November is not my favorite month, I must admit. This is especially true since I moved to a island over a decade ago now where the temperatures are even cooler than the city I previously lived. It seems I hardly turn the page on the calendar, and the rains begin to fall. Working on our art and craft projects helps us to forget about the chilly, wet weather outside, and focus on making it a creative winter.
During summer months, it’s easy to put creative projects on hold. The lawn needs mowing, the garden weeding, and our kids are home from school, and need us to create projects to keep them busy.
And even if you’re an empty nester living in a condo, in the northern hemisphere summer is a time to be out more, whether it’s camping, a beach vacation, or just dining out with friends. Many of us are home less.
Dark And Windy Days Mean Spending More Time Inside
The winds of November came early this year. They rattle the windows, which scares my cat, and as I sit here sipping my tea, somewhere not far away I hear the thud of a tree falling.
But what November is good for is building a cozy fire, cooking more soup, still taking long walks, but bundling up warmly first, and making myself a hot chocolate when I return home in the afternoon.
My garden is through for the year, along with spending hours outside weeding, mowing the lawn, and other outdoor chores. I’m happy to stay cozy inside working on my hobbies on these blustery November days. My chickens are molting now, (they always wait until the weather gets colder), and we’re lucky to find one egg in the nest boxes each day.
Ways to Make it A Cozy Creative Winter
Spending more time indoors reminds us to work on our projects. Maybe you make some of your own holiday decorations. November is a good time to get these completed. It’s also a great time to make a commitment to draw every day.
I believe that having good drawing skills is so helpful in improving whatever other creative hobby you enjoy, whether it’s needlework, sewing and designing patterns, painting or sculpting.
So I try to make it a goal to draw every morning for at least 30 minutes. It was harder to keep going over the summer as I got busy with other projects, but now is a great time to recommit.
Here are some ways to make creating a daily goal you keep:
- Decide what you want to work on every day.
- Set a time, and add it to your planner.
- Create a cozy place to work.
- Give yourself a reward at the end of each week.
- Allow yourself a day off so you don’t start to resist your creative time.
Progress on My Doll Box
Besides all of my other daily projects I’ve scheduled into my creative winter, my husband is helping me to create some room boxes for my MSD sized ball jointed dolls. He worked more on it this weekend.
I asked him to make some little cubbyholes underneath where I can store my polymer clay accessories in these cute and handy storage boxes I found at Michaels.
As you can see, I’ve made a lot of tomato canes tomatoes. I’m getting ready to try making a BJD sized pizza. I also made miniature Japanese cat figurines that are copies of ones my aunt gave me when I was a girl. When my doll house is finished, I’ll set them on a bookshelf or night stand.
The other items in my box are the polymer clay onions I attempted making. And lastly, and a miniature camera I’m still working on. Yes, hamburgers, or veggie burgers, and pizzas are next on my doll to-do list!
A Sneak Peek at the First Floor
The windows were constructed a while ago using my husband’s scroll saw. I’ve now officially used the saw more than he has! My grandmother had a scroll saw for her craft projects, so I figured if my grandmother could learn to use an electric saw, so could I. The windows are patterned on the windows in my previous house in the Craftsman style, and also the garden window I had in my former kitchen.
This floor will just be 2 rooms, the kitchen, and the dining room. My son helped me to add the electrical, now I’m ready to complete the rest of the furniture.
With the long weekend ahead, I’m planning to get things finished up so we can move it up to my sewing room, and add some holiday decorations. I prefer to be spending time with my family and working on my crafts on Black Friday rather than out shopping.
Plan a Creative Winter to Reduce Stress
As the days get shorter, it’s the best time to have plenty of projects waiting for your attention. November is a great month to start learning something new!
So if you haven’t tried working with polymer clay, pick a simple project and make something for yourself, or your dolls.