It’s the Little Things | Friday From the Attic

From the Hidden Drawer Collection

There are some things in a creative space that are very easy to overlook.  They aren't the beautiful paper you bought because you simply couldn't leave it behind. They aren't the old book you've been saving for exactly the right project. They aren't the ribbons, the lace, the wonderful old photographs, or even that particularly lovely pair of scissors that somehow makes cutting paper more enjoyable. They're the little things. The tiny bits and pieces that sit in jars, drawers, dishes and boxes waiting for the moment when you suddenly realize: That's exactly what this needs.

I've always loved those little things. A tiny clip. An interesting fastener. A bit of thread. A button. A scrap of something that doesn't seem particularly important until it finds its way onto a journal page. And lately, I've been spending quite a bit of time thinking about them.

A Little Shelf for the Little Things

From the Hidden Drawer Collection

As I've been building From the Hidden Drawer, I realized there needed to be a place for these small creative details. Not everything belongs in a grand category. Some things are simply useful. Some are decorative. Some are a little bit of both. And some exist mainly because they make a project more interesting. So I've given them their own little shelf: Little Fixings.

It's a place for small handmade embellishments and useful bits—the kinds of things that can fasten, attach, decorate or simply add one more layer of personality to a handmade project. The first things finding their way onto the shelf are decorative paper fasteners. And I've been having far too much fun making them.

 

Ordinary Little Fasteners, Made Less Ordinary

I love taking something familiar and asking what else it could become. 

A simple paper fastener is useful enough on its own. But add a tiny autumn leaf... Or a soft little pom-pom... Or a miniature Christmas light bulb... and suddenly it isn't merely holding two pieces of paper together anymore. It's part of the page.

That's the sort of detail I love in handmade books and journals. Not necessarily something that announces itself from across the room, but something you discover when you pick the piece up and begin looking closely. A little surprise.

And perhaps that's what I like most about making these. They're small enough to play with. There doesn't have to be a complicated plan. You can add one to the corner of a tag, use one to fasten a little flap, tuck one into a journal cover, attach something that moves, or simply put one somewhere because it makes you smile. Creative work needs room for that, too.

 

From the Hidden Drawer Collection

The Drawer Is Beginning to Fill

Little Fixings is starting small, but I don't expect it to stay that way. There are already different styles appearing on the worktable, and I have a feeling more will follow as I discover tiny things that make me think, I wonder if I could turn that into a fastener...

That may prove to be a dangerous thought. Especially for someone who already has a difficult time passing up interesting little objects. But that's part of what From the Hidden Drawer is meant to be. Not a perfectly planned collection where everything has to fit neatly into place before it can appear. More like opening an old drawer and discovering what has accumulated there over time. Useful things. Beautiful things. Curious things. And occasionally something you had completely forgotten you owned.

A Little Thought for Friday

From the Hidden Drawer Collection

Maybe that's also a good thought to carry into the weekend. Not every creative moment has to begin with a big idea. Sometimes all it takes is one little thing. A scrap of paper. A forgotten button. A bit of ribbon. A tiny fastener. Something sitting on the corner of your table that makes you wonder: What could I do with this?

And then you follow the thought and see where it goes. Those little moments count. In fact, sometimes they're where the best ideas begin.

Until next time,
Colleen
Butterfly in the Attic