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How to Make a Mess: Tips & Tricks from an Expert!

How to Make a Mess: Tips & Tricks from an Expert Mess-Maker!  via thinkingcloset.com

I’m sorry, but today, you will not be getting pretty blog photos.  In fact, all of the clutter and trash and mayhem I work so hard to crop out of my photos are the subject of my photos today.  And none of them are Pinterest-worthy.

{Gasp!}  Why?

Well, one of my ongoing goals here at The Thinking Closet is to keep it real with you all, and that means sharing behind the scenes glimpses at what really goes on when I dive into a craft project.  In fact, I actually have to work pretty hard to make a photo pin-able by Pinterest standards.  So, rather than fight my messy tendencies, I’m starting to embrace them.  I mean, even my blogline suggests my love of a good mess:

a space for letting your creativity splish, splash, and spill.

Now, just spend five minutes on Pinterest and you’ll see that it is over-saturated with tutorials on how to tidy up messes and stick to a cleaning schedule and blah blah blah.  But I’m seeing a painful lack of tutorials out there on how to make messes in the first place.  And good messes are essential to any worthwhile crafting endeavor…or so I’ve come to believe!

So, today, I’m going to seize this opportunity to provide you with seven tips and tricks for making a mess.  A really good mess.  (Just in case there are any of you out there who don’t quite know the how-to.)  Because this, dear reader, is something I can speak to.

How to Make a Mess:

Tips & Tricks from an Expert Mess-Maker

Disclaimer: Now, I can assure you, none of these photos were staged.  This is a typical mess I make with my crafty and d.i.y. projects.  And here’s how you can make one, too.

TIP #1: Start a craft mess in the midst of another mess.

To really get your mess off on the right foot, set up your crafting station in the midst of another mess, say a few baskets of unfolded laundry.  And right off the bat, you’ll find yourself knee-deep in a good mess.

How to Make a Mess: Tips & Tricks from an Expert Mess-Maker!  via thinkingcloset.com

TIP #2: Cords, cords, everywhere!

The more cords you can have intersecting one another, the better.  They provide trip-potential, which of course, leads to a bigger mess!

How to Make a Mess: Tips & Tricks from an Expert Mess-Maker!  via thinkingcloset.com

TIP #3: Provide only the narrowest of pathways.

Who doesn’t love an obstacle course?  Let your mess impinge upon frequently-treaded pathways, say from the front door to the back door, that way passersby have the added enjoyment of “threading the needle.”  And you can up the excitement by having a piping hot iron precarious perched on an unstable ironing board on one side of the pathway.  Which leads me to my next tip….

How to Make a Mess: Tips & Tricks from an Expert Mess-Maker!  via thinkingcloset.com

TIP #4: The best messes involve potential trips to the E.R.

What’s life without a little adventure?  A little risk?  A little rush of adrenaline?  So, when your pins overflow their bounds and spill onto the floor, leave them be, knowing that you’re on your way to a grade A mess with potential injury.  After all, trips to the E.R. make for a memorable story!

How to Make a Mess: Tips & Tricks from an Expert Mess-Maker!  via thinkingcloset.com

TIP #5: No trash cans allowed!

Keep all trash cans far away from your crafting station; instead, let your thread scraps and paper bits simply litter your workspace.  Don’t even think of them as litter – – more like a “crafter’s confetti!”  Go on.  Grab a handful and throw it in the air!  You deserve a celebration for this great mess.

How to Make a Mess: Tips & Tricks from an Expert Mess-Maker!  via thinkingcloset.com

TIP #6: Leave it where it lies!

The less you can put away while you work, the bigger the mess!  Did you just finish cutting your fabric?  Great.  Leave the remnants where they lie for a few days, so they collect dust and provide more trip-potential.

How to Make a Mess: Tips & Tricks from an Expert Mess-Maker!  via thinkingcloset.com

TIP #7: Bonus points for incorporating dirty dishes into your mess!

After eating breakfast at your crafting station, just leave your empty bowl to sit among the mess.  You might be lucky enough to get some rogue oats on your crafty creation for added “texture”!

