I was browsing in a local Michaels store earlier this week and came across items that I felt would be perfect for a Spring or Easter-themed wreath that I plan to make for my office door. I’ve gotten so much joy out of the Winter wreath I made around the holidays and wanted to continue the positive vibes with another seasonal wreath.

As I browsed, I noticed the prices and began to feel that they were higher than I wanted to spend on items for a seasonal wreath. I mean, I remember when crafting was more of an organic, “what do I have around here?” activity. When only 1 of the decorations on the wreath was going to cost more than $10, I decided that it was time to reconsider my approach.

My reticence to spend $3 each on some flocked rabbit forms aligns perfectly with my attempt to engage in less impulse shopping, and a more intentional use of supplies and materials that I already have on hand (in abundance). In practice this has meant that I allow my imagination to meander while I am avoiding the latest fad that is posted all over social media.

I have no “beef” with stores that sell craft supplies, and am grateful that we have them around when we need them, although I do think that the constant push-push-push for us to always buy more is impacting our budgets, causing more clutter in our homes, negatively impacting our environment, and could be addressed handily if we thought FIRST to look in our craft supply closets and fabric/yarn stashes.

I was still wandering in Michaels and came across some butterflies on a card (10 pieces) for $15.99 (retail), and realized that if I continued, I could quickly spend $30 or more on supplies for my “home-made” wreath. It was starting to feel less like a craft project and more like an investment!

It was at that point that I decided to crochet butterflies for my Spring wreath, and knew that I had ribbon in my stash that would work beautifully for a Spring-themed wreath. I even thought about sewing a stuffed bird or two to round out the look. After all, I have plenty of fabric scraps, too.

I also have a collection of rick-rack in many colors, thanks to a “rescue” from the local Center for Creative Reuse, combined with my own pieces, and I may use these to add the perfect “pop” of extra color to my wreath.

I am learning that the JOY of crafting does not require a trip to the store, or the spending of additional money. Like many of my fellow crafters, I have an ample supply of craft items, decorations, and supportive tools. I have also discovered that the creative energy of gathering an assortment of unrelated supplies and pulling them together into a coordinated piece is quite satisfying.

I won’t pretend to know the perfect balance between using what we have and buying new, but I think it’s always a WIN when we at least consider some stash options in our creative projects.

Here’s to BALANCE in our crafting, shopping and lives overall.

Happy (almost) Spring!

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