Production and Pricing of Craft Show Items

This is where you can really make or break your craft show career. Being able to produce quality crafts as efficiently and affordably as possible is the key to making a tidy profit from craft shows.

How Production Evolves

How you handle production of your craft show items will evolve over time. Initially you may produce all your craft items alone. This will likely be the most cost effective way to start your
craft show creations. As your business grows, you may decide it is best to find employees who can recreate your artistic flair - so you can build more products and increase your overall revenue.

Time and experience will help you streamline your production cycle for maximum efficiency. You'll learn as you go how long it takes to produce your craft show items, how long to allow for
drying, setting or baking, what quantity of supplies you need for a certain amount of inventory and how much inventory you'll need for a one-day craft show. Basically, you are going to get
better and smarter about how to build your craft show items - so you can maximize the profit!

Always have some form of quality control if you're working alone, such as a friend or family member checking your crafts for sturdiness, appearance, etc. If you make jewelry, have someone else try on a necklace to make sure the clasp works, it doesn't fall apart while putting it on and that you are pleased with the appearance. If you have put a frame around a small
painting, ensure the frame's sturdiness, so your craft customer isn't disappointed when it falls apart. Think about how you will transport your products during the production process, making
them sturdy enough to travel or finding strong packing materials through your suppliers.

Over the years, your products will evolve as you make modifications to existing designs and add new products. With feedback from customers and keeping abreast of current trends, as well as developing new skills and interests, you'll probably add new products and remove slower-moving ones. As soon as you see a steady decline in sales, consider dropping the product--don't get attached, this is business. You can always use slower products as bonuses, gift items or for raffle drawings or donations.

Pricing

The crucial question about pricing is: How do I price my craft show products for the best results--good sales and good profit? Can I have both? You may fear that if your prices are too low, you could incur the wrath of your competitors or make less profit. If your prices are too high, your sales will drop. The right price is one of the most significant factors in contributing to your success or failure--and one of the most difficult factors to decide upon.

There are several schools of thought on how to arrive at the best price for your work. Again, time and experience will be your best guides. It is easy enough to raise or lower your price with each craft show you attend and eventually find the best fit. You may even find yourself changing prices at different craft shows as you learn the shopping patterns of your customers. If someone seems interested then walks away, ask them why they didn't buy and if they say price, ask what they would be willing to pay. If you get the same information repeated several times, it's an indication of what customers are willing to pay--at least at that craft show!

Although you need to test your prices, don't make drastic price adjustments in the same weekend, as customers may complain. Make smaller adjustments in different towns based on craft show results and customer feedback. Sometimes the difference in improving your sales can be as small as $1.00, such as lowering a $12.00 item to $10.99. And sometimes selling fewer items at higher prices can be more profitable in the long run.

Take time to consider your price carefully. Consider cost of supplies and labor, craft show fees, transportation and other expenses involved. The efficiency of your production will also have an impact on how much profit you can make from your craft show items, and ultimately both will determine your success on the craft show circuit!

Source : ezinearticles.com

Craft Show Items For Kids

Here are a few tips for coming up with a craft show items for kids that are not only going to keep them happy for hours, but also help you make a nice profit at the end of the day.

o Keep it interesting - If kids aren't interested in a toy or craft, they aren't going to humor you and play with it. No, they are simply going to put it down and forget about it - probably never to touch it again. The key to a craft that kids are going to enjoy is making it interesting. Challenge their minds and add a twist to the craft in order to make it a hit.

o If they build it - Showing kids a finished craft and how 'cool' it could be is one way to attract their attention. Providing them an outlet to try and duplicate the craft is another way to make an impact. Puzzles, building blocks, pictures and other items are a great way to get kids involved in the craft show scene.

o Parent / child interactive - Parents are often on the lookout for activities or items that can help improve the interaction with their children. Coming up with craft show items that parents can use to connect with and entertain their children are great. Things like homemade kites, games, build-your-own-crafts, art projects are great ideas that can keep parents and their kids entertained.

o Get active - The hula-hoop is a very basic example of how a simple idea can turn into a major success story. Now, I don't expect you to sell millions of crafts at a craft show, but a good craft that can get kids active is another way to make a decent profit at a craft show. One item that comes to mind is a fun and cool homemade hackey-sack (foot bag).

Parents often look for items for themselves at craft shows - but many of them keep an eye out for something their children would like as well. And, there is no resisting the child whose eyes are wide open and an ear-to-ear grin because of an amazing craft at your craft show booth. If you can come up with something that the kids like, then you can bet that parents are going to flock to your booth to pick up on your craft show items.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Traditional Craft Making - Making it Survive

Traditional craft products are the best among various craft products. Traditional crafts men have got many years of rich experience in their field and employ unique methods in carving beautiful products. These products turn out very amazing and are very good for giving as gift for any occasion. These craft products include toys made from natural materials, food products, handmade soaps, jewelry etc.

Due to lack of interest and initiative, many good craft making processes have become extinct from this world. Another factor that lead to this gruesome situation is that the manufacturer has to spend lot of time and effort on every piece resulting in higher price, which makes them less attractive. It also suffers from lack of good marketing and other ways of promotion.

The only way to preserve these invaluable craft products from being extinct is to create awareness among people about the benefits of using traditional products above modern products. Another benefit of using traditional products is that the quality of product is supreme as it is being refined over the centuries. Every country has got its own distinct craft products, which depicts their culture and tradition in a more meaningful way.

If you are a traditional craft man, you will find it easier to market your craft products through the Internet. Starting a web site with some content related to your stuff and product display can create an interest among prospective buyers. Put your web site links to other similar sites or directories in order to bring good traffic from search engines.

Source : ezinearticles.com

How to Make an Art or Craft Portfolio?

Having a portfolio is still a very valuable tool for every crafter or artist with a business. Today a crafter or artist may keep their portfolio in a binder or keep digital images in an online portfolio. Each has it's advantages and you may wish to have both. A binder is accessible without a computer and you can keep in your car or take it with you when you meet with people. With an online portfolio you can send a link to the website through email, or print it on your business card, and a person can see your work without having to meet with you in person.

If you think a portfolio will help you, the most important thing to do is to begin it now, with whatever you have. Don't fuss on perfection before you have an existing portfolio. Books are written about professional portfolio making and seminars are taught at art schools, however, you can always improve the content and the appearance of your portfolio later. You can't, however, recover lost opportunities because you didn't have one to show to people interested in seeing what you do.

A binder portfolio can include small 2-dimensional art and photographs of larger or 3 dimensional art. Choose a binder of adequate size, but keep in mind that larger binders are more difficult to carry or take with you. Whatever style of binder you choose, do not permanently affix any of your photographs or art. This way, you can swap better pieces or photos for the least ones in your portfolio easily. Usually 12 - 24 items makes a good portfolio.

Sometimes, if your work is particularly small, for example, as with jewelry, you can make a sample case of the items instead of a binder containing photos. For a digital portfolio you will need a web page or other online location and digital images. Some artists choose a website that shows items they have for sale, and this doubles as a portfolio. It must, however, be kept current to display only what is available for purchase.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Craft Business Taxes Advice

If you own a craft business, taxes are unfortunately a big part of owning a business. There are however some basic guidelines you can follow when figuring out how much you should be paying.

First, I am not an accountant but I do however own two business and pay my taxes accordingly. Second, this is assuming you are living and working in the United States.

If you do not have an accountant I would highly recommend getting yourself a good one. An accountant will not only be able to save you a lot of money in the long but they will make sure you are paying the right amount of taxes so you do not get into trouble.

Okay, lets get into some general guidelines you should follow.

1. Expect to pay at least 25% of your income in taxes. When you are self employed you have to not only pay the regular taxes like everyone else but you have to pay the employers side of the social security tax.

2. You have to send in quarterly taxes if you are self employed. If you neglect to send in quarterlies then you will get fined. Also if 90% of your taxes are not payed by the end of the year you get penalized.

