A Handmade Home

Crafting and my perpetual inner struggle. BY INA AMOR MEJIA

SOME WEEKS AGO I was tasked to create this hammock chair for Craft, the DIY section of those lovely magazines Northern  and Southern Living by Hinge. Though the prospect was daunting at first (I'm making a hammock what), this project turned out to be one of easiest and most rewarding yet. It is at this point that crafting moves beyond just a hobby and into the realm of, "Wait a sec, I'm going to DIY my entire house."

By that I mean having a house with good bones, getting all the major furniture in, and making the rest of it by hand. That is my ideal. But the reality is this: I've been trying to DIY my entire house, starting with the kids' room, and it is taking longer than expected. Some major things have either been completely or partially handmade, but I still have pillows, art, desk accessories, organization, and a rug to make. Yes, a rug. Let me tell you about the rest of the house. Or maybe not. The list is endless.

Now here's the struggle. I married a practical man, a realist. When a crafting binge overcomes me, leaving me restless and with unwashed hair, he will tell me, "Why not just buy it?" BOOM. When you're in the middle of distressing forty out of fifty clay pots it's too late. And the question feels like a betrayal of my inner maker. 

To be fair, I've had some pretty epic DIY fails (like this one) when that question makes sense. Indeed, why not just buy it or pay someone professional to do it? But even when I've labored over something I'm really proud of I might still just hear, "That's nice." Which is a nice way of saying "What the hell is that?" 

Oh, but I love you my practical, realist, anti-DIYer. Without you and your questions I would be hopelessly overcome, overwhelmed, and with unwashed hair. 

Here's a question for readers: If you could DIY most of what's in your house, would you? And why?

*The tutorial for the hammock chair appears in the May issue of Southern Living Magazine.