How to Make a Mess: Tips & Tricks from an Expert Mess-Maker!  via thinkingcloset.com

To Sum

This kind of messiness can be learned, so if you don’t possess the abilities I do {wink}, just review these tips and tricks next time you tackle a craft project, and I think you’ll be well on your way to becoming a Master Mess-Maker, too!

Pssst!  Hey, do you think if you pinned a photo from this post, Pinterest would explode?  If you’re feeling rebellious, I dare you to try it!

Curious what the fruits of this mess were?

Believe it or not, all this mess actually led to the creation of some rather nifty nautical pillows for our oh-so-soon-to-be-revealed-I-can-hardly-stand-it Master Bedroom Makeover.  And you catch one of those pillow tutorials right here, right now: my DIY Nautical Anchor Pillow.

DIY Nautical Anchor Pillow Tutorial via thinkingcloset.com
DIY Nautical Anchor Pillow

Are you a Master Mess-Maker, too?

I Made a Mess!Some of you may recognize this post because it originally appeared over at The Experimental Home as a part of Laura’s Monday Mess Movement.  I love Laura for many reasons, but one of those reasons is the fact that she has taken it upon herself to make blogland a little less staged, one mess at a time; hence, the incredible Monday Mess Movement she started.  You can even sign up to join her and share a mess of your own HERE.

And when you start to feel down on yourself for the messes that you make, just remember one of my favorite quotes:

Creativity is messy, and I’m very creative.

Now, go forth and let that creativity splish, splash, and spill.

Silhouette Announcements!

Giveaway Winner!

Silhouette PromoBefore I sign off, a huge thanks to everyone who entered my Silhouette Portrait Giveaway over the weekend.  It was such a fantastic turnout!  Well, the Rafflecopter widget has spoken: a hearty congratulations to Linda H., the giveaway winner!  Woot woot!  {I’ve contacted you by email for your contact info, so just be sure to reply within 48 hours or I will have to choose another winner.}

And just a reminder, this sweeeet Silhouette promotion on machines, and travelin’ tweed totes, and NEW products like adhesive washi sheets (yes, washi sheets) are still all on major sale through February 1st.  Just click HERE to read my post on it in which I bring my Cameo with me to Disney Boardwalk.  Then go HERE to shop.  And if you use my affiliate code CLOSET at checkout, well, then, we both win.

And speaking of winning…there’s still time yet in my Personalized Wood Sign Giveaway!  So, if it’s not yet 11:59p eastern Wednesday, January 29th, enter HERE.

Over and out.

{Linking up HERE.}

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74 Comments

  1. Obviously I’m a little behind and just catching up on my reading. I was so glad to see this post and had to laugh out loud at just the title before I even made it to the post. Thank you for keeping it real, Lauren! It reminds me of the beautiful pictures of my home on the MLS site when we listed it to sell. A few close friends who I allow into my “real” home saw it online and said “your house looks amazing! I’ve never seen it so clean!” Not sure whether that is a compliment or something else, but it is what it is. Just glad it sold the first day so I didn’t have to keep up the facade!

    I also had to laugh at your straight pins and caution about the ER. I actually had to go to the ER a few years ago after a hand quilting needle went into my leg about 1/2″ deep then broke off. I acquired said needle while crawling around the floor of the sewing room in search of supplies. The doctor tried to dig it out but had to use an X-ray to find the needle to remove it. Every time I ask to use a power tool, my husband reminds me I’m the only person he knows who needs an ER visit from a sewing injury and then he quietly hides the power tools.

    This post might be one of my all-time favorites of yours!