3. Claim all of your income. Don't think you can get away with only claiming some of your income and keeping the rest a secret. It won't work and if you get caught they get to decide just how much you did not claim. Now it is a pretty good bet they will come up with a higher figure then what you actually did not claim and you will have to pay them on their figure not yours.

Also if you do not pay taxes on all of your income you could end up losing everything you have and have worked so hard to get.

4. Now for the good stuff. Because you are self employed you get to write off business expenses.

Keep receipts for everything.

You need to talk to your accountant on what you can specifically write off for your business but some generals are your supplies to make your crafts, any expenses you incur listing your crafts online or registration fees for craft shows.

Your gas or millage you use on your car anytime you use your car for business. That includes going to the craft store to get supplies or a trip to the post office to mail your product to your customer.

If your store is online you can write off your Internet bill each month.

If you spend money on learning how to market your craft business or on marketing your craft business that is a right off as well.

Make sure you keep your receipts in a safe place and keep them for 8 years minimum. This is your proof if for some reason you ever get audited. This can be hard at first but you have to get in the habit of putting your receipts in the same spot every time you get one. What works really good for this is those 11x14 coupon envelope things that have the different slots in them with the little labels you can make. This works really well to keep all of your receipts organized and makes life a lot easier come tax time.

When you own a craft business taxes are not only an important part of your business but they are a mandatory part.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Inflatable River Craft - The Best Inflatable Boats For Fishing

In this article I'm going to outline some of the most effective and practical inflatable river craft for fishing. What, you've never considered an inflatable boat for fishing rivers? Well you probably should, seeing as how inflatable river craft can be much less expensive than traditional river boats and equally as effective. Not to mention the fact that this type of boat boats are incredibly convenient.

The biggest thing to keep in mind with regards to inflatable river craft is the quality of the materials that the boat is made from. An inflatable boat for fishing needs to be manufactured from the highest quality materials. Not only this, but make sure that the manufacturer has a quality welding process for the seams. Seams are where most of the problems with air loss tend to occur.

Good manufacturers stand behind their boats with money back guarantees and manufacturer warranties. Some will even offer free or discounted shipping deals and free trial periods so that you can make sure their inflatable boat is everything they said it was. The best inflatable boats for fishing are made by quality manufacturers such as Sea Eagle and Outcast. In any case, either of the river craft listed below are a great choice for anglers.

1. Inflatable Pontoon Boats - Inflatable pontoon boats are excellent river fishing tools. These inflatable boats give the angler the ability to easily travel a river, fishing or stopping and fishing the entire way. There are personal pontoon boats for 1 or 2 anglers made by Outcast and Sea Eagle makes an inflatable pontoon boat called the FoldCat, which is a bit larger. Both of these manufactures make quality boats. The Outcast personal pontoons can be a bit difficult to initially assemble, but are great boats. The FoldCat is assembled in fifteen minutes, and it easily moved from fishing spot to fishing spot. Inflatable pontoon boats are a great choice for anglers.
2. Inflatable Kayaks - Inflatable kayaks are also excellent for river fishing. These boats can be used in a bit rougher water than inflatable pontoons. Inflatable kayaks are also good for lake fishing. I like to use mine for river fishing, moving from spot to spot as I navigate down river. I wear my waders and stop the kayak at any "good looking" hole to fish. Sea eagle makes some great inflatable kayaks that make excellent Inflatable River Craft. There are also some high quality inflatable kayaks manufactured by Aire that are very good, but can be a bit pricey (at least for my blood). Inflatable kayaks are incredibly maneuverable, and as long as you buy your boat from a quality manufacturer, last for many years, if not a lifetime.

Either of the boats listed above are both great choices for anglers. The "best choice" ultimately comes down to the type of fishing that's most enjoyed. Think about the kind of fishing you enjoy most and make your decision accordingly. Either type of inflatable river craft will serve any angler well.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Tasty Halloween Crafts Using Stencils For Cookie Decorating

Here's a Halloween Crafts project that's not only fun, it's good to eat. You see, as a stencil designer, I'm always searching for new and creative ways to use stencils. And as a person who loves to eat (especially sweets), it just seemed natural to find a way to use stencils with food, right? So I drew up some scary Halloween stencils (a witch, a ghost, a cat, a bat, a skull and a spider) and went to work trying to figure out how to get the images onto a cookie.

Well, I told you how much I love food but now I have to admit that I'm no Betty Crocker. I can't tell you how many different ways I tried to transfer a perfect image from a stencil onto a cookie. I bet my husband and me each gained 20 pounds eating all the disasters. Not to mention all the money I spent at the grocery store and the local craft supply house. All of this only to find out that the easiest, least expensive and most obvious way was the best method of all. So, here it is - that is, how to decorate Halloween cookies with stencils. Oh yeah! Don't miss out on the hints and tips I've added at the bottom for some great creative ideas.

Well, first you need to find a few stencil designs that will fit on cookies. There are many printable Halloween stencils on the internet. It's best to locate a stencil that is a single overlay design (that means it's finished with just one sheet or layer). You'll find a couple of designers have stencils made for cookies so they are the right size and proportion. Once you found the stencils that appeal to you all you have to do is print them out. If they are not the right size to fit on a cookie just resize them on copy machine and follow these next steps.

Trace the stencils onto a sheet of stencil film such as acetate or mylar. Make sure the images have approximately 2 inches between them. Use a scissors to cut the traced drawings separate of each other with 1 inch of blank space surrounding them.

Use a craft-knife to cut out the objects of each stencil. You have several options for craft-knives. I prefer to use an X-ACTO with a Fine Point Blade pictured here. Make sure your blade is sharp at all times or you won't get a good clean cut. I find it's easier to rotate the stencil so that you are always cutting with your wrist at a comfortable angle.

Since you are working with food, wash your stencils really well and dry thoroughly.

Bake cookies with your favorite recipe. Since I already admitted that I'm not a baker, I'll let you know that I used the boxed up ready to go version where you just need to add an egg. But if you are a skilled chef, go ahead and make your goodies from scratch. Sugar cookies work best because they have the smoothest surface after baking. A cookie with too much texture is not going to produce a good stenciled image. I like to slightly flatten the tops of the cookies right after they come out of the oven with a spatula. If the stencil can lay flat on the cookie you'll get a much better image than if it has to roll over rounded edges. Let the cookies cool.

Prepare your "paint" by adding water to powdered sugar. You want to get a thick consistency that is very smooth. It doesn't take very much water. The mixture should not drip easily off the end of a spoon. Make colors by adding food coloring. For black, mix red, blue and green in equal number of drops.

Place the stencil on top of the cookie. Use a finger to dab the sugar mixture into the stencil openings. Just like with a regular stencil, use a dabbing or up and down motion to dot the surface with color and not a rubbing back and forth which will encourage color seeping under the stencil edges. In stenciling, you always want to use a little paint so that it does not seep under the stencil. No difference here. The best tool is an index finger to lightly dab the confectioners' sugar and water mixture over the stencil opening. Make sure your finger is not dripping with the "paint."

Carefully remove the stencil by pulling directly up. You don't want to drag the stencil over the wet color mixture which will smear the color. It might take a little practice but remember you get to eat the mistakes.

Here are those hints and tips that I promised you:

You may want to make a different size cookie than the normal 2-1/2 or 3 inch circle. No problem! Just take the paper copy and reduce or enlarge the size to fit the area you want to place the picture. Then move on to the tracing. This is great if you want to make a large cookie cake too!

When you are cutting out the images for the stencils, don't throw away the parts that you cut away. They can be used to make negative images on the cookies. Of course, it's a bit trickey to remove the stencil piece after you have put the color all around it but with a little practice you can have this down to an art. And just think of the creative cookies you can come up with these new options.

