The Idea Jar

I have a lot of ideas. Probably too many ideas. Some get written down immediately, some live in my head for months, and some disappear before I ever get around to doing anything with them.

And that is exactly how The Idea Jar came to be.

The Idea Jar is quite literally a jar filled with things I want to make.

Nothing all that revolutionary here.

Whenever an idea pops into my head that sounds fun, interesting, challenging, or just a little ridiculous, I write it on a scrap of paper, fold it up, and put it in the jar.

Then, when I want to make something but don't know what to make, I draw one. And whatever comes out is what I'm making. At least, that's the idea.

Why I Started It

I realized I was being bombarded with ideas and inspiration quicker than I could bring them to fruition. So all these ideas just got to chill in my head, hoping for a chance to be brought to life. The problem with this is, I found myself losing all access to these awesome ideas as soon as I finally found the time, inspiration, and motivation to make something new. 

Mom brain is no joke. 

My solution to this was The Idea Jar. A simple solution I'll admit, but I have found it quite effective. Now all my ideas and inspiration have a home, other than my brain, to stay cozy in until I'm ready to give them life. Not only is it a fun activity to keep my creativity flowing, but it also gets rid of the habit of mood-creating (which is a whole other issue I may speak on later)

The First Draw

For the very first Jar project, I pulled an idea I'd been wanting to try: an upcycled toddler dress made from a button-down flannel shirt.

In my head? Adorable.

In reality?

It didn't fit.

Not even one episode into this little experiment and The Idea Jar had already handed me a failure.

Which, looking back, feels rather appropriate. Because part of learning to create freely is learning that making something unsuccessful doesn't mean the time spent making it was wasted.

Sometimes an idea simply doesn't work, or your measurements are wrong, or the fabric behaves differently than you expected, or in my case.. all three.

But, you still learned something and go on to make something else.

So that is exactly what I did.

The Second Make

After the dress failed, I needed a win.

I abandoned The Idea Jar temporarily and reached for a project I knew I could make: a little floral matching set for my girls.

No grand experiment. No trying to rescue the failed dress. I just wanted to sit back down at my machine and make something beautiful. And it turned out even better than I expected.

Funny enough, I think the failed dress and the floral set belong together. One reminded me that I don't have to be afraid of making something bad. The other reminded me why I love making things in the first place.

That's Kind of the Point

I don't want The Idea Jar to become another challenge I have to complete.

There aren't really rules.

I'm not promising that every idea drawn from it will work. I'm definitely not promising I'll never abandon one halfway through. Some projects might become things I make over and over again. Others may end their very short lives in the scrap bin.

That's okay.

The point isn't really the finished object.

The point is to keep creating.

To follow an idea simply because I'm curious about where it might go. To make things before I've figured out whether they're useful. To be willing to be bad at something long enough to become better at it.

To occasionally sacrifice a perfectly good piece of fabric in the name of I wonder what would happen if...

And to remember that creativity doesn't always need to earn its keep. Sometimes making something can simply be joyful.

Come Watch Me Make It

I filmed the first draw from The Idea Jar as part of my sewing diary on YouTube.

You can watch me pull the very first idea, attempt the upcycled flannel dress, realize it absolutely did not work, and promptly make a floral matching set to recover from the disappointment.

It isn't a polished tutorial. It's more like coming along with me while I figure things out- which is exactly what I want these sewing diaries to be.

WATCH: THE FIRST EPISODE OF THE IDEA JAR