Wanna know how NOT crafty I am?

One time my best friend and I decided to do a “DIY Christmas Gift Exchange” and we thought it would be cute to give each other handmade, thoughtful gifts instead of going out and spending a bunch of money on something random.

She made me some really awesome jewelry that I absolutely loved. I still have the necklace and earrings, and I’ll always remember that she made them for me. They looked like something you could buy at Anthropologie.

She is crafty. She’s like, “my mom is an art teacher” crafty.

Most of my friends are crafty. My other bestie grew up Mormon which comes with artisan hair braiding, silk ribbon bow tying, sewing skills, cake decorating, and flower arranging to name a few.

Oh and my other best bish, (In the words of Mindy Kaling, “Best friend isn’t a person, Danny. It’s a tier.) actually IS AN ART TEACHER. She has a craft room that could qualify for an episode of a show on HGTV if they made one that married Hoarders + Martha Stewart.

Me though? I’m the one who buys lasagna from the local place that will cook it in your Pyrex so that you can tell your family you made it. And they’re better off for it.

I’m the gal who constantly pays hundreds of dollars for home decor that literally makes all of my friends say, “I could have made that for $20.” I’m the queen of a good Pinterest fail, and I honestly don’t actually enjoy making things, cooking, or taking the time nail the craftsmanship that something would need in order for me to be happy with the quality.

Oh yeah… The DIY Christmas gift.

I made her a poncho.

Correction. I TRIED to make her a poncho.

Basically it was a giant piece of gray herringbone patterned wool. I cut it into a gargantuan circle, hemmed the edges (friend #3 helped me with this part.) I cut a hole in the middle of the circle and hand sewed the edges of that. It looked like one of those dexterity toys for toddlers where they practice sewing with a clown-sized needle and thread.

It was hideous.

But I wrapped it up and gave it to her anyway. The thing is, I think I spent more money on that fabric than I would have on a gift at a retail store.

It was all worth it because I don’t think we’ve ever laughed as hard as we did that day when she opened the box. I was already peeing my pants and had tears rolling down my face in sheer embarrassment before she even knew what it was. I think she was honestly so scared to open it, thinking maybe there was something living and breathing inside.

“It’s a poncho!” I remember saying as she continued to pull fabric out of this huge box.

Gosh I wish I had a photo.

So anyway, that’s my introduction I guess here on this blog.

I recently found punch needling, and all 3 best friends are VERY confused. One keeps saying, “This is my favorite thing ever. I never thought I’d see you so obsessed with a craft.”

The fact that I still want to punch needle in all my spare time is a good sign that this one is going to stick. Because lets be honest, my ADHD finds all kinds of random fixations that last for about a week.

Like rollerskating, or playing the ukulele.

Because here’s the thing. Punch needling is the perfect hobby for people with ADHD. It’s highly satisfying to punch through the fabric. The resistance + the sound + the payoff is mmmmm, chef’s kiss!

So here I plan to document my journey as I learn to do more and more complex punch needle projects. I’ve already progressed quite a bit in just a few weeks, and I had to go through a lot of trial and error.

I’ll be sharing about all of that here, my favorite tools, kits, patterns, and inspiration.

If you’re getting into punch needling, or are a seasoned pro, you’re welcome here! I am open to advice and suggestions, however please be kind. I am not claiming to be an expert by any means.

They say it takes 10,000 hours. So I still have at least 9,550 hours until I reach that status.