If you use a recipe for a highly textured cookie, like oatmeal or chocolate chip, you can put a base layer of powdered sugar and water to create a very smooth area and then stencil your image on that. Actually that can just add to how creative you can be with decorating cookies with stencils. For example, you can put a background of a black circle on top of the cookie behind a white ghost. Make sure that the first layer of color has dried thoroughly before adding your image.

If you can't find mylar or acetate at your local craft supply store, try transparency films at an office supply house. Just make sure that the material will accept pen or ink so that you can trace on it and that it will be safe to use with food items. Also, you have a large number of suppliers of stencil films on line.

So now you know how to stencil images on a cookie. You can make little cookie treats for all of you ghosts and goblins that come knocking on your door. Have fun this Halloween and Happy Stenciling!

Source : ezinearticles.com

Making Soy Candles That Smell Really Good

You have probably seen candle making kits at craft stores right? For all the supplies they can be really affordable and it's a project your kids can enjoy as well. What usually comes with a cheap price is bound to have cheap ingredients that you may want to avoid like paraffin. Sure they are easier to make and cost less, but who wants to enjoy a candle with a nice fragrance that releases toxic chemicals that cause cancer? Not me or my family! A great alternative are Soy Candles. If you want to know how to get started, here's how:

If you are making a 100% soy candle, first you will want to purchase a good quality natural fragrance. I don't recommend essential oils; they smell great in the bottle but don't release a lot of fragrance when burned. Use about 1/2 to 1 ounce of a blended oil fragrance per pound of soy wax. After melting your wax, remove it from the heat and let it cool a bit (the exact temperature will depend on the type of wax and fragrance you are using).

Stir in the wax and pour into your container. Now the trick with 100% soy wax is to let it "cure" for at least a week before burning. In addition you can add a small amount of coconut oil to the melted soy wax which helps the fragrance release during burning. If you use a soy blend you won't have to let the candle "cure" or use coconut oil, however you have to be careful what the soy is mixed with. Some of the soy "blends" contain paraffin, something you definitely want to avoid.

Candle making is a fun easy craft to do in your home, without a lot of special equipment. Much of the fun is experimenting with different blends of natural waxes and custom fragrance mixtures.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Crafts for a Great Survivor Party

If you love the CBS show Survivor, then you would likely enjoy crafts based on the show. This is especially good if you have people over every night that there's a new episode of the show on. Or, you could use these crafts for a party on the night of the Survivor season finale. It's up to you how you use these. Just remember to be creative and have as much fun as possible.

A good way to incorporate Survivor crafts into your party is to have mock tribal councils. You could make your very own immunity idol. Try to make it look as authentic and awesome as possible. This is best made out of wood, but that can take a lot of time to make. Instead, go for easier materials or compile already made objects. In some Survivor seasons, they would have a necklace represent the individual immunity. This can be a lot easier to make than a group immunity idol.

Another craft you can do for your Survivor party can be related to the food you serve. You could make all of your food out of food that the survivors would eat, such as rice, fish, and bananas. This could be the appetizer to a more filling meal later on. Then your guests could feel as if they are on the show that they are watching. With these great crafts, your Survivor party will be very memorable. It's one thing to just invite people over to watch TV and quite another to make it an event.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Where to Find Origami Patterns For Kids - Paper Craft Ideas

If your child is interested in learning origami or you think he or she would be interested in learning origami, there are several places to find origami patterns for kids.

Whether your child is a beginner or needs advanced patterns, there are tons of places to find them, and often they can be found for free or extremely cheap- this is also a good way to learn origami yourself. Origami is an interesting hobby, and relatively simple- not to mention inexpensive- to do, there are many cultures where it is considered a true art form.

A really excellent place to find origami patterns for kids is craft websites specifically for kids. There are several good crafting websites out there which will provide you with either links to websites containing the patterns themselves or they will have the patterns on the website itself. A simple search engine search will help you find these easily enough.

Not to mention, there are several good online craft forums and message boards out there that will help you to network with people as well who will be able to help you find the patterns you are looking for. Posting a "wanted" message on a forum or message board is an easy and effective way to find what you need.

There are numerous monthly magazines and bi-monthly magazines out there specifically for crafts, and some even dedicated to origami itself. These can be a wonderful resource to find origami patterns for kids as well. You don't even have to subscribe to them yourself, most of these can be found in craft stores, art supply stores and even book stores.

If you can't find a magazine or website that you feel would suit your needs, there is always the option of buying actual BOOKS of patterns. These can be found in craft stores, art supply stores and especially book stores. Online auction websites and used book dealers online are an especially inexpensive way to find these books.

The added bonus to an actual book retailer is the fact that you can specially order exactly the book you want or need. This is a good way to find origami patterns for kids, especially if you have a preschool, childcare or classroom program to teach origami to children.

It's not necessarily good money sense to special order pattern books if it's only you and your child(ren) doing origami, unless you are both very serious about continuing the hobby and learning more about it. Origami is a beautiful craft and it's a great way to make art with your own two hands, but it takes patience and is sometimes very time-consuming (depending on the pattern).

But, unlike with other hobbies, it's easy enough and inexpensive enough to just start over with a fresh sheet of paper and see what unfolds, or rather- folds!

Source : ezinearticles.com

Finding Success With Your Craft Products

People prefer craft products than products, which are mass-produced for their quality, uniqueness and safety to use. Craftsmen who have got good idea of their products and sales potential can make their products popular within no time. For this purpose as a craftsman you should have good knowledge about how to market your product successfully.

In a competitive market finding success with craft products is not easy. It involves lot of research and effort on your part to find the niche market for your craft. The age groups of people who will use your products, purpose etc. are some of the vital information you need in order to promote your products successfully in a competitive market. Always think about new methods to promote your craft products by employing unique methods. One of such method is to generate unique gift ideas that are suitable for different occasions and different age groups.

Having a good website of your own can help you in selling your products. This web site should be developed in such a way that the content should highlight the benefit, quality and uniqueness of your craft products. Good payment integration with Paypal or Google checkout is also necessary if you are trying to sell your products to end-users who are living in distance part of the world. Get some good testimonials from your loyal customers and put it on your home page. Testimonials have got power to attract more people towards your products. You can also use your web site to find people who are interested in becoming dealers for your products in other markets.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Handmade Crafts Around The World

Handmade crafts made from wood, glass, ceramics, metal, leather are ideal gifts for any occasion. These crafts from around the world reflect a rich tradition of the originating country. Different styles of craft making are employed in different parts of the world. Each piece of handmade craft has a distinctive style of their own. Its uniqueness provides a good reason to appreciate these products and craftsmen who work behind them. Since machines are not employed in the making of these products, the craftsmen should be extra vigilant while making these products. In many cases a small mistake on the part of craftsman will be a disaster. There are many training schools around the world, which imparts training on these traditional crafts. It's a great fun to learn these craft making techniques and it provides an avenue to earn extra income for many people.

The main problem Handmade Crafts facing is the lack of proper marketing and sales promotion. With proper marketing and sales promotion, these products can fetch reasonably good returns to those who manufacture them. Genuine Handmade Crafts are in great demand all over the world.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Crafts for Celebrating a 1st Birthday

As far as special occasions go, nothing beats the 1st birthday. If you have a baby, and he or she is just about to celebrate their very first birthday, then you should definitely consider having some crafts themed around this event. Although some people don't have a party for their child's 1st birthday, they still can benefit from celebrating it in this way. A good theme for crafts that celebrate this event is to make them baby themed. Depending on your new child's sex, the crafts can either be themed light pink or blue. If you'd rather use a color that is more neutral, a pastel yellow is perfect for the job.

A good craft to make, whether it's your child having the 1st birthday or you are sending it to someone you know, is a birthday card. Handmade birthday cards are much more valuable than store bought birthday cards because they show the people that you give them to that you care. Although your recipient will only be one years old, the parents may save the card for when they are older and can appreciate it. This is especially the case if the card is particularly artistic or thoughtful.

