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I got into crafting by accident in late 2020.
Then an idea popped into my head: What if Ilearned how to crochet(seemed easy enough?)
CSA-Printstock/Getty Images/Amanda K Bailey
and, using two pieces of driftwood, created a hammock of sorts to keep bananas in?
Searching for nature mementos is an act of mindfulness.
Last year, Imapped out a hikethrough a large Pennsylvania state park with the sole purpose of collecting leaves.
Julia Ries
I hike all the time, but thisfeltdifferent.
And of course it did.
Researchshows that merely being in nature improves well-being.
Julia Ries
You become fully immersed in, and deeply connected to, the moment, Lurie says.
And this added mindfulness component can further boost your mood.
It was just me and the woods.
Julia Ries
You also get to loosen up and play.
When Lurie explained this to me, I thought, That makes so much sense!
When I found a truly eye-catching bloom, I felt like I won the lottery.
I put them in my pack so I could later dry them out in books and frame them.
Turning your nature mementos into home decor is surprisingly gratifyingeven if its hideous.
So many of lifes daily tasks and demands are stressful and never-ending.
Theres something very satisfying about completing something in that way, Scott says.
And when you source your materials from the earth?
That makes the craft that much more meaningful and personal.
Maybe thats asuncatcherout of leaves or a banana hammock (sorry) from a bunch of sticks.
Again, this resonated with me.
Four years later, Istillhave that magnificent piece of driftwood on display in my living room.
The leaf collage is hanging in my bathroom, and the wildflower arrangement above my desk.
Its sweet, itsnostalgic, its part of me.
How to enjoy nature crafting to the fullest.
Her advice: First, make a point to be purposeful when youre out there exploring.
Get messy and dirty, Scott adds.
Let yourself be freeyoure in the wild, after all.
Then dream up ways you might enhance your memento and feeleven moreconnected to it.
Finally, recognize this activity is entirely foryou.
If yousuck at crafting, thats fineyou dont need to show it off online or get anyone elses approval.
That, after all, is exactly what happened to me with that fateful piece of driftwood.
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