The Crafter's Dilemma

The Crafter’s Dilemma

Okay, if you read my last blog post or if you’ve been following along on my little journey, you know that I have been a bit of a crazy crafter these past couple of years.  While I was busy exploring different mediums, I always spent my evening TV time either needlepointing or beading. By now, you are also aware that I have begun to lean into what I believe are my areas of expertise: stitching and educating (former teacher and all that.) However, I want to go back to 2022 for a minute. (This is tt22 designs, after all!)

After a 2022 trip to Sanibel Island (pre Hurricane Ian), I began creating (art??) out of my beach finds. Part of it was that my collections were getting out of hand, and I couldn’t bear to part with anything. Another part of it was that my heart and soul needed serious nourishment at that time, and creativity was (is) my go-to food. If I’m being honest, another part of me (okay, a decent-sized part) secretly hoped that I’d stumble upon some hidden talent or some never-before-created coastal craft that would transform me into a mega-artrepreneur. Needless to say and not surprisingly, that did not happen.

But here’s what did happen. I stumbled upon what I have not-so-affectionately dubbed “the crafter’s dilemma.” There is no inexpensive or even simple way to try a new craft. For example, to decoupage 1 shell, I had to buy two jars of Mod Podge (matte & gloss), a brush, a pack of paper napkins or tissue paper, and, if I was going to do it right, gold leaf paint & brush or a gold paint pen. So, I was in for $30 or so to try something, and I had a lot of leftover materials to store either way. I also had to search for a video or instructions online which added to my overall time expenditure before I even dipped my brush in the paste. Please don’t even get me started on the cost all-around to experiment with candle making and resin and the space those materials took up! The funny thing too is that in the rare event that a “sample” size of something was offered, it was usually not enough to complete the job.

This got me thinking about my lifelong passions: needlepoint and bead weaving. To say that I have A LOT of unused threads and beads would be a gross understatement. This is because whenever you start a new canvas or pattern, you rarely work from your stash. Instead you buy full tubes of beads or skeins of thread even though your design only calls for a fraction of it. Because these are the artforms in which I am skilled, I justify it pretty easily. In fact, I may have morphed into a bit of a hoarder of these supplies. Remember though that I LOVE stitching and weaving and I DO THEM EVERY DAY. 

Another aspect of the crafter’s dilemma is the time it takes to either go to the store(s) to find and purchase the items you need or to source them online. If you’re new to stitching or bead weaving, I can tell you that brick and mortar specialty stores are hard to come by. Furthermore, when you buy a canvas or pattern online, they don’t typically specify bead or thread colors. Making these decisions online is challenging to say the least, and it is also nearly impossible to get all of the items you need from one vendor. Inevitably, you end up paying multiple shipping fees to buy from various Etsy shops or online stores.

Of course, the big time craft suppliers need these problems to exist. They count on crazy crafters like me to throw all sense out the window when desperate to try something new. “They only have the extra large Mod Podge in stock at Michael’s? I’ll just get it because I don’t want to wait for the smaller size to come in.” Another favorite rationale, “I’m not sure which color will be best. I’ll just order all 3 and return what I don’t use.” 50/50 chance that actually happens.  

So, I started to think, “What if people like me who just want to dip their toe in the pool of a new hobby only had to pay for what they needed for the one project? And what if all of the materials were already put together for them?” Dilemmas solved?

Fast forward to Q4 of 2024, and tt22 designs was born with the goal of scaling and kitting projects so that people can try (at a fraction of the cost) before they buy (the whole aisle at Hobby Lobby). As an added bonus, I can also provide written and video tutorials to make the learning easy and fun. 

The first kit I’m offering will drop on my website on Saturday. It will include all of the supplies needed for a beginner to make a fun holiday bracelet plus a QR code for a tutorial. (Of course, it could also make a fun gift!) Here’s a little cost comparison: