While shopping for supplies at a local craft store, I overheard a conversation in the next aisle. A woman appeared to be buying vinyl for her crafting machine when another customer approached her and said, “Don’t waste your time with vinyl! It was the biggest mistake I ever made. Now I use sublimation.” The woman explained that the machine had been a long-awaited gift. I then heard the other customer continue to discourage her before pushing a business card into her hand.

Before you break out the supplies, take a deep breath and keep these sanity-saving tips in mind to keep the focus on fun and the moments that matter:

Growing up with seven siblings, my parents saved everything—every school essay, every finger-painted masterpiece, and every scribbled drawing. But as the years went by, moves to new houses happened, a basement flooded, and many of those precious pieces of our childhood were lost forever. It’s a heartbreak so many families can relate to. Papers fade, macaroni art crumbles, and storage bins fill up fast.

The sun is shining, school is out, and the summer holidays are finally here! While summer is full of bright days and family adventures, it also brings the perfect opportunity to slow down, get creative, and capture those special moments together.

Mother’s Day is the Super Bowl of the crafting world. It’s that one day a year where we pretend that a hand-painted terra cotta pot is a fair trade for eighteen years of room and board. If you’re looking to create something that doesn't look like it was salvaged from a kindergarten cubby, you’ve come to the right place.