Hello friends! So I have decided to try my hand at a few DO-IT-YOURSELF projects this season, since summer is one of the best times to take up a hobby. I have always had a therapeutic relationship with arts and crafts. I used to create all sorts of things: from tissue paper flowers, paintings, cards, frames and so much more. I was the type to tug on my mom’s sleeve asking her to buy me all kinds of arts and crafts books from Jo-Ann’s and Michael’s. I can still spend more than an hour in either of these stores just making my way through the aisles. I haven’t had much time these past couple of years to get back into crafting, so I’m grateful to have this summer to take a stab at it again. So, I thought I would start with something ridiculously simple. I present to you my sea shell bowl filled with sea shells and rocks! Ta-da!
Quick disclaimer: I’m no expert in any kind of craft in particular, I just enjoy doing them! So hopefully you enjoy delving into this creative realm with me 🙂
With that said, welcome to the first Art & Craft with Mez!
Childhood meets adulthood
One of my main projects this summer was to repaint and re-vamp my childhood bedroom. It originally had oh-so-very-bright two-toned purple walls that may have suit sixth-grade me, but 22-year-old me was beyond over it. So, with the repainting came rearranging and with rearranging came inspiration to decorate the space with bits and bobs that paid homage to my childhood memories while illustrating the type of person that I am now.
My inspiration for this extremely simple home decor craft began with the bowl. I recently moved out of my house in San Diego and came across this shell-shaped glass bowl that one of my roommates left behind. I am hoping that it was okay for me to take because if I remember correctly, anything that was left behind was free for the taking. SO SORRY IF I ISN’T ❤
Throughout my childhood, I collected rocks and sea shells from various camping trips, road trips and even everyday-California trips to the beach. I remember my mom designating a box to collect all these items because I would have random plastic bags full of rocks and shells scattered through out the house. Ever since then, the box remained in the same spot in the backyard and I would open it from time-to-time to place new additions to the box for safekeeping.
It was this summer that I decided to take the box from it’s hallowed place in the backyard and bring it into my newly re-vamped bedroom to finally utilize at least part of this childhood collection. It actually took me some time to coordinate the arrangement to the way it looks in the picture above. It probably goes unnoticed, as I expect it would, but it took me a while to coordinate everything to the angle I felt looked best. (OCD much? Yes, I know D:)
I knew that one day in the future I would be able to display this collection, I just didn’t know when. It was surprisingly fulfilling to create this simple piece 🙂
Making it mean something
Yes, this is just a plain-old bowl full of rocks and shells, but I think is the unique part of this craft is that it means something to me. It’s not just a cute desk accessory, but an ode to my childhood with a flair of my young-adulthood. HOWEVER, if you choose to take on this craft, your interpretation definitely does not need to be any kind of deep. Feel free to make it a plain-old bowl holding random, interesting pieces that suit your interests! So please, make it your own!
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this type of blog post because I plan on creating more Art & Craft with Mez‘s in the near future! Now that I have a new space in San Diego to decorate I’m sure there will be more inspiration 🙂 If you decide to re-create this craft, tweet me a picture! I definitely want to see what comes forth from your creative minds! (@mezthepez)
Peace, love and crafts,
Mez ❤
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