“She’s crafty – and she’s just my type. She’s crafty.”
If by crafty, you mean cunning, crazy like a fox, sharp, shrewd and wily, then why yes I am. If you mean skilled in creative activities, artsy-craftsy stuff, then you’ve got the wrong girl. You know what scares me: Jo Ann Fabric’s. That place gives me the heebie jeebies. It might have something to do with my aversion to clutter, but whatever the reason, I can’t hang. Sending me there is the equivalent to sending your man out to buy tampons (it’s not going to fly, at least not without a whole lot of awkward giggling and general discomfort).
I used to color when I was little. Picking out new markers at the beginning of the school year was always a thrilling experience (glitter pens!). I also used to make bracelets out of string, which was pretty cool too, and one time I even tattooed myself with the help of a friend (it was a badly formed heart) but that was really the extent of my craftiness. When it comes to hobbies like knitting, sewing, macrame (I don’t even know what this is), scrapbooking, paper making, rubber stamping (unless this involves galoshes) count me out. However, if you need someone to cut down a tree, wield a chain saw, or help paint a room, then I’m your girl. I could sand hardwood floors or change out a light fixture, but I can’t make a picture frame out of popsicle sticks or sew a button on some pants. And it’s not that I wouldn’t like to try, but I’d inevitable wind up with my hands glued together and a needle stuck in my thigh. I need adult supervision for my crafting.
WTF
So, what’s the point of sharing all this? Well, I saw something on Pinterest (now you know this is going to end badly, right?), which looked like it couldn’t get any easier and I was pretty sure I had all the supplies on hand.
It was marketed as, “When you get out a new roll of toilet paper, place a few drops of your favorite essential oil in the cardboard tube of the toilet paper. This will release the scent of the oil each time the paper is used.”
What a clever idea; some might even say crafty. Alright maybe not for you truly skilled folks, but for me, this is my kind of crafty. You can make the bathroom smell all pretty with each twist of the TP. Genius, and actually an idea I thought I could handle. I was pretty sure I had everything necessary to make it happen too. Toilet paper, check. Essential oil, check…or not so much. See, I went through a candle phase, which I still indulge every so often (wink, wink), and as a result had all sorts of stuff stashed away in a closet. Or so I thought. I found candles and tealights, and while I did find oil, it was definitely not what I expected.
Instead of rose, lavender, or even lemon oil, I had Frankincense because that’s normal. Doesn’t everybody have a bottle of Frankincense in their home? Seriously, I have no idea where this came from (other than biblical times), I’m not sure why any store would sell this particular scent, much less why I would buy it. Sadly, it was the only oil I had lying around and since I had mentally committed to the idea, I pushed onward, despite the fact frankincense smells kind of dry and musty. No joke.
I went into the bathroom and removed my existing roll of paper, so I could put my plan into immediate action. I held the toilet paper roll at an angle (not vertical, but not horizontal either) and I got ready to carefully pour a drop or two of my frankincense into the cardboard center of my eagerly awaiting roll. Now it briefly crossed my mind that my jar of essential oil was missing the nice plastic easy pour lid you see on the bottle in the Pinterest picture. Still, I forged ahead and proceeded to pour frankincense all over the toilet paper roll and all over the floor.
I didn’t mention it earlier, but of course, I choose to do this in our half bathroom on the first floor; the one used by our guests because I wanted to be all fancy. And our bathroom is only six feet by two feet so obviously not the most spacious of establishments. Let’s just say it smelled overpoweringly musty for weeks on end. Consider it a lesson learned; no more crafts for me. At least, not without a support group.
Are you a craft person? What was the last crafty thing you did (just pinning it doesn’t count)? And what exactly is macrame?
My mom and I love doing crafts together! 🙂
That’s really nice. I’ve never been very good at them. What kinds do you do?
I’ve always been rather crafty. Into something or another all the time when I was growing up. I wish I had time for it now!
I take vanilla extract and put a few drops on the lightbulbs of lamps in my house and then the lights (when on and heated up) start to smell like vanilla in the room if you like the scent. I have used lemon extract too. Just another crafty idea.
That’s a great idea; I’ll have to try it. Maybe I should practice my pouring skills first.