Craft question on making stuff no one wants--

Sometimes it’s not about the finished product.

It’s about the process.

If painting brings her joy, who cares what eventually happens to the paintings?

People don’t think twice about spending 2.5 hours going to the movie at a cost of $25 and then throwing away the ticket stub.
Why think twice when the activity is painting?

This is why I quit doing some crafts and started knitting. I wanted a finished product that was useful. I love the relaxing process of knitting and when I'm done I have something pretty to wear - a hat, scarf or sweater. I keep most of my stuff but have given hats and shawls as gifts and everyone I gifted them to has seemed appreciative and wears them so it's a win win.

If you like to paint or quilt or draw or whatever, do it for the fun of it. When your mom passes, maybe let each grandchild choose any they want to keep as remembrance and throw away the rest.

 




I love that !! There are cutting file designs that I like and would love to construct - but those are usually 3D and I don't want the end product -- I just want the fun of the doing.

Mine is even worse than scrapbooking. I junk journal. Nobody is going to want my junk journals! I don’t care. Being artistic is an essential activity in my life. It calms me down. It brings me joy. I don’t even look at the finished products very often. I figure my family is going to have to throw away my ratty underwear anyway. They can just throw the journals away when they do that.

for me, the answer is a resounding NO- since we don't have kids, all my crafting crap and scrapbooks will be dealt with by someone, someday, and I try not to think about it.  If I do occasionally think about it, then I get hit with the 'what's the point' mentality... but for ME, the point is I like the creative outlet of scrapbooking right NOW.  The future can NOT be a consideration, otherwise it weighs me down mentally.

My mom embroiders, sews quilted projects, and cross-stitches; she's done all these things as long as I can remember (and I'm 50).  She made a few x-stitched pieces that she got framed (framing x-stitching is freakin' EXPENSIVE!) and made a few pieces into pillows for the living room, but for years and years, the completed x-stitch projects went into a box in the linen closet.  She would make comments occasionally that were like, "oh, you probably won't want them, but you guys can do whatever you want with these...  keep them or toss them... I don't care..."  (you know, the typical Lutheran, Midwestern Mom-guilt.  )

A couple years ago, they started downsizing ALL their stuff (my mom is 80 and my dad is 89, and both have some health issues starting).  For Christmas last year, she made each of us 4 kids a lap quilt with a variety of x-stitch pictures as the blocks; the sashing in between the various blocks matches the block designs.  (i.e., a duck x-stitched design has sashing fabric that's leaves; a heart design block has sashing that matches the colors, etc.) 

My lap quilt includes some things that I remember her sewing when I was growing up, and also includes the very first thing I ever remember cross-stitching myself, when she taught me how to do it!  I have it on the back of the couch in our living room.   


---So, the short answer is: I do sometimes think about this, but I try not to.  lol. 

I think about it sometimes with all my scrapbooks. But I've told my kids they can toss them when I'm dead if they want to.

But it is why I haven't taken up other hobbies. I've often thought it would be liberating to paint a huge canvas, and get all my emotions out through paint colors. But... I'm crafty, not artistic. I have no real talent and would just make piles of crap.

I have worked hard to find sources to donate the things I like to craft. I get the benefit of spending time doing what I like and the charity gets the benefit of the donated item.

Paint the poppies. Then donate your painting to Goodwill.  Your painting will get displayed and SHAZAM your painting in now hanging in a gallery.

sharlag I say this as kindly as possible. You shouldn’t live your life worrying that things that bring you joy (and hurt no one else) should be stifled because someone “might” have to make a decision on what to do with it when you’re gone. I don’t think your children would like knowing that you are doing this on their behalf. I’d be horrified to find out someone I love did it on my behalf. That’s much worse than feeling bad about throwing away the paintings after you’re gone.

I see my scrapbooking hobbie as I do my Netflix, my restaurant or movie outings, as entertainment. I don’t expect anybody to keep my card even if I spent a couple of hours coloring with my Copics. I did that for my entertainment. I personally never liked homemade gifts, scarves etc. so I don’t expect other people to see my crafts as something they want to keep. I don’t expect anyone to want my things when I’m gone, styles change, taste change, I’m fine with everything being disposed as my kids want.

I had to toss a friend’sscrapbook Collection. It was not good. I would make sure your survivors know it is okay to get rid of such stuff.


Paintings? You can reuse canvases. Check the high schools they may want them just for that.

hahaha!!!  


the title is 'making stuff no one wants...'  which is, like lisacharlotte said, a not-very-nice way to look at it.  YOU want to MAKE that craft item.  THAT is what you (and all of us) should be focusing on.  The PROCESS, just as MUCH, if not MORE, is what's important-  not just the end result.  

Creating for the sake of being creative is not the same as making widgets (that will eventually be sold) on an assembly line.