When it comes to presents for a 1st birthday, you can add a personal touch by creating personal name-tags for them. Make these tags by hand, taking care to write the baby's name neatly and prettily, and stick them on whatever presents you bring. This has a similar personal touch as the homemade birthday card that will no doubt cause a lot of heads to turn.

Source : ezinearticles.com

A Craft Business Plan For Selling Your Crafts Online

If you are going to sell crafts online then you are going to need to come up with a craft business plan. If you start out without one then you are going to have a much harder time selling your crafts online then you need to.

1. Deciding where you want to sell crafts online.

One of the first things you need to do when putting together a craft business plan is to decide where to sell them. There are a few good places to sell your crafts online. The top two are Etsy and eBay. Since most crafts are handmade I would recommend selling your product on Etsy.

The main reason for this is because if you sell on eBay you are going to be going up against people who get product in bulk and dropped shipped which allows them to sell similar things in mass quantity's and for cheaper then you can sell them when you are making them yourself.

Etsy however is becoming widely known for being a handmade craft marketplace. The people shopping on Etsy are only looking for quality handmade goods so even your browsers are much more targeted.

2. You need to decide how you are going to price and ship your product.

This is important to do your research on because if you are pricing your craft to high you are going to be very hard pressed to sell it. To research this is easy. Browse around Etsy and see what other people are selling similar items for. Pay s[special attention to the ones that have a lot of positive feedback because this means two things. The seller is selling a lot of their crafts and that the customers feel that they are getting a fair deal and are happy with their purchases.

3. You need to decide how you are going to market your craft store.

Besides having a good product at a reasonable price this is going to be the biggest factor in whether or not you have a successful business or not and the most essential part of your craft business plan.

You really only have two options here. You can either learn how to market your craft store yourself or you can pay someone to do it for you.

They both have positive and negative sides to them.

If you pay someone to market your craft store it will cost you a lot of money. Most likely in the thousands but you will have someone who knows how to get your store found quickly working on it for you.

If you decide you want to learn how to market your craft store yourself it is going to take time to learn. On average you can expect it to take you around four months to really have a good grasp of what you need to be doing to help people find your store.

On the flip side you can learn how to market your store yourself for a whole lot less then it would take you to pay someone. Plus you will always have the knowledge on how to do it so you can continuously market your store and have it grow basically for free once you know how.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Start a Craft Business Sewing Fabric Handbags

There are many crafters that have turned their hobbies into lucrative small businesses. Sewing fabric handbags is one example of a craft business that can lead to a profitable work at home income. With the right marketing skills and business know-how, this income-generating hobby even has the potential to grow beyond your typical homebased business. Take the Vera Bradley company, for example. Started by two friends, their line of quilted bags and purses grew in popularity, and now Vera Bradley is a well-known multi-million dollar company.

If you are interested in sewing fabric handbags for income, there are a few things you must consider. First and foremost, how are your sewing skills? Initially, it's unlikely that you will be outsourcing the work, so you need to make sure you can sew. For the most part, fabric handbags are not that difficult to make. You can start with simple totes, and then as your skills improve, you can diversify by sewing more complicated designs.

If your experience is limited, or if you can't remember the last time you actually used your sewing machine, it may be a good idea to take a class. Many fabric stores offer classes, or if not, should be able to point you in the right direction.

To maximize your income potential, and to minimize future problems with tax liabilities, it is a good idea to talk to an accountant. An accountant will be able to help you with all business aspects of your startup, from how to track and report your income and expenses, to filing the required forms so that you will be able to purchase fabrics and other supplies at wholesale cost.

Many crafting businesses operate as sole proprietorships. However, if you are interested in setting up an LLC or corporation for your business, an accountant or attorney will also be able to provide advice and suggestions regarding this.

Another important aspect of starting this type of crafting business is determining how you will market your handmade handbags. If you are interested in attaining local customers only, selling through consignment boutiques and setting up booths at craft fairs, flea markets, and farmers' markets are good ways to market your bags locally.

However, if you want to expand your customer base, the internet offers a multitude of opportunities to market your handbags. Although setting up your own website may come to mind first, and this option is certainly viable, there is a significant learning curve involved. You will need to familiarize yourself with website design, search engine optimization, and other ways to drive traffic to your website and convert visitors to buyers. These can be outsourced if your budget allows.

If starting your own website seems overwhelming, you can still tap into the online global marketplace by selling your fabric handbags through sites such as Etsy and eBay. These sites, as well as similar ones, simplify the process of selling online. Also, because of the high number of visitors they receive, there is a good chance you will receive a fair amount of buying customers to your listings.

There is a strong demand in the marketplace for handmade fabric handbags. Although there is much involved with starting a homebased craft business, the rewards are worth it.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Family Fun Crafts and Activities in Your Household

When people think of parenthood and the advice imparted by others, it is usually about health, safety, morals, education and nutrition; there is no mention of family activities, and family fun crafts.

Yet it is family activities, and family fun, that helps build relationships and bonds a family together. When a child is born in the delivery room, it does not automatically mean a family bond in born also. But then, we don't think twice about playing with babies, helping them learn and having fun. This should help making time for family fun crafts and activities an easy habit to keep, throughout from baby to adolescent, and beyond.

Another reason that this type of family bonding is essential is that these family activities are very important in forming lasting memories, which your children will take with them into adult life, and pass onto their own children. Wouldn't you want to make sure that there is a never ending amount of tales to tell?

Actually in this digital day and age, it is so much easier to capture these memories on digital cameras, or digital video recorders, that can be saved into to CDs, and computer drives. Do you know what this means for your child? They won't just have to rely on their memories of the good family fun crafts days and other good times, but will have them recorded, ready to jog their minds if need be.

Okay so what type of family activities can you incorporate into your household? You can make sure that you all sit down at the table together, whenever possible (at least once a week depending on after school activities), and share your thoughts, relax and enjoy some good food and talk together.

Family fun crafts, is something that you can all sit around that table doing, as well. You can all work on the same craft project together, or have separate ones that can help create a family art gallery! Remember crafts don't just have to be fun, but educational too, as you can have projects like making the flags of the world, and learning a fact about each flag's country that you create.

Family activities don't have to be expensive - you can let your children help you cook cakes and cookies (when old enough), play board games or do a jigsaw together, play a game of ball outside, to name a few things. Just make sure to interact with your kids, see them smile, and let them enjoy themselves, you can't go far wrong.

The combination of today's busy schedules, and electronic revolution of games consoles, DVDs, cable TV and computers, can mean that we end up spending little time with our children. But if we do make the effort to incorporate quality time, family fun crafts, and family activities into our weeks, we can help ensure that our kids grow up into happy, well adjusted and successful adults. I think you would agree that is every bit as important as health, education and nutrition.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Tips For Choosing a Good Beginner Knitting Pattern

When you are just learning to knit you are very eager and anxious to get making items other than garter knit scarves. Many people are tempted to jump into a pattern that is beyond their knitting skill level and as a result they become discouraged and often just give up. The key to success is not to expect to be an expert right off the bat.

What you should be doing is selecting a pattern that matches your skill level. This will ensure you have a pleasant knitting experience and learn new techniques as you go along. Most patterns will list the skill level for the pattern. Choose only those for Easy or Beginner levels. Although socks and hats are not that difficult, if you are not totally comfortable with knitting on two needles it may not be a good idea to attempt double pointed needles just yet.

You should find a pattern or website that will give you good beginner patterns with clear instructions. Read over the pattern first. If you do not understand a term used in the pattern and they do not fully explain the abbreviations then perhaps you should tuck that one away for later when you are more accomplished in the craft.

There are many, many knitting patterns that are suitable for your skill level. You just have to find a website that offers instruction for beginners. Sign up for their newsletter and send them an email with a question. If you get a reply within 24-48 hours with helpful answers to your questions then stick with them. They will be a huge help if you run into trouble with any pattern or technique you are not familiar with. My subscribers email me all the time and I am happy to answer their questions.