  2. I love your blog and this messy post.. I see you are on face book would love you to join us at out group named.. “the Messy Desk” you fit in perfectly…. we love messes…

    1. Ha ha. I love that there is a FB group for mess makers! Thanks for the kind words and for the invite, DeeDee!

  3. Just saw this post and had to read it to my husband. He does say my middle name is “Messy” especially outside. When we work outside together he can stay reasonable clean me not so much. Dirt, leaves, cement, paint whatever we are working on is on me (I know this is a different kind of messy but still messy). I now have special clothes for when we go outside. Working inside on my quilting or cooking anything is fair game in clothing and the other big mess. Maybe we should have a “Messy Convention”

    1. Ha ha. It made me chuckle to picture you reading this aloud to your hubby, Angela (I’ve totally done that before with blog posts that really resonated). Also, I love that your messiness follows you outside…it makes me think you have a true child-like spirit, which I deeply admire in a person. And YES! I’m all over this “Messy Convention” idea! I can see the beautiful messes now…. 😉

  4. Oh Lauren, you make me feel SO much better! But your mess is no comparison to my mess and with 3 cats thinking it is their playroom too! They just love those little dangling threads and small pieces of fabric that sit on top of what I’m working on only to become a mish mash of what I had just grouped together to start sewing. You know what I mean!
    So I just keep my spray water bottle near and pretend I am spraying my fabric when really I am warning the cats to stay away. But in the end, the results are always, well . . . most of the time, rewarding.

  5. Lauren, this is hilarious!!! I am all about keeping it real, and sharing it! That is how I keep myself accountable! I am so joining the mess movement. Sharing on my FB page, mess makers everywhere will feel justified!

    1. Karen, you’re the sweetest ever. Thanks so much for sharing this on your Facebook page! I’m so touched. And harrah for joining in the Mess Movement! Let us be ashamed of our mess-making no more!

  6. I love this! As much as I really do love my house to be clean, it just isn’t. Especially if I’m busy trying to be creative. You’ve inspired me to show my messy side a little more often. 🙂

    1. Yeah, creativity and tidiness are loathed enemies; I’m sure of it. 😉 I’m glad to hear you might more fully embrace that messy side of yours, Lara, especially considering it’s just part of being a creative person!

  7. I loved this when I saw it on the Monday Mess Movement and you made me laugh all over again at exactly the same thing! It’s all just so relatable, I can swivel round on the computer chair right now and survey our mess (rather my mess in our house). On the table we have a jumper I inadvertently felted (great for a craft project, bonus), 2013 calender (those pictures are lovely, I must be able to do something with them) 4 pencils, 2 books, today’s post (opened and left), a box of scrabble tiles, yesterdays newspaper, a tape measure, headphones (??), my husbands laptop (ooo not guilty) and a jug of water (??). I guess we are eating off trays this evening.

    1. Ha ha. Sounds like a beautiful mess to me, Julie! Signs of life, creativity, and innovation, right? And what else are TV trays for? Lol. Thanks for your solidarity in the Mess Movement, and happy mess-making to you!

    1. Fo’ sho’! I’ve been so touched by the overwhelming response to this post, I’ll definitely be photographing my messes even more now!

  8. GAH! I am totally guilty of all of these! While all of my girlfriends are complaining because their husbands can’t seem to put anything away, my neatnik husband is giving me the hairy eyeball because I have once again left a trail of creativity behind me! I always just tell him it’s my genius at work. 😀 Hahahaha. LOVED this post! Thanks for sharing, friend!

    ~Abby =)

    1. Ha ha! That’s so funny because I’m definitely the messier one of the two of us, as well. He puts up with a lot (though I know that hairy eyeball, too)! Glad I’m not the only one living in some sort of craft explosion!

  9. LOVE you! I am also an extremely creative (i.e. messy) person. I still have supplies for a new Christmas/winter wreath sitting on the floor of my office. Whoops. Guess that moment has passed! To my left is a big ole bottle of Mod Podge and a pile of Silhouette tools. To my right is a tape measure, a ruler, pencils, and a pile of notes and scrapbook paper. Oh, and my Christmas decor is sprawled all over one of our spare bedrooms. It’ll make it into the closet eventually 🙂

    1. I love that I can totally picture you in your “creative” surroundings! And it sounds akin to the environment I’m living in most of the time. Oh, and don’t feel too badly about the Christmas decorations and supplies, Emily. One year we left our tree up until Valentine’s Day…so we just turned it into a Valentine’s tree! Might as well embrace it, right?

  10. HAHAHAHA!
    Seriously … I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes!! This was awesome!
    And I can proudly say, I’m already following all your tips. Is there an award?!

