You know you can’t stand me. I’m that mom—the one who’s always pinning ideas and actually following through, decking my front door with medical gauze and googly eyes for Halloween. I burn through glue sticks like they’re candy.
When Christmas rolls around, I spend countless hours crafting stunning wreaths out of duct tape, pool noodles, and inexpensive ornaments. It may sound silly, but they turned out to be works of art. I’ve decoupaged quotes from Moby-Dick and T.S. Eliot onto seashells, which now adorn my bathroom (there’s nothing quite like being reminded of “Call me Ishmael” while you’re, you know, handling business). I’ve crocheted massive afghans, scarves, and hats of every imaginable size and color, including one adorned with turkey legs for Baby’s First Thanksgiving. The women at the craft store not only recognize my name but probably know my pin number too.
Then, my kids grew up and started demanding sensory play and art projects, and that’s when the real fun began. I tried multiple homemade play dough recipes, the kind that require me to knead and cook, only to later yell, “Do NOT touch that! It will burn you! Wait, wait, wait for Mommy!” And guess what? It all grows mold when stored—every single batch. So unless I want to whip up fresh play dough every time my kids ask for it (which is a lot), I’m stuck buying those yellow cans—my first Pinterest fail.
And let’s not forget about the goo. Oh, the goo. So many recipes are out there! You can use clear glue or regular glue—which is cheaper but lacks the beautiful jewel tones of the clear stuff, if you’re into that. Then, sprinkle in some glitter. Yes, glitter may be the herpes of the craft world, but it’s also the essence of glam rock and all things magical, so we glitterize our goo. I once set up a “play invitation” for my 4-year-old that featured silver-sparkled white goo with Star Wars toys. He was entertained for hours.
I’ve constructed sensory bins, too. My youngest loves his bin filled with kosher salt and tiny plastic sea creatures. Over the years, there have been bins for tracing letters, bins for numbers, and even a winter baby pool filled with dyed blue and purple rice (courtesy of Pinterest, which still haunts me as it resurfaces from under my furniture).
Then we started homeschooling, and Pinterest quickly became my lifeline. I needed it for interest-based lesson plans, crafts to accompany those lessons, and let’s be honest, just plain old crafts. My second grader needs cutesy worksheets to fill in facts about Paul Revere, and I need something fun and engaging for nearly every topic. My kids adore it, and Pinterest is way more enjoyable than just Googling everything.
Oh, Pinterest, you are my creative muse. Without you, my life would be chaos. You provided the idea for the Mayflower project we made from a milk carton, construction paper, and a straw. When we tackled the Epic of Gilgamesh for mythology, it was you who inspired the kids to create their own cuneiform tablets, and I just happened to have a stash of clay sitting around thanks to my other obsession—hoarding craft supplies. They even made Sumerian beads with the leftovers!
And when it came to tall tales, Pinterest had a craft for every American myth. We even made Babe the Blue Ox using a printout, paints, and a toilet paper roll. But for Davy Crockett? Pinterest didn’t disappoint. It showed me how to create a full costume, and with some felt and faux fur, my kids and I whipped up fantastic Davy Crockett outfits, complete with coonskin caps, all while belting out the Davy Crockett theme song.
I even crafted a stellar hedgehog costume out of an old sweatshirt, felt, and hot glue for my youngest, who isn’t yet school-aged. Just look at those ears! Thank you, Pinterest.
So, Pinterest, my love, my addiction, my creative partner in crime. Hate me if you must, but I need you. I love to create. We all have our vices, and even if those Christmas tree ornaments melt off those wreaths in the Southern heat, they looked fabulous, and I can just glue them back on. Meanwhile, I’ll be diving into a new tab for a worksheet on the French and Indian War—and, spoiler alert, there will definitely be a craft involved.
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In summary, I may be the Pinterest mom you love to hate, but I embrace every messy moment of creativity and learning with my kids, using every tool at my disposal.