Home » CRAFT WARS: My Review!

CRAFT WARS: My Review!

Tori Spelling, host of Craft Wars on TLC.

The day has arrived! The premiere of Craft Wars on TLC (Tuesdays, 10/9 CT)!

Craft Wars is new craft competition show where three DIYers go glue gun-to-glue gun against each other to win $10,000.

Tori Spelling serves as the host and executive producer… and I’m not gonna lie – at first I rolled my eyes when I heard this news months ago. Donna Martin, crafting? Really? But after watching a sneak peek of the first episode, I changed my mind. She’s adorable on camera as the ringleader of the glitter-filled race-against-the-clock adventure. She keeps the action rolling!

From the official web site:

TLC is about to turn crafting on its head. Long gone are the days where crafting solely referred to a world of quaint tea cozies and popsicle stick bird houses. Today, there is a strong movement of crafters taking this beloved hobby and transforming it into an extreme art form. Now, for the first time ever, TLC has assembled these craft virtuosos for a knock-down, drag-out fight for supremacy. 


Here’s how the show works: Three contestants are introduced and then presented with a Pop Craft Challenge, where they have to create a specific object within an hour. They must use the supplies provided, but they also have access to the ginormous Michaels Craft Closet that has every goodie and gadget you can think of! Once the buzzer rings, the judging panel Erica Domesek (P.S. I Made This), Stephen Brown (Glitterville) and Jo Pearson (Michaels) analyze each contender’s every move and decision.

There is no crying in crafts. Until now.

Judges—->>> Hard.core. They don’t hold back the cut downs. Not only towards the contestants, but to each other. Erica is more minimalist in style and Stephen loves everything dripping in glitter, so yeah, the verbal paper cuts happen. Fast and sharp. But this is Craft WARS, people – and to compete, you need to have a thick coat of armor. So even though you may cringe in your seat at the tough love, it’s entertaining. And well, honestly – break out the notepad. You’ll learn from the contestants of what not to do. READ: Hot glue and tennis rackets: No.

Craft blogger, Liddy B, blogs about her experience on the show. I was really impressed with her!

After the intense Pop Challenge, one teary-eyed contestant is snipped off the roster and the remaining two are left to duel it out for the Master Craft Challenge. They are given five hours and a highly-caffeinated team to construct an over-the-top something or other. If you watch Cupcake Wars, this show is by the same team and follows that pattern.

I love that Craft Wars puts crafting front and center for peeps beyond our hobby and industry to see. And not on a home dec channel, but a general market channel. I hope it brings fresh energy into the world of paper, glue, glitter, clay and beads. I like that the team behind the scenes are tried and true crafters, the details are amazing…lots of TLC (seriously!). And I really mean it when I say that you’ll pick up a lot of great tips of do’s and don’ts. On most craft shows, we see the “expert” demo a project and it’s perfectly completed. But when we try that project – we sometimes end up HERE.

On Craft Wars,  we see the real-life poop that happens from a craftastrophe and the drama that follows. There was one instance, when I actually talked to my computer screen to the contestant “What? You think you’re gonna have time to finish that? Hahahah!” and at the end, I noticed my fingers were crossed for the contestant who I wanted to win. I’m a nerd.

In case you’re wondering why I’m not on the show…I didn’t apply. I was contacted by the producers last November and they did a great job getting me excited to get me to send in my video entry, and I almost did, but…I changed my mind. I’m such a middle-child, I’m a softie when it comes to criticism. I can’t even handle when I get dislikes on my YouTube videos!

Crafting is my escape from stress. It’s one of the few things I feel really proud and happy about. If I got chewed out for bad design or craftsmanship, I don’t think I’d ever craft in peace again without hearing their voices in my head. I know, I’m overthinking! But I crack under pressure, I don’t think I have it in me to make – in one hour – a sturdy, on-trend duffel bag from scratch from a shopping cart of sports equipment. And then to have my mess shown and judged on national TV? I would embarrass my family! And I don’t want to compete. Peace, love and glitter. I just want to make stuff I like when I like, how I like. See? I’m a nerd!!!

I don’t have the proper armor to compete in Craft Wars. However, I 100% respect and admire those who do and that’s why I’ll be sitting at home with my family every Tuesday this summer soaking up the show! Many of my friends are in the episodes and I’m excited to see them work their magic! I’m so proud of them!

If you love crafts, reality TV and juicy drama, this show is for you. Let’s all watch it together. Let’s make a craft while we watch! The TLC web site has a lot of great DIY projects!

Lookie: TLC sent me this cool gift box today!

What do you think of Craft Wars? Are you going to watch? Leave a comment and let me know!

Good luck to all the contestants! I hope they renew the show for more seasons!

