A couple of weeks ago, Loriel told you that she does not consider herself a DIY Queen. I completely understand being intimidated by DIY but… I LOVE IT!!! It’s what sets my soul on fire. I love spending the day working on a creative project. If too much time goes by without me making something I get REALLY REALLY CRANKY!!! Pinterest is my playground and I love searching for my next project, figuring out a new skill and inventing how I’m going to put my own twist on it. DIY is all about rolling up your sleeves, getting dirty, and creating something with your bare hands.
I write a lot about DIY on my blog, Sew Creative. I also spend a lot of time looking at projects on other sites.
What I’ve come to notice is that it’s pretty rare for someone to show the messy side of DIY.
We all share these beautifully posed pictures against immaculate backdrops… but often they are just that– backdrops. Many of my DIY blogger friends have interchangeable backgrounds to be used for a backdrop –bristol board, tiles glued to chipboard, vinyl stuck to cardboard. We are showing you the beautiful, aspirational side of DIY, and I think that sometimes that can come across as really, really intimidating.
We aren’t showing you that there are dishes piled up on our drainboard. We aren’t photographing the four baskets of laundry that has gone unfolded because we’re trying to get our next DIY project up on our blog. We certainly aren’t advertising that soap scum ring around our soaker tub!
I don’t do kids projects on my blog as often as I would like. The reason why is simple: I want my kids to be able to enjoy their art. I want them to put their own spin on it. I want them to be able to make a mess and not have to worry about getting that Pinterest perfect final project shot… because let’s be honest, usually that photo is the work of the blogger, not her 5 year old child’s artwork.
Today I thought it would be fun to show you what happens when DIY goes wrong, but really I think this is actually what DIY going right looks like— the fun, the mess, the creativity, the happy faces. The best part of DIY isn’t always the end product, sometimes it’s the fun you have along the way. As long as you have the right supplies to clean up the aftermath then I think we should all get messy when DIYing!
A few weeks ago, Branch Basics sent me a box of cleaning supplies. Today I’m going to show you how all you need is one product to clean everything— cleaning paint off the table, washing paint covered hands, shampooing paint out of hair, cleansing paint of off little faces, cleaning paint dyed soap scum rings out of the bathtub, and laundering paint covered clothes.
Over the weekend my husband was working, so the kids and I decided to make handprint Christmas trees on canvas to surprise him with when he got home. We got out all the necessary supplies:
- Canvases
- Paint
- A foam brush
- Branch Basics All Purpose Cleaner
- Little Hands
- A healthy dose of humor
The idea was simple enough: Paint their hands green, press hands against canvas, repeat until you have the shape of a Christmas tree. Use  a finger to make the trunk, little fingerprints to make Christmas ornaments on the tree and finish the project up by painting a star on top of the tree!
They started out as sweet, little angels… but then this happened.
Painting on the canvas was fun, and there were a few drips of paint on the table, so logic says we should finger paint the table right?
And if painting on the table is so much fun, well it makes sense that using Sissy as a canvas would be even more fun!
Mommy told them that was enough and that they really should get back to making our Christmas trees and so they did… until….
…Someone thought a little bit of restitution was in order! Heaven help me!
Back on track again, we put finishing touches on our paintings.
And then it was time for cleanup. One product did all of my cleaning needs!
First I threw the kids in the bathtub (yep the water really turned that green from all the paint!!!) and pulled out my Branch Basics Foaming Soap container. I filled the bottle to the fill line with Branch Basics Concentrate and filled the rest of the bottle up with water. One bottle does hands, face, body, and even hair!
Once my kiddos were cleaned I drained the bathtub and saw the green soap scum ring left by the paint. I took a rag and wiped it. It was stuck on their good and would definitely need some elbow grease. I sprayed a bit of the Branch Basics Concentrate (mixed to a 1:5 ratio of concentrate to water) on the scum, got the kids dressed then gave it another cursory wipe. The green soap scum wiped right away! No elbow grease required.
Next it was time to clean up that big paint mess on the table. By the time I was done bathing the kids the paint was dried on the table. Again, I used the Branch Basics 1:5 Concentrate and with a couple of wipes the mess was “going, going, gone!” The kids messy clothes went into the washing machine with a tablespoon of Branch Basics Concentrate as our laundry soap. And the kids? Did I get all of the paint off of them?
With the help of Branch Basics I sure did! The kids had a great time getting messy, being allowed to do their own art and not having to worry about creating a “Pin-worthy” project.
Loriel wrote a great post about the 7Â reasons she loves Branch Basics and I agree with every single point, but if I had to boil it down to 3 reasons that I will now be a lifelong Branch Basics user they would be this:
1. It’s safe for my kids.
2. It’s easy, 1 product does it all; hands, body, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, stain remover, glass, mirrors, and more.
3. It does it well. Quick and easy cleanup is what I like!