    Love, Midsommarflicka

    1. Make Midsommarflicka laugh to tears: check!

      Yep. I can sleep easy tonight, knowing my work is done here. 😉

      Oh, and you go girl for already following these tips and tricks! Your award will be coming in the form of a string of virtual hugs all one after the other. Ready? Brace yourself. They’re coming…right….NOW!

  11. LOL Oh this is right up my alley. The craft room door stayed close during the baby shower but I heard a few bloggers decided to open it… I’m sure they were pleasantly surprised at how messy it is… you can barely walk through it! Love the pillow–totally worth the mess 🙂

    1. Ha ha. Those were some brave bloggers! Yeah, when we had company in town, I warned them not to open any closets. There’s no promising anyone will come out alive after those avalanches occur.

      Oh, and thanks for the compliments on the pillow! Now you see why I was so digging your nautical whale shower theme….

  12. HaHaHa!!!! I am amazed how quickly a tidy house turns into a messy one. It is like that is the way it wants to be!! Throwing my yarn ends in the air! Wooly confetti !

    1. Totally, Sharon! It’s that law of thermodynamics, isn’t it? (One of the few things I remember from science class.) Ha ha. And the thought of you and your wooly confetti makes me giggle with glee!

  13. Hey! I am a master mess maker too!! I always start a project on top of another mess! That is my go to. 😉 This was such a cute post, Lauren! Thanks for keeping it real!

    1. Sure thing, Tori! Really looking forward to your “keeping it real” post that you hinted at. Blogland definitely needs more snapshots at what REALLY happens behind the scenes of our blog photo shoots…scary though it may be! Lol.

  14. LOL! Glad I’m not the only one… I don’t have the pin problem though because I worry about the little guy eating the pins. I do have the problem of my doggies stealing fabric, so it ends up in random rooms of the house.

    1. Ha ha. I love picturing your doggies as fabric bandits! Those rascals! Do they have a crafting streak, too, or is it more all in an effort to thwart your crafting endeavors?

  15. Great post! I’m going to pin it, too!
    I recognize all of these tips as things I’ve done over the years!
    So, I wonder where you learned them? haha
    Congratulations to Linda H.!

      1. I am honored to be a messie with you! Remember the little pillow in our family room?
        Bless this Mess!!

        Also, I firmly believe CREATIVITY Creates MESS…or MESS is a sign of CREATIVITY!! 🙂

        1. Yes! I do remember that pillow well. Thank you for instilling in me an appreciation for messes…and the fact that they mean a creative activity is underway!

  16. I LOVE you Lauren!!!! You always keep it real. Just thinking about your blog where you were crafting by (or ON) the water! Bahaha

    1. Glad to give you all a chuckle, Teri! Seriously…nothing gives me more joy, whether it be on the stage or on my blog. Must. Make. The People. Laugh!

  17. I LOVE this post! I have spent most of he day cleaning up various messes that I have drug out overt he last few days being snowed in. I had enough crafter’s confetti for new year’s and 4th of July combined 🙂

    1. Oh my gosh, Alison. I can totally picture your crafter’s confetti galore! (And I can’t help but smile.) Sounds like everyday is a holiday in your neck of the woods! Welcome to the club. 😉

  18. LOL sure am glad I am not the only professional Mess maker , Loved it!!! And Thank You again for the win on the Portrait!!! The young lady I gifted it to was thrilled beyond belief, I think she will really believe it when it shows up on her doorstep. Cant wait to see what she creates with it.

    1. Of course, Linda! I am so excited for the young lady you are gifting it to. Her crafting world is about to be rocked, that’s for sure! I know she’ll work wonders with it.

  19. This is awesome! My favorite is “build a mess on a mess”….how great is that? 🙂 I’m going to follow your steps and see how high I can get my tower of trash to teeter today. Thanks for sharing some serious smiles & giggles. 🙂

    1. And the alliteration award of the day goes to….Stefanie! “see how high I can get my Tower of Trash to Teeter Today!” The English major in me swooned to read that sentence…and to picture your magical mountain of mess! Thank YOU for giving me some serious smiles and giggles in return, Stefanie. You’re notorious for that now!

