down, they're going in the trash.

I do keep certain things, like ornaments or frames that I can hang in their room, but I don't generally tend to keep a bunch of stuff "just because they made it".

For the pringle lid monstrosity, you can 1) give her an old key, 2) encourage her to hide other treasures in there like a home made pirate map, 3) just be honest and tell them you tend to get more excited about things that are meaningful to you, like someone cleaning up after themselves. Wink

Simpleton21's picture

Ha, the candle holder sounds wonderful!  

I wish I had 2 living rooms.  One to retreat to during SD's visits so her and her daddeee could have all the daddee dauther alone time they need!  I like the picture/album idea.  I just purchased a wooden thing that hangs on the wall and says "look what I did" and has 3 clips.  I think I will use that to rotate the artwork out.  

I also like ornaments.  I keep all the ornaments and thankfully those are easily put away for most of the year without someone wondering why Smile

Ha, SD cleaning up after herself?!?! That would be more meaningful but also unlikely to ever happen! 

mamabear3's picture

Maybe research a craft project online that she could do. print off the instructions and get her the supplies and let her go at it.  I love crafting but sometimes you can craft a little too much or do things that aren't really useful.  Maybe storage crafting ideas for her room?  Sometimes kids just need a little push in a direction.

Simpleton21's picture

This is also a good idea.  She has almost all the supplies for crafting you could want.  I just try to disengage from her as much as possible so I don't go out of my way to find ways to entertain her but finding a good book from the library or crafts online wouldn't be to difficult.  Thanks for the suggestion! Smile

notsobad's picture

Please, please keep faking the excitement. Sorry, that’s not the right sentiment, lm not sure how to say it. You don’t have to gush over her creations but don’t let her see your indifference to it. I love to craft and create, my whole family are artists of some type or another. 

Its important to keep that alive in her. You don’t have to LOVE her stuff but let it flow. It’ll mature and grow and she’ll be grateful that you encouraged her. 

With my kids, I had a display space on a shelf. After a month or so on display it went into a Rubbermaid bin. 

Also, encourage her to make seasonal things, Valentines, St Paddy’s, Easter, Christmas, then when the day is over, away it goes.

Simpleton21's picture

I'm sorry, I can't fake excitment over some of these creations.  I try my best to be nice and seem sincere in my comments.  I don't say anything mean about them.  I don't want to discourage her creativity.  Art is one of my favorite activities as well.  A few years ago I took her to an art studio to try to bond with her.  BM threw a fit about that of course so I disengaged (for that and many other reasons). 

I do my best to display her creations and pictures but this twiggy chip can is just not something I can gush over! 

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Hey, you are not being MEAN to her!

IMHO, if you constantly gush over her creations, you are giving her a false sense of her talent. And I'm not saying she is NOT talented, but don't be fake.

Simpleton21's picture

Thanks, I feel like her parents give her enough gushing over her creations and she has a false sense of talent in many areas due to their praise over EVERYTHING!

When she does something that is worthy of praise I compliment her on that!

Cover1W's picture

SD12 is very crafty - and she loves building things.  However, she is also very neat.

So neat that she'll neatly stack cardboard boxes up to the closet ceiling and under her bed.  And she'll neatly put away any leftovers, even if that means it's nicely macrobiotically rotting in one of those boxes.  I go through her room periodically and toss stuff.  It's better now that we don't live right by a beach - THAT was interesting and very smelly.

Simpleton21's picture

My SD is not neat about her projects.  I have hot glue remnants all over my table and kitchen and somehow even managed to get the sissors hotglued shut.  She is terrible about cleaning up and SO will say something but not follow through and then he ends up cleaning it after she leaves.  That drives me crazy!  I get on SO about that!

thinkthrice's picture

"Have you thought about stringing up those projects and making them into a necklace for BM?"

-repeat early and often *yahoo*

Simpleton21's picture

Hahaha, a twiggy covered chip can necklace!  I'm sure BM would LOVE it!  So impressive!  

Ilumine's picture

I take really good pictures of my DD's masterpeices.  Then we display the items for no more than 5 days and then chuck them. 

Then at the end of the year, I make a photobook of her artwork and print out three copies - one for our house and one for the grandparents for Grandparents Day.  

EVERYONE wins.