Paint It What I Tell You

I’ve have been known to get a little *too* into crafting (and constructing train tracks, but that’s a different story).

By “too into crafting” I mean that it usually goes like this:

My son asks me to help him with something like making a gas station out of a big cardboard box. Wonderful!

I say “OF COURSE!” and immediately get an idea for what I want to do.

I ignore him while I go round up craft supplies.

I give him a snack to get out of my way while I create templates and brainstorm.

I give him more snacks/start a show on the tv/repeatedly tell him to leave me alone so that my ideas can be fully realized in their cardboard greatness.

Then halfway through, I feel bad and realize this is about HIM, ask him to help me, and he dutifully does.

…Then he gets bored five minutes later and I finish the project. In the end, we complement each other.

A few weeks ago I came home with a few huge boxes and he wanted a house. So we made one together, with him dictating the elements and me making most of them (a rug, working shades, flowers, a mailbox…). He fetched and handed me supplies. This boy has really mastered the art of safely handling heavy duty scissors, an essential skill in our house. This is what we made:

Oh, you thought I was just going to display some photograph? No. Not how we do it around here. You can click on the image for the full-sized version, which should be to scale.

Here is another box craft we made was when he was barely two years old. He wanted a car he could drive, and who am I to say “no.” He got his car, which we called “The Beck Mobile.” I was just getting started with the box crafting here, so things are a little out of proportion. But the steering wheel did work, even if he tried to eat it the second day.

Around the same time he became obsessed with my computer, which as any work-at-home parent knows, is a personal hell. So I made him one. It stood up pretty well. Notice the interactive velcro “icons,” which are pictures of our cat, our wedding, and foods he likes.

I can go on…but I won’t. (But I would if I had pictures of the gas station we made because WOW was it that good.)

My husband isn’t exempt from this craftiness gene. Here I give you “box firetruck.” This was made approximately three months ago, and is still going strong. We even adapted the top to fit a Playmobil flashing police car light, ’cause you know, we aim for realism.

If you’re interested in other box crafts, see 15 of them here (via Apartment Therapy).

Enjoy your weekend!

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