Find a friend who is an experienced knitter and ask if they would be willing to help you advance your skills. Local knitting groups are also great sources. These groups usually have knitters of all skill levels as members and the more advanced knitters are generally eager to help out newbies. They will also likely have a pattern stash specifically for beginners that they will share with you.

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Craft Safety Tips

When it comes to doing crafts there is no end to the fun you can have. Of course, it can be easy to get carried away with excitement and fun but its important not to forget about safety aspects. Even fun and games can be dangerous when neglect or accidents are at fault. Taking precautions is necessary in order to ensure that everyone has a good time. When kids are doing crafts there is a level of safety that should always be maintained.

Crafts should always be done in a zone that has been designated for that specific purpose. By creating a space that you use in your home for crafts and hobbies, you keep the clutter to a minimum and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the house. It's a good idea to always have parental supervision when young children are working with certain tools such as scissors or heavy duty glue. Some crafts are more appropriate for specific ages. Take care to match your kids with what is best suited to their personal skills.

There are plenty of great craft supplies that are made to be safe for the use of children. A lot of these materials come designed for different age groups. For example, safety scissors for very young kids are often just made of plastic and pose a very minimal risk of cutting. It's best to provide materials that are not dangerous in any way if possible. Crafts that involve the use of knives or sharp scissors should be done in part by an adult at all times.

Parents who spend a lot of time cleaning know the value of washable craft products. Craft time certainly is not known for being free of mess. When you bring out things like playdoh, finger paints and sparkles, it can be astounding how fast the mess grows. By selecting products that are made to be an easy clean, you can significantly cut down on the amount of time spent cleaning up after.

When choosing your craft items try to make selections that are safe and unbreakable. Glass isn't the best choice if small children will be involved. Opt for plastics and cardboard products that are easy to work with and pose absolutely no risk of breakage. Craft stores will have an endless supply of materials that are made for craft working and will not break or become dangerous.

It's always a good idea to have a basic First Aid kit around the house. Though most crafts do not entail anything truly dangerous, accidents can always occur. Keep antiseptic wipes handy for cleansing some scratches or cuts as well as Band-Aids for those minor injuries. In most cases you will never require the use of your First Aid kit but it's always better to be safe than sorry. Maintain a specific standard of rules for children to follow while they are doing crafts to better reduce the chance of injury. Safety begins with parents and should be enforced for the good of all involved. Crafts should be fun, not painful.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Good Luck Charm Bracelet for a Good Luck Party

Nothing says good luck like a Good Luck party. This party is easy to plan and put together if you know where to look for supplies. However, you may have a little looking to do if you are looking to come up with a great Good Luck craft idea for the party. We've got a great and very simple craft item in a charm bracelet that you can make up for the guest of honor to take with them wherever they may go.

Good Luck Charm Bracelet

You'll need some supplies for this Good Luck party craft item: a strand of thick chain about 7 inches long, 25-30 medium sized jump rings, 25-30 2 inch long eye pins, needle nose pliers with a cutter, bracelet charms, beads and a hand drill if you want to drill holes in any of your charms.

Before you start to assemble the bracelet you'll want to decide the look of your charm bracelet. Sort your charms according to size, color, and style. Then arrange those you like on a table as you would place them on a bracelet. Try to create a sense of congruency in your charm bracelet.

Once you've decided what the Good Luck charm bracelet will look like you'll start to assemble it. Add the smallest charms, then the beads to the eye pins with your pliers. String all of the beads onto eye pins to attach to your charm bracelet.

From here connect a jump ring to each Good Luck charm item. Use the pliers to attach each charm to a charm bracelet link. Fill in your charm bracelet by adding the beaded eye pins.

Creating a fun and unique Good Luck charm bracelet is as easy as that! Your guest of honor will love this unique gift and if you decide to make bracelets as an activity your guests will love them too!

Source : ezinearticles.com

Increase Craft Store Marketability With Visual Merchandising

Visual merchandising creates a visually pleasing environment for your crafts store. A good structured retail store grabs customers' attention and translates into an increase in sales. The over-all look of your store should be able to entice potential customers, pique their interest and then inspire them to purchase your products. Once you get your customers' attention, frequent store visits and product purchase are sure to follow.

The design of your crafts store must be carried out from the storefront up to your interior. The excitement of your customers upon seeing your storefront's design must be doubled once they enter your crafts store. Customers will stay longer inside your store if they feel comfortable and relaxed. Below are the things that you should take into consideration when designing your crafts store.

o Lighting: This contributes a lot to the atmosphere that you are trying to achieve for your craft store. Good lighting enhances your products and sparks visual interest of your customers. Customers will easily get drawn to your products with the use of accent lighting. Products become more noticeable and appealing to customers.

o Merchandise: Neatly organized merchandise display is the very basic rule in visual merchandising. This suggests the kind of business professional that you are so always maintain the order of your product displays. Theme merchandising also works well in creating good retail displays. This is done by grouping your products together to create an impact on your customers. Change your merchandise displays every week so customers won't get tired of looking at the same displays. Letting your displays to last for more than a week will make customers think that you do not have new products to offer them.

o Displays: Furniture and displays add more interesting elements to the look of your craft store. These complement the kinds of products that you offer. Paint the wall of your store with colors similar to your company logo for harmony. Decorate your walls with photo canvas and poster printing materials to add an interesting touch on your wall. You can get your hands on high quality photo canvas and posters from a reputable online printer.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Making Money With a Home Crafts Business

Thinking of starting a home crafts business? Handmade crafts have grown in popularity because people want something different and special. Here are some great tips and ideas about turning your hobby, creativity or interest into a profitable home based business.

What home crafts are popular?

How do you know if your craft is popular and will sell? Do some research and find out. What are the best selling crafts on websites that sell handmade crafts? Visit local craft stores and find out which crafts are in demand. Go to local craft fairs and investigate which craft displays are generating the most interest. Our research has shown that homemade candles are one of the most popular home crafts business. Consider that almost 80 percent of US households use candles and they are consumable products that customers keep buying and you can see that there is a definite demand for this craft. Making candles is simple and fun and there are limitless ideas for making your candles special. Homemade greeting cards are another growth industry with 7 billion greeting cards sold each year in the US alone. People are looking for something different when selecting a greeting card and handmade greeting cards are both special and unique.

Homemade soap is another profitable home crafts business. It is simple and inexpensive to make handmade soaps and you can have fun creating beautiful soaps. The demand for handmade soap is growing all the time as people become more aware of the advantages of natural, chemical-free products. A home based gift basket business has great potential. This is one of the fastest growing businesses of the decade. Making and selling gift baskets is a good way of earning income at home.

How do I price my homemade crafts?

This is one of the most important aspects of a successful home crafts business. It is essential to get the pricing right so that you are neither undercharging or making your craft unaffordable. It is vital that you carefully research what similar products are selling for. Go to local stores that stock these crafts and check the prices. Visit craft fairs and farmers markets and see how your craft is priced. Go online and investigate the prices for similar crafts. Make sure you take your costs and overheads into consideration when setting your prices. You need to have a reasonable profit margin in order to make money.

How do I market and sell my homemade crafts?

Craft fairs are a good place to start selling your product. Find out which are the most popular local craft fairs and farmers markets and rent a booth to sell your crafts. Visit local gift stores and ask to sell your product on consignment through the store. Host a home party where guests can buy your crafts. Team up with friends who have a different home crafts business and set up a home party together. Market your homemade product to gift basket companies or make your own gift baskets using your products. Put together some promotional material and visit local businesses who can use your craft for client gifts. There are so many ways to market your crafts and with energy and determination you can have a successful home crafts business.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Making Good Candles Better

Every candle maker continually looks for ways to improve their candles. As with many hobbies, it's good idea to start off making simple candles and mastering the basic techniques. Then, once you have a firm base of experience you'll be able to experiment with different techniques to make your good candles even better.

