Ack, we’re painting the hall bathroom and can’t wait to finish, take photos, and share them with you. While that project is still underway, I thought this little example of a craft that didn’t go as planned might give you a smile. People often ask “what happens if you try something and it doesn’t work?” and my answer is always the same: we blog about it. We love sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly — including failed crafts. So here we go…
In Richmond it’s been raining acorns. They’re everywhere.
Inspired by all the crafty acorn ideas on sites like Martha Stewart and Pinterest, I decided to try a simple acorn project. I gathered acorns with the help of my trusty assistants, Clara and Burger, who mostly opposed my efforts by throwing, kicking, or chasing acorns away. I ended up with a few dozen in a bag.
I froze the acorns overnight because I’d heard horror stories about insects or other critters emerging from stored nuts. A night in the freezer is supposed to take care of that, so I played it safe.
The next day I let the acorns thaw and poured some leftover acrylic craft paint into a small bowl. I removed the little caps from the acorns and dipped their ends into yellow paint.
At first I had a problem: the painted acorn caps kept rolling and smearing. Then I spotted the pretzels in a glass jar on the counter and had an idea. I used pretzels as makeshift stands to hold the caps upright while they dried. Oddly enough, it actually worked.
Once a batch of acorn caps had dried in their pretzel holders, I turned to some inexpensive faux flowers I’d picked up at Michael’s on sale. They weren’t perfect at first, but a little trimming and a simple vase made them look much better.
With the trimmed flowers in place, I added the painted acorns to a glass container, and swapped a couple of blue and gray books on the console for leaf-colored yellow and red ones. I also dug out some old vase filler from my fall storage — tiny faux apples — and shuffled them into a clear cylinder vase leftover from our wedding to add a touch of seasonal color.
I felt pretty pleased with the arrangement. It was understated, autumnal, and not overdone.
Then, about a day later, I noticed something unpleasant: mold. I popped the glass top and saw fuzzy growth on the painted acorns. Gross. Apparently my pretty yellow-tipped acorns had become moldy.
I’m not proud of this outcome, but I own it: I somehow managed to make beautiful-looking, moldy acorns. Clearly, something about storing painted natural materials in a closed container created a damp environment that encouraged mold growth. Mold is not the latest décor trend, so those acorns had to go.
In hindsight, I know what went wrong: delicate natural items need more careful handling and ventilation than I gave them. I’m comfortable with glue guns, paint, and power tools, but nature-y craft details like acorns are trickier than they look. They require a level of attention I apparently don’t have yet.
I tossed the moldy acorns and replaced them with old printed letters for a simple, rustic fall touch. We’ve collected a bunch of these letters over time — wedding favors, initials, and even “YHL” — and they made a quick, mold-free swap.
So aside from a few inexpensive fall tweaks — leaf-colored books, trimmed faux blooms from Michael’s, and some tiny faux apples — the lesson was clear: acorns are high-maintenance. I’ll leave intricate acorn projects to the seasoned crafters on Pinterest and Martha, the folks who can turn them into wreaths and decorative orbs without breaking a sweat. I’ll stick to trimming faux flowers and arranging them in a bright little vase. That said, I’ll probably try my luck with acorns again next year. It’ll become an annual experiment that amuses no one but me.
Has anyone else had success with acorn crafts or created any especially cute, not-at-all moldy fall projects? I’d love to hear your tips — I promise to pout only a little if you’ve mastered them.