  20. Lauren, oh girl this is soooo me. My husband just wonders how I can function in my mess. I tell him that I’m better with a mess than without. LOL

    1. It’s true! I totally know what you mean about being better with a mess than without. That’s when the “magic” happens! 😉

    1. Oh, I’m so glad to know it came at the right time, Laura! And thanks again for inspiring this post with your amazing Monday Mess series, my favorite series in all of blogland!

    1. Ha ha. Your comment cracked me up, Claire! Way to be a rebel and just go for it. A girl after my own rebel heart! 😉

  21. Haha, I think I should join this series. We’re in the process of moving and I realized I have so many semi-permanent messes set up around the house. Of course, they’re all ongoing projects I have going on. Great post!

    1. You should totally do it, Jennifer! It sounds like the perfect season for such an endeavor for you. You’ll find it’s strangely liberating to document your messes.

  22. I.am.laughing.so.hard!!! I’m not contained in one area – it’s in my ‘craft room’ an upstairs room where I store ‘other necessary items’, in the kitchen, and on the dining room table! The confetti is what REALLY made me start laughing. I have a large pile in the living room where I sat in my chair and ripped out seams. They’re waiting on the side table for their distribution! LOL

    Loved the post, Lauren. If those folks are all that neat, they ain’t craftin’!

    1. Calling it confetti instead of litter or trash just changes your whole perspective, doesn’t it? I think all of life should be one big party…so why can’t messes get in on that action, right? Ha ha. So glad to give you a chuckle. And you’re right, “If those folks are neat, they ain’t craftin’!” I think I need that on a tote bag or sumthin’! 😉

  23. Thanks for the laugh and the reality check!

    I always have pins everywhere in the sewing room. The kids know not to come in barefoot…they hover in the door to talk to me when I’m in there!

    1. Ha ha. That’s too funny that the kids know to not walk in your sewing room barefoot. You’ve trained them well! (Or they’ve learned the hard way. Ouch!)

  24. Lauren, you’re the best. If anyone in the crazy Pinterest/blog world can keep it real, it’s you. The process is important too!

    1. Courtney it makes me sooooo happy to see you here, friend! Seriously, I MISS you hard. Hope you and Grady are well (and not freezing your tails off up in Chicagoland). And thanks for the words of affirmation, friend. You’re right. The journey is the destination…easy though it is to forget that sometimes. Sending a major hug your way.

    1. Ha ha. Now I wish I had titled my post, “The 7-Step Program to Mess-Success!” Brilliant, Brynne.

      And thanks for all the love you showed this post in social media land. You’re a dear-and-a-half. Hug!

  25. HAHA this post brought a HUGE smile to my face! I think I have mastered tip 1 pretty well, or at least my husband would say so 😉 It’s always nice to see that I’m not the only one whose crafting makes the living room like 100 five-year-olds were left unsupervised for a day!! The thing I dread most about crafting is the cleaning at the ennnnddddd 🙁

    1. Oh no. The 100 five-year-olds definitely descend upon this household on a regular basis…you are SO not alone, friend! And it’s true – – the cleaning up is the worst. I avoid it pretty much at all costs, and it’s only when we have house guests that I actually attempt to put things away. (It’s a problem.) Our poor hubbies!

  26. I just love how you keep it real!

    I am also a messy crafter. I always felt bad about the messes because I always thought everyone else kept their work areas clean and tidy. Now I realise I fit in better than first thought! Wheww!! 😉

    Great post Lauren 🙂

    1. Don’t feel badly, Bev! Messes are part of the artist’s process! At least, that’s what I believe. Hope you get to make a good crafty mess soon, Bev!

  27. Hahaha oh man, I love you. This was such a sweet, silly post! I, too, am a habitual mess-maker, usually mostly in the kitchen, but I’ve been known to throw around a few pins and fabric scraps in my day! ..now, where can I go to pick up my MCBA-badge?! (That’s Messy Crafter Bad-Ass, in case you were wondering).
    To more posts like this!
    xxx

    1. Oh my goodness. Yes, Johanna! We need MCBA badges, don’t we? I’ll have to whip some up…and make a big ole mess in the process! 😉

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