One of the first things to experiment with is making scented candles. Adding fragrance adds yet another dimension of enjoyment to the candle and it is relatively straightforward.

By far the easiest way to add scent is to buy fragrances made specifically for candle making. In a moment, I'll point you to the webpage that will fill in the details but for now know that quality does matter with regards to scent. There is a limit to how much fragrance you can add to wax. This varies with the type of wax, but the practical result is that you can't strengthen the weak scent of poor quality fragrance by adding more of it.

Of course adding color to a candle can add to attractiveness, but most candle makers start out adding dye even with their first candles. One variation to try is to make a taper or a pillar candle of one color, then dip it in wax of another color. The easiest way to start is dipping a white candle in a brightly colored wax, but you can obviously use any color combination that appeals to you.

Another simple way to decorate a plain candle is to attach decorative elements to the side. There are paints that can be used on candles. Candle makers also will use thin sheets of wax that they cut into shapes and attach to the candle with melted wax.

The making candles better, it's also important to pay attention to the finished results and how they work. Specifically, notice how the candle burns.

One of the common areas that beginning candle makers can improve on is their choice of wicks. At first, you will get decent results by following the recommendations for size that most wicks are labeled with. Over time, though, you'll find that your best guide is you own experience. Here are some things to look for.

Ideally, the pool of wax should extend almost to the edge of the candle. If it doesn't, the wick is undersized for that particular candle.

On the other hand, a candle burning was too large a flame (assuming the wick is probably trim) indicates a wick that is too large for the candle.

Although you can't replace a wick once you've already made a candle, you can make notes of your observations so you will make better choices with your future candles.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Setting Up Jewelry Stalls and Tents Outdoors

Creating jewelry can be very monotonous and repetitive and it is important that you take some time out to relax, even if you are still working. Outdoor markets are a great place not only to sell your creations, but you time to mingle with other artists and share ideas and experiences. There are many markets that you can attend, especially on the weekend and during the holidays. Not only will you meet new people and make some friends, but you will be able to do some work as well. Being in a different location will give you fresh ideas and you will come up with some inventive and unique designs, working from the same studio or room can be very frustrating and you can lose focus.

There are many easy ways to sell your hand-crafted jewelry items while having some fun. One of the most typical is the outdoor craft show. It's critical to try identifying the clients at every craft show so when selecting perfect beads for bracelet and necklace items they are far more targeted for that precise show and clientele.

Outdoor craft shows are a fun activity to showcase all of your hand-crafted jewelries. This is a great opportunity for you to present the uniqueness and creativity of your designs to folks. However, you have got to first make sure that it is a good time for putting up your stall, one of your considerations is the weather. That is why it is always crucial to expect all types of weather conditions, be prepared! Here are a few tips that may make you well prepared.

Tents or covers are usually utilized at outdoor craft shows. They serve as shade from the heat of the sun and from the rain. However, if it's not raining or the heat of the sun isn't that bad, there is still the possibility of strong winds. So always prepare a material that can weight down your cover or tent. Material weights like paint cans stuffed with heavy things, cinder blocks, and jugs full of water, sometimes these weighted materials have to be hanging from your canopy.

Before leaving, do not forget to bring a hammer, nails, wire or string, rope, and little pieces of wood. Just to be on the safe side, you want the display boards and tables safely nailed down or fastened another way.
Make an effort to keep your entire stock safe from water and sawdust. Keep them in water sealed bags and boxes, jewelries that are on cards can be damaged if the rain gets on them or the wind blows and they land in the dirt.

If at all possible put your jewelry items such as small earrings on display boards or frames. This is also an easy and quicker way when packing them away in case of hurricanes and gale force winds.

Though all this sounds like a large amount of trouble and lengthy exercise, this can truly make sense if you're up to your knees with uncooperative weather. Nevertheless, you can still feel the fun, joy, and excitement whether the weather is good or bad. There is no harm in preparing, expect the unexpected, you never know.

Always pack more hang tags for your jewelry than you will need, they come in useful as business cards that you can pass out if things are quiet. Other stuff to do when the weather is bad and you have the time on your hands is to keep an eye open for any jewelry display updates which will give you fresh ideas on displaying your jewelry. Wander around the other booths and try pick up some concepts of a way to display your jewelry more professionally.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Top Five Thanksgiving Crafts that Guests can Wear

Costumes may automatically be reserved for children's parties, however, why not make your Thanksgiving party one to remember by having guests craft their own attire? There are many ways to make an adult feel like a kid again. From bobbing for apples to making hand turkeys, even old folks want to have a good time. Take a chance with the top five Thanksgiving crafts that guests can wear to your next gathering and enjoy!

1. Headgear. Paper Pilgrim hats so easy to make and decorate. Large Indian headdresses are beautiful to look at and can be made elaborately. Perhaps you can dictate headgear by families, gender, or personal preference. Having one family wear one hat and the other a different one, it creates a fun way to learn names! Nobody would have expected Thanksgiving crafts to be so useful.

2. Cornucopia. Another fun craft for a party with multiple tables is to have pins or nametags with a different food on it. Think of the fruits and vegetables within a cornucopia. Then, to seat guests, ask them to sit at tables only when the cornucopia is full of each type of food. For example, if there are five chairs per table, then create five different types of food to wear with each table representing each food.

3. Jewelry. For a feminine party, take a more sophisticated approach to wearing Thanksgiving crafts. Making earrings out of faux feathers or autumn colored beads is not only festive, but also fancy enough to wear every day.

4. Family Sweaters. We all have them. Those turkey covered sweaters that elder aunts or grandmothers have bought with much love and affection. Have guests wear these cute, but really hideous, outfits to your party but use the prints in another way. Perhaps patching a quilt together to donate or stuffing pillows and stuffed animals is a better use of this craft than wearing them.

5. Plain White Tee. If your party is a gathering of old friends, then buy up some plain white t-shirts and iron on old photographs of them right onto the front. Pass them out to guests with a black sharpie marker and encourage them to write on each other. Not only is this a great way to walk down memory road, but also these Thanksgiving crafts become easy mementos to keep!

Considering Thanksgiving crafts that you can wear may sound like a wacky take on a party, but can easily make your gathering the event of the year. Take this idea to whatever level you think your guests would be comfortable with! You can either set up a craft table for guests to make their own Thanksgiving crafts or make the favors yourself to hand out upon their arrival. Extend this theme with the invitations and party favors by making them instead of just buying them. You can be as vague or forward in requiring costumes at an adult party, but expect the results to be more fun than you ever imagined!

Source : ezinearticles.com

Making Crafts Can Help You Keep from Overlooking Secretaries Day

There are several holidays that tend to be easily overlooked, and Secretaries Day is one of those. This holiday is a little-known day that is observed on a Wednesday at the end of April and is actually now referred to as Administrative Professionals Day. Regardless of the nomenclature, though, these career professionals are the backbone of the office and should be honored on their special day. Participating in crafts can be a great way to take note of the very important work that secretaries do for their offices.

One Secretaries Day craft in which to take part is the creation of individualized coffee mugs. While it may seem a little basic and diminutive a task, secretaries were once expected to deliver coffee to their bosses and others in the office. In reverse, you can provide them with a beautiful hand painted coffee mug of their own, filled perhaps with individual sized coffee packets that they can use to make coffee for themselves.

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While that sentiment is an excellent choice, you may also wish to craft an additional piece for Secretaries Day, maybe putting together a banner that you can print out announcing the occasion and thanking each individual secretary within the office. This can be done by hand or with computer graphics and printed to hang in the office on the occasion. Whatever option you choose, don't forget to thank your administrative personnel when Secretaries Day rolls around each year, as there are many tasks that would never be completed without their invaluable assistance.

Handcrafted Vs Handmade

No matter how hard I searched I couldn't find a definitive answer to the never ending debate "Handmade vs. Handcrafted". If you're into any aspect of art or crafting I can almost guarantee you've had this discussion before one form or another. So what do the experts say?

