Hey fellow crafters,
This might turn out to be a controversial article. Guys from the manosphere won't like this. At all. There will be backlash. They will scream, shout, invalidate my opinion. Tell me to go back to my own crafting, preferably in the kitchen (but I'll stick to the garage for now). I'm sorry if you get stuck in the middle of their toddler tantrum. But hear me out.
Here it is.
Building, construction work, home improvement, all that "manly" stuff... is nothing but crafting on a larger scale.
I know, I know. Men will scream and shout and tell you that crafting is a woman's hobby, but construction is a real man's job. And yet, they basically are the same thing. Here's how I discovered this.
Last weekend, we decided to bite the bullet and insulate our garage before winter comes. Insulating a garage is something that does not require a permit, so we could do it ourselves (always check beforehand).
I'm lucky -- one of the perks of relocating 3,000 miles away -- that my parents made the 2.5 hour drive to help me out, so I wasn't completely alone without a clue as to what to do. Full disclosure: my father built houses for a living as some point in his career, so I was in good hands, following his lead.
Fiberglass Insulation. Source: Lowes
Don't you think that fiberglass insulation looks just like wool fleece before spinning?
Wool fleece. Photo credit: Vermont Sheep & Wool
After gathering all the materials from the craft -- huh, I mean hardware -- store, we got to work. It was a gorgeous, bright, sunny day.
First, we stapled the fiberglass insulation panels between studs.
We worked in rows, just like we do when knitting a blanket, or a garment that needs to be pieced together. One full sheet of insulation, then a horizontal cut to fill the empty space that was left. Cutting holes in the insulation to accommodate an electric socket, or a lighting switch, or the electric charger plug, just like we do when shaping armholes or necklines or inserting pockets. It was pretty straightforward, and it reminded me of sewing projects I used to craft as a young adult. Tote bags, blankets, garments...
The test project bag I sewed two years ago. Still using it today. Looks at this perfect pocket seam 😍.
Sometimes I'd see a piece of faced insulation paper that was crumpled, and the crafter in me couldn't help but think that this *should be ironed out, just like you should do in your sewing with fabric. Unfortunately, I don't think construction crews invented an iron for the kraft paper of faced insulation, and honestly, it's probably not important, but the sewist in me couldn't help but think it would've done a better stapling job if the edge I needed to staple to the studs hadn't been crumpled.
On the other hand, "ironing" these would've exponentially increased the installation time, and I guess builders want to go go go, and move on. This might be a lesson to learn for us crafters. Maybe sometimes good enough is good enough, and ironing every piece of fabric may only serve to needlessly stretch the time required to finish our project. There's a time and place to be nitpicky.
Once the insulation was in and secured, it was time to install the plastic sheet. 6 mil plastic sheet that needed to be sealed around the surface area, then stapled in place every foot or so. It really felt like a giant-sized crafting project. I used my construction-sized stapler and compressor and went to work. Tack. Tack. Tack. The right tools really do make the work easier. Here's another crafting parallel. Get the right tools for the job.
The next day, we went on to install wooden strips on which the drywall would rest. From the Youtube videos I watched, this might've been an optional step, but I learned of its true value when we started to work on installing the drywall. I guess that's the perk of working with a professional: they tell you which tricks are worth it, and which ones aren't. Yet another parallel can be drawn here with crafting. Yes, you can learn a lot from YouTube, but sometimes it's a good idea to directly learn from the pros. So go ahead, take that course you've been thinking about.
Then, it was drywall time!
We screwed the drywall into the strips (ah, there was their utility!), while my experienced father measured and cut the pieces that needed to be trimmed. Does this sound like sewing project bags to you? Because it felt very similar to me. You measure twice, you cut, you attach. Boom. Boom. Boom.
My husband and I were in charge of putting the screws in. And just like sewing, I secured the drywall in place the way you would sew a button on. Zip. Zip. Zip.
Another day went by.
On the third day, we got going on plastering the drywall joints. I watched a few YouTube videos to kickstart my knowledge.
Segway:
Here's my YouTube skill learning technique: always watch more than one video (3+ if possible), from different people, because they tend to complement each other. Think critically about what you're watching. See what repeats itself, what is different, what is missing or not shown (there lays the hard part!), what would really help your learning curve and apply to your specific situation. Watch "the best" video at least twice, because I guarantee you will learn things the second time around. For example, the second time I watched the same video of this 30-years of experience Southern guy, I noticed the angle he used to hold the spatula and swipe it back and forth, making less of a mess. It helped later down the road.
My experienced dad got set up on plastering the ceiling using scaffolding, while I set out on plastering corner joints. My husband installed the flat joint tape. My daughter plastered the screw holes, and I instructed her to do it just like she would with play doh. She did an amazing job, proving that yeah, building sometimes is just like crafting.
To me, it felt like frosting a cake. You mix your plaster until it becomes a little softer, more malleable, then you spread it on, making sure you're not missing any spot. Once this is done, you use your scraper and you scrape until it looks just right. Sometimes you'll need to repeat the process, especially when the joint isn't perfect.
I've never been good at frosting a cake, and in the same vein I slowly improved at installing joint tape in the corners. It was my first time, so don't judge, but I loved doing it! It was very meditative. Plastering the joints reminded me of installing bias tape on a finished project, or applying a border in crochet, or even like using washi tape in scrapbooking.
By early afternoon, the first coat of joints had been put on.
There won't be a second or third coat of plaster for now, nor paint. This is a garage, not a house; we're not planning to live in there! We only wanted to insulated it to keep our tools and camping gear out of the elements and away from moisture, and lower our heating costs. Maybe I'll finish it next summer, or later.
So all in all, this "serious" building endeavor felt like a big crafting project. Yes, the tools are heavier, and the materials are larger and bulkier, but insulating our garage turned out to be just another crafting project.
I loved doing it!
A part of me wondered if maybe I could find a new career as a plastered (lol). I looked up the requirements, and the potential pay, and while the pay's much better than what most people would earn crafting (a whole other debate I won't get into), I think I'll stick to my marketer's salary (not this shop; my other real, daytime job).
That being said, I see more crafting -- huh, building -- projects in my near future. And how about you? Have you ever done a big crafting project (or building project)? Do you think my parallel makes sense?
Craft on, my friends!
Did you enjoy this article?
💌 Join the newsletter to get more just like it; plus new product alerts, sales, freebies, and more delivered straight to your inbox. We respect your privacy and will never sell your information.