8 Steps to an ADHD Project

Ah, the ADHD project — The unicorn of crafting; the spontaneous enigma of random ideas that comes and goes as it seemingly pleases. Or as I like to think of it: the graveyard of best intentions.

You don’t simply do the ADHD project, the ADHD project decides when you will do it. You very likely get the idea for one while you’re supposed to be doing something else. Even if you resist the immediate urge, you’re definitely thinking about and planning the now inevitable crime craft.

Sure you’ve spent months staring at a pile of unused supplies from another fleeting hobby. If you’re feeling hands-on, you absolutely could hang those floating shelves that have been taunting you from the corner for weeks. But dopamine says no, so adventure we go!

Allow me to guide you through the steps of an ADHD project, as told by me, some contact paper, and a stained IKEA shelf.

1). Spontaneously decide to do a craft and hope the craft you feel like doing requires supplies you already have.

In this case, I had the urge to cover up the some stains on an IKEA shelf I had moved from holding plants to holding home gym supplies (if my 5kg kettlebell qualifies as gym equipment.)

2). Go through supplies you already have (and I know you have some.)

Luckily for this urge, I had a brand new roll of contact paper that I originally got for another project buuuuut changed my mind about. As you likely noticed, I forgot to take the planned beginning picture and scrambled to take one after I had already started.

3). Cut with reckless abandon and end up with a gap that annoys you.

Internally, I am a perfectionist. In reality, I am this. Would it surprise you to know this happened because it didn’t occur to me to move my body from the awkward angle I had been cutting at?

4). Cut too fast and inevitably tear something.

You’re not even sure how this one happened but at least it’s on the side you planned to put against the wall. You remind yourself to slow down and be more mindful going forward.

5). Hyperfixate on getting the air bubbles out.

Sit there asking yourself if the air bubbles really matter since they’re on the backside which is already cut wrong anyway. Realize you don’t really care if they’re still there but can’t seem to stop yourself from trying to scrape them out. It should be satisfying. It is not. They are stubborn. Almost tear more of the paper in the process of digging out air bubbles.

6). Think you’ve found your cutting groove while enjoying the satisfying sensation of it only to inevitably tear something else.

Because of course this happens on the front too. Proceed to spend the rest of the craft wondering if your object permanence will make you stop noticing it eventually or if it will annoy you every single time you see it, for years to come.

7). Realize you could fix the eye sores by just re-doing it.

Decide that’s entirely too many steps and remind yourself no one really cares about your extra bedroom full of miscellaneous things. (While really, really hoping you stop noticing the imperfections at some point.)

8). Set it all up in its new home.

Feel entirely “meh” about it and wonder if you like it every time you walk into the room until it eventually blurs in with everything else you forget you own.

And this my spicy friends, is how we do it (kind of.) I wish I could offer you some sage advice for how to make your ADHD projects come out as perfect as they are in your head but I’m currently waiting on that advice myself. I hope your next ADHD project finds you readily supplied, adequately free-timed, and without rage-inducing frustrations. Happy crafting!