The American Heritage Dictionary defines "Handmade" as; made or prepared by hand rather than by machine. It's definition of "Handcrafted"; to fashion or make by hand.

Merriam Webster:

Handmade; made by hand or by a hand process. Handcrafted; to fashion by handicraft. Handicraft;

1: a: manual skill b: an occupation requiring skill with the hands

2: the articles fashioned by those engaged in handicraft.

Webster:

Handmade; made by hand or a hand process

Handcrafted; A work produced by hand labor

Almost every definition was identical. For fun I got out my old dusty Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary published in 1963 to see what they had to say 45 years ago. I wasn't surprised to see there wasn't much of a difference. Handmade; made by hand or a hand process. Handcraft; to fashion by handicraft. Handicraft; 1a: manual skill. b: an occupation requiring a skill with the hands.

Lastly I tried to find a more modern definition so I tried Wikipedia. Handmade; means something made by hand, rather than by a machine.
Much to my surprise the word handcrafted came up with "No article title matches". Tried "What is handcrafted" only to come up with a ton of ad's for people describing handcrafted (as they see it) items for sale.

After several hours of research I gave up. I guess I'm going to have to give you my narrative of handcrafted vs. handmade and let you decide which classification to choose.

Since most agree that "handmade" is a process of making something by hand, or with your hands, does it mean entirely by hand or the process of putting something together using your hands? Reading the definitions I found, it means just about the same thing.

So you receive a jigsaw puzzle for your birthday and put it together using your hands. Did you handcraft the puzzle or was the puzzle handmade by you? What if you actually drew out a picture, cut it up into hundreds of pieces then put it back together again, is it handmade or handcrafted? You actually made the puzzle didn't you?

In an article I wrote Art vs. Crafts I mentioned the definition for "Artisan"; "also called a "craftsman; skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft" . An interesting interpretation on the subject.

If you were presented with a kit to make a bracelet and did, I believe your bracelet would fall under the category "handcrafted". You used your skills and put together something that was pre-fabricated.

Using the same analogy if you were to use the same kit and produce something other than a bracelet, or enhanced the bracelet using the parts in a different manner than described or instructed, then you'd still have "handcrafted". If you were to actually make and add additional parts or assemble the kit in a different manner, then I would say it's still "handcrafted".

I believe this because I purchase and use prefabricated items for the creation of the items I design jewelry or otherwise. I may purchase jewelry findings or artisan-made beads to enhance or complete a piece of jewelry I design and make. How I used the findings, where I put them, and the ability to design the jewelry around the findings I use, I call handcrafted. Is this bad, no. Either way, I used my hands and my mind (what matters most) in the creation of a particular item. And yes, I use a variety of tools to help me in the process.

As much as I'd hate to admit it, I think "handmade" should refer to items which are uniquely made from totally raw materials. If you raise the sheep, process the wool, then weave it by hand into a rug, I'd consider that "handmade". But wait, you need tools to weave a rug don't you? So does that knock it out of the handmade category? What if you use a machine in the process? But what if you built that machine yourself? Is your rug handmade or handcrafted? Oh my gosh, this is too much informational overload to process.

I work with natural materials in a different art medium; gourds They are a natural material. I grow them, dry them, clean them, sand, carve, inlay, embellish, paint and finish them in different manners. I still consider them handcrafted rather than handmade because I didn't make the gourd itself. I simply used something and added to it using my hands and imaginative ability. I use my ability to craft something out of an existing item.

Is there an answer to the difference between handcrafted and handmade? I've considered which classification to add my own work to several times as I wrote this article. Which sounds better, handcrafted or handmade? Would it make a difference to you if you were given the opportunity to purchase an exact duplicate item; one marked handcrafted and the other handmade? Would you care so long as you knew someone used their hands to create the item? Does it boil down to keywords used in searching Google or Yahoo as to which you buy? Or are you going to purchase something you like? That's the ultimate question.

The line I have to draw between handcrafted and handmade is the mass produced machine made items being classified as handmade only because someone had to turn the switch from on to off to start the process.

This debate will go on for years well beyond our time. It truly doesn't matter. You'll do a search for "handmade" first then proceed to "handcrafted" thinking you'll get a better result or the exact opposite. Either way, what you'll get is items which are made by someone using their hands. Someone who has put their heart and soul into the product hoping someone out there will appreciate their work and purchase the item.

Don't limit yourself because of what I or anyone else says. Handcrafted, handmade is the same. If you like it, appreciate it, and it makes you happy, by all means purchase it. After all, it was made by hand for someone special; you.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Hand Embroidered Baby Blankets

Custom made embroidered baby blankets, stuffed toys, baby bath towels, toddler hooded towels and even hand embroidered dog coats are unique treasures that also make wonderful gifts. Home accents such as table runners, tablecloths, napkins and aprons are also custom embroidered and make very nice gifts as well.

Are you looking for the perfect gift to give at your next baby shower? Mothers love getting a custom embroidered blanket with their baby's name on it. This kind of gift is unique because it is customized with the newborns name.

Baby's love baby blankets, especially soft fleece blankets with their favorite characters or animals on it. They love to cuddle, snuggle and chew their special blanket. The beauty of a personalized blanket is that you can request any wording you want embroidered on it. Make it something that you will treasure long past your baby's need for it.

All parents will love the heirloom quality of a personalized embroidered baby blanket, especially one made by a small businessperson rather than one churned out by an assembly line factory. Embroidered baby items make great gifts at baby showers, birthdays, Christmas and even christenings.

If you are ever stuck on what to get your family member or friend who just had a baby then you must consider an embroidered baby blanket or bath towel. Parents will remember the gift giver each time they wrap their baby in a custom baby blanket. These types of gifts are guaranteed to never hit the yard sale pile!

As a gift giver of a custom embroidered blanket, your friends and family will think of as very thoughtful and wonderful. Any type of hand made baby item is a keepsake that will be treasured long after the youngster has outgrown it.

Baby clothes are such big business these days. Most people will do their shopping in one of the large department stores that seem to spring up everywhere. Unfortunately, your child will be wearing the same thing that a thousand other babies in your town or city will be wearing. The idea is to have your baby stand out in the crowd with hand embroidered baby clothes from a specialty shop, boutique or small baby craft store.

Individually hand embroidered baby clothing will ensure that your baby is wearing something that no other child is wearing. Clothes are a great way for parents to express their baby's personality. Parent's want to dress them up and show them off because they are proud of them and they want everyone to know it.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Making Crafts Can Make Money

Many people have heard of assembly type business. However a lot of these seem too hard if not impossible to make any money. You spend a lot of time and effort assembling the craft only to have it rejected. Maybe these products are too difficult to sell on your. There you are. You have wasted your time and are stuck with products you don't even want.

How about a craft that sells itself? The cross necklace does take some time to develop your technique but with the detailed instructional DVD you should be able to do that with ease. The DVD has up close and slowed down instructions making it easier for you to master. While you are improving your skills, you can sell your completed necklaces to friends and families. It should taken but a few tries to be able to make a quality product ready to sell.

If you are a salesmen, why not venture out. You could use the flea market as place to quickly move your product. Just remember to offer them at a discount, everyone likes a bargain. You could sell your hand-made necklaces at a craft fair. Promote them as great gifts. You can make select custom colored wires on your orders. This gives you the opportunity to make very unique necklaces. Many customers like school, football or other custom colors. The patriotic combination of red, white and blue proves to be a big seller. Another avenue is to sell to a retail store. Try obtaining orders from a local christian bookstore. If you offer them at a great price the store could benefit from marking them up to retail. Being professional by keeping up with your orders and offering great prices could ensure further business.

