Totem Mania

Totem Mania!

This month, I have been focusing on finishing a family project that literally started sometime around COVID.  It all got started by a family friend finding something on Pinterest\Etsy they wanted.  Yep, we know how that goes already!   The project was to build/paint some artwork for the yard in the form of totems.  We are not talking about the traditional historical totems with intricate carvings with detail and symbolic meanings.  These totems are more just pieces of color for your yard to make it attractive or to pop.  Now with my family, you must understand that we don’t do these projects for just one person.  The family friend with the request was getting 3 as were my mom, my sister, and myself.  That is 12 totems.  This project would be easy, right?

Well, Ashley and her grandfather (my dad) started the project off with much success.  They bought the wood, did a bit of routing to make the pole have sections, drilled holes for them to be able to be stuck in the ground.  Then my dad got creative with using stair finials and pieces he crafted for the tops.  The totems were fast becoming pieces of art. 

Painting began on one totem.  We quickly learned that just getting a good base coat of paint on them was going to take hours.  Ashley spent about a week working on one totem and declared “NO MORE.”  It was no longer a fun project but a very daunting and frustrating one.  Time went buy and the totems were forgotten. 

About 2 years passed with totems moving in and out of homes, garages, and shops.  Dad needed space in his shop, so they all got isolated to my garage.  Finally, my husband said enough.  It was time to finish these totems.  As I had more space and could do more than one totem at a time, I dove into it.  How bad could it be right?

Well, it took about 4 hours to put a base coat on a set of 3 totems.  Yep, starting out great.  After a weekend of nothing but painting totems, like Ashley and Dan, I wanted to be done with totems.  Thinking painting them now would be easier and go faster as they had a primer coat, I began with the base colors.  Well, the paint I had was expensive, not covering well and was going to take weeks and a lot of money.  Off to Hobby Lobby I go.  Found some paint that worked successfully, still taking about 3 coats.  Another weekend to just get a base coat on a set of 3 totems. 

Fast forward about a month, finally time to paint the fun and pretty stuff on the totems.  I quickly learn that I am not that good at free hand painting of things fun and pretty.  Back to Hobby Lobby I go for stencils.  Many stencils and much more paint in hand, I begin painting.  One weekend was only going to get 2 sides of a set painted. 

Now almost 4 months later, a lot of paint and stencils later, the totems are finished.    Here you can see my set and my mom’s set as well as the set that started this project.  They turned out very nice, add a nice dimension to the garden and have become a conversation piece.  Not sure I would ever do this project again, but I do like them!  Knowing now though how much went into these I would have just ordered them from Etsy shop.  They charge $185 to $340 a pole.  Based on my time and expenses, I would have to charge $1000 each for all the hassle and stress! 

Not Insane Yet!

Robyn