LINK

Mixed Media Embroidery (Tinted Embroidery)

Why I surround my home with hearts

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32 thoughts on “CRAFT WARS: My Review!”

  1. I can’t wait to watch! Though, I know I could never create at the speed the contestants have to and I would cry at any criticism, the idea of the show is so much fun. It seems like a few years ago there were a ton of crafty shows and now nada. Hopefully, this starts a trend.

    Reply
  2. I’m an only child and my skin is a little too thin to compete in such a competition too.

    Isn’t it amazing how one bad comment is so much louder than a thousand compliments?

    Thank you so much for your review. I’ll be watching tonight.

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  3. Omg, I love your critique of the show. I’m with you. crafting is what I do to relax from the stress and I would hate for it to be the cause of it.

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  4. I can see how you used to be a newspaper reporter. Really good review. I was going to not watch it, but now I’m really excited!

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  5. I am just so thrilled to see craftiness front and center. If it inspires a new group to diy, maybe it will spawn all sorts of new things for the artistry in all of us. You’re a rock star, Kathy. You bring a whole new level of color and joy to the industry.

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  6. I to can’t wait, my creativity runs into so many crafts like sewing, embroidery, painting, and paper crafting! This show sounds like fun thanks for blog on it because it just made me want to see it more. And just so you know I love everything about you Crafty Chica 🙂

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  7. Megan and I are on one of the shows and can’t wait to see all the other episodes. It was a blast and I’ll be glued to the TV tonight.
    Cheryl Darrow
    Ten Seconds Studio

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  8. Thanks for this great review! I’m eager to watch and cheer them on!

    Can’t wait to see who is on there and what they get to do!

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  9. I think this could be a fun watch for summer! Between this and Bunheads, I’m set for summer escapism!

    I was rooting for you to be on the show, so thank you for sharing your sensitivity. So many of us create from a delicate spot inside ourselves, to interpret the world, to make an extension of ourselves as gifts to others.

    Nicole posted about how one bad comment sticks when the good ones are so fleeting! I’d hate to have your enthusiasm and sharing influenced by some crazy TV show!

    We love our glitter queen! What all was in the gifty box from TLC??
    Inquiring minds want to know!

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  10. Ok, so get this. I just checked this blog for the first time in ages, it’s 9pm on June 26th, and I hadn’t heard of this show. I squeed and grabbed my remote to set my DVR to record all new episodes!

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  11. Hey Kathy. I agree, I couldn’t do it either. They wanted me as well, and I too, chickened out. Too much stress! I can’t even take it when my five year old is annoyed with me much less public humiliation on national TV!

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  12. I watched it tonight- interesting what the judges were looking for. I would much rather watch than appear on it! I am a slow crafter and change my mind a million times throughout a project, but I enjoy the process. That would totally stress me out- and I probably wouldn’t finish in time. It’s bad enough with deadlines I put on myself… Lots of fun to watch though-thanks for the great review!

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  13. I’m the same way, Eileen! Maybe it is because we design for a living, we tend to think too much and not just fly by the seat of our pants on the spot? I admire these crafters who have no fear and just dive in head first and make stuff as they go! I daydream while I craft and take my time…lol…

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  14. Awe, shucks! You posted my picture AND a link to my blog (I’m a middle kid too!) you should have applied, although I am glad I wasn’t up against you! I hope you got some fun stuff in your box from the show!

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  15. I was excited, I had the nervous sweats and ended up with a headache. I don’t like the format..since when do crafters work in teams? They could lose the assitant part, these aren’t cupcakes!! I wanted to go on when I first heard, but after watching, I’ll be okay with not.

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  16. Looked forward to it…recorded the first show but I’m still on the fence about it. I’m glad to have a craft show again but not sure this is the format I’ll keep up with. We’ll see….
    Thanks for the review.

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  17. I thought the show was horrible. They should have used the Project Runway format, giving contestants time to visualize and plan their projects. Crafting isn’t just throwing things together — it is using imagination and taking time to create something amazing. Tori is no crafter if this is the way she thinks art is created! By the way, you construct a playhouse, you don’t craft it!

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  18. Cathy – you captured it all! I’ll be watching, but at least for the episode that aired so far, I found it kind of stressful to watch!
    I think the judges may chill over time which may be a good thing. They came across as very cutting as you said, but I bet it is because they were as nervous as the contestants!

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  19. I wanted to like the show, but it just didn’t do it for me. The first project was a bit ridiculous and it didn’t produce anything I’d want to carry around. The second one was far and away more of a construction project than a craft project and it was sort of the other side of the coin, way too big in scope for a beat the clock. Would have enjoyed that more if they’d given them some more time. I will watch a couple more times to see how it evolves, but I wasn’t hugely impressed so far.

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