If there’s one thing I’ve learned from gardening, baking, sewing, and all the other “old-timey” skills I love, it’s this: you’re going to mess up—A LOT. And that’s okay! In fact, it’s necessary.
We live in a world where we expect quick results. We see flawless quilts on Pinterest, perfectly frosted cakes on Instagram, and lush, thriving gardens in magazines. But what we don’t always see? The countless hours, failed attempts, and messy in-between stages that went into those beautiful finished products.
So today, I want to chat about the reality of learning these skills, share a few of my own hilarious (and frustrating) mistakes, and remind you that mastery takes time, patience, and plenty of trial and error.
When My Cookies Turned into a Cookie Pizza
Let’s start with one of my recent baking fails. I was making a recipe for M&M cookies that I have made many times before. I made it just as I always do, making sure to carefully follow the recipe…or so I thought.
The dough looked normal, so I popped it into the oven for the allotted time. I always bake with my oven light on so I can keep an eye on things. I glanced over from prepping the next tray to go into the oven, and realized that the cookies had spread.
I’m not talking about a tiny little spread. I’m talking about how those cookies hatched an idea to take over the world, one cookie sheet at a time, and merged together to create one solid cookie pizza that filled the whole try. I baked a second tray, you know, just in case. It did it too. The cookie pizza was super thin and weird, and obviously not fit for gifting as intended. I still have no idea exactly what I messed up on, but you can bet I am triple checking my ingredient measurements these days!
The Time I Almost Gave Up on Crochet
Crochet is one of those skills that looks so easy when you watch an experienced crafter do it. The rhythm of the stitches, the beautiful patterns, the cozy finished projects—it all seems effortless.
Until you try it yourself.
I don’t really remember sitting down with my first ball of yarn and crochet hook, but I do remember the frustration of realizing I clearly don’t know how to count. That’s the biggest thing with yarn crafts, you think you know how to count, and then you realize that you obviously do not. I can’t even tell you how many times I have had to rip out stitches and redo them because my count was off.
Gardening: Where Patience is NOT Optional
If you’ve ever planted a garden, you know how tempting it is to expect instant results. You carefully plant your seeds, water them lovingly, and then… stare at the dirt.
I remember my first real garden—I was checking the soil every single day, expecting little green sprouts to appear overnight. And when they didn’t, I panicked. Did I water too much? Not enough? Were the seeds bad? Did I accidentally plant them upside down?!
Of course, they eventually sprouted. But gardening taught me one of the most important lessons of all: good things take time. You can’t rush nature. You plant, you nurture, and you trust the process. And sometimes the deer or rabbits will eat your plants before you get to enjoy them anyway.
Why Mistakes are Part of the Process
Here’s the truth: Every expert was once a beginner.
Nobody starts out knowing how to bake the perfect loaf of bread, sew a flawless quilt, or grow a thriving vegetable garden. Every skill takes time, patience, and practice.
So if you’re in the middle of learning something new and feel frustrated—don’t give up. That botched crochet project? That garden that didn’t quite thrive this year? That lopsided cake? It’s all part of the journey.
And one day, you’ll look back at those early mistakes and realize how far you’ve come.
I believe in you.