The company does offer a buy back option. Once you have improved your skills you can send in your finished product for approval. Once you are approved you are reimbursed your material cost and paid for your labor. After producing the set quantity you will be reimbursed the cost of your start up kit.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Fun Crafts - Hobbies and Interests

Hobbies and interests are fun activities that can entertain us for hours. In fact, a list of hobbies and craft activities will keep anyone busy for a lifetime.

It is safe to say that most people have hobby ideas or fun activities that they would love to pursue, but what if you do not know what hobbies or interests would captivate you?

There are many hobby projects, fun crafts, and art activities that you can personally originate and design or you can purchase hobby kits. There are so many fun activities to choose from that selecting one or two can be quite a challenge.

The thinking error, which I have observed, is people trying to select a hobby from a stereotyped list. I have watched people look at a hobbies list and try different types of art and craft activities only to be disappointed.

It becomes very expensive emotionally, mentally, physically, financially, and timely to butterfly from one hobby interest to another.

How do you select a hobby?

First and foremost, who are you? What is your personality type? Secondly, have you taken a personality evaluation of yourself lately? Thirdly, are you ready for craft activities, sport and action activities, or other types of fun hobbies and interests?

Get started by making a Christmas wish list. Draw three columns. Column number one will read I love to do, column number two will read, I like to do, and column number three will read, I will do. You many want to add a second sheet of paper listing two columns titled with I wish I could do and I do not like or want to do.

This list is a fun activity because it is a way of entering a dream world resulting in fantasy with a possibility for reality.

Man has always fantasized, wished, or dreamed that he could fly like a bird. Man went from attempting flight with manmade wings to steel wings that we see in use on jet airplanes today.

Imagine how your fantasy or dream world can be brought to life with skilled hands.

The quickest way to know your interests is to start with a Christmas wish list. It may start with...I would love to fly and to travel. But, there is a lack of funds, family or employment restrictions, or other responsibilities to restrain your wish. Do not get discouraged. You would love to fly; perhaps it can be done in the future.

Then you think building an airplane from a model kit would satisfy your flying interest, but that is not the same as flying. Also, you know that you are not mechanically skilled. No need to feel discouraged because you are now recognizing a skill that you do not have. As much as you would love to fly a model airplane, ti will not do as a hobby.

Hand gliding might be considered. That would be cool fun! Oops, fearful of heights.

An in-depth look at self discovers that kite flying would be possible, affordable and can be done by self or with family members and friends as it fits your lifestyle.

A simple solution is to review your list of columns one by one and eliminate until you decide on a few choices which you consider as good hobbies and interests which are within your capabilities.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Handmade Hand Soap - Wonderful Recipes For Homemade Soap!

Handmade hand soaps are a wonderful alternative to the commercially produced liquid or bar hand soaps. When considering types of hand soap, liquid soap dispensed from a decorative bottle or plastic containers or the soap dispensed in public rest rooms usually comes to mind.

Liquid soaps are convenient alternatives to bar soap and the increasing consumer use of liquid soaps indicates that they are not merely a trend. However, hand soaps can also be delicate and lovely bar soaps that serve the purpose of soothing and moisturizing the delicate skin on the hands as well as a lovely decorative element that complements your bathroom decor.

Regardless of the formulation, making homemade soap for your hands is a great idea for saving money or personalizing a formula to suit specific requirements and is also a thoughtful gift idea. Following are three recipes for homemade hand soap. One for excellent liquid hand soap, one very easy recipe for highly lathering liquid hand soap and one for a beautiful and gentle bar hand soap. Each recipe will make your homemade hand soap a delight.

Easy to Make and Lovely to Use Handmade Hand Soap

Ingredients:

o 2 cups of grated mild soap or olive oil soap

o 1 tablespoon of palm oil

o 1 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol

o 1 teaspoon of glycerin

o (1/2 teaspoon neroli fragrance oil)

o 1 teaspoon of essence of orange blossom

o 1/2 teaspoon vanilla fragrance oil

o 3 cups of distilled water

o 2 pump bottles

o Using a low heat setting and a double boiler add the finely grated soap, palm oil, glycerin and water

o Simmer until mixture is liquefied

o Add alcohol

o Remove from heat and allow to cool

o Add the essential oils, mix well

o Cool completely

o Using a funnel, slowly pour liquid soap into chosen container. (if the mixture is too thick ,slowly add water until reaching desired consistency)

So Simple Lathering Liquid Hand Soap

o Pour one tablespoon of liquid hand soap base into an empty soap dispenser. (The soap that was formerly in the dispenser should be a highly lathering soap such as a commercial dish detergent.

o Fill the container with warm water leaving only a small portion of the container unfilled.

o Place the lid back on and vigorously shake the container

o Pour into pump containers and shake to initiate the foaming action

Purely Pretty Hand Soap -Bar

Use the cold process method for this soothing soap and allow the soap to cure for 8 weeks.

-­ 8 lbs of 100% Olive Oil

-­ 1 oz of beeswax pearls

-­ 4 ozs of lye (sodium hydroxide)

-­ 10 ozs of distilled water

-­ Melt the beeswax in the olive oil until temperatures reaches 120 degrees

-­ Add the lye to the water

-­ Follow basic cold process instructions and add the lye mixture to the mixture of beeswax/oil and cool to 110 degrees

-­ Stir until trace and pour into mold.

-­ Optional additional additives: dried herbs, flower petals, fragrance oils, and coloring agents.

Each of these recipes can be used for the basis for hundreds of homemade hand soaps. Try making one and you will be hooked on making your own soaps.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Handmade Weather Vanes

Weather vanes have been traditionally used for tracking the direction from which the wind is blowing. They soon evolved as an embellishment on the rooftops of countryside homes apart from having a functional purpose. More and more imaginative shapes adorned the rooftops rather than the staid and traditional shape of an arrow. However, gradually, weather vanes have transcended their functional purpose and are considered as an object of great beauty. Many people started collecting these antique hand-made weather vanes.

Handmade vanes are sold for commercial as well as residential purposes. Buyers have the option to design and customize hand made weather vanes according to their preferences. Several craft persons are available who may craft vanes of innovative shapes to suit the customers' demands.

Coppersmiths employed in various craft studios and stores now design and build weather vanes according to client specifications. A proposal is prepared for the customers including the design specifications and interpretation of the image of the specified weather vane. Traditional designs can then be used to develop new designs based on the client specification and the coppersmith's ideas or expertise.

Handmade weather vanes are mostly free hammered rather than produced in a cast. They are raised from a sheet of the material used to manufacture them, where the sheet is hammered to the desired form. Chasing and repousse techniques are used to build them and are warranted to endure blows of different weather conditions. Finishing options range from gilded 23 carat to cultured verdigris to select from.

Handmade weather vanes are flawless. Most finished products do not exhibit any scratches and flaunt a professional touch with glossy finishes.

Handmade weather vanes are built carefully and physically verified whether they show correct direction of wind or not. Handmade weather vanes can be bought online or visiting the local studios. Rates may vary according to design specifications and studio charges.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Thrifty Craft Supplies Makes The Difference

Anyone of us could walk into the craft store and spend a fortune on supplies. Personally, I have enough fabric and patterns to make clothes for my family for a year, but I still go back for something new! When making craft projects like scrapbooks or pictures, I like to look around the house to see what craft supplies I can find.

You don't have to spend a fortune on craft supplies to make stunning works of art. You can find wonderful supplies in common places. For instance, look outside. You can find stones, sand, shells, sticks, dried leaves, and dried flowers. All of these can be used to create beautiful projects. Leaves and the right colors of paint can make creative pictures or stamps to use on your walls. Take a look around the house as well. You can find pictures, quotes, and other decorative patterns in magazines, cards, and even junk mail. Thumb through them before you throw them away. Cut out anything you like and keep it in a file.

You can save other items around your house to use as craft supplies. Save cans, glass jars, paper towel tubes, and shoe boxes. These items can come in handy, especially if you have school age children that need craft supplies for school.

If you want to create a special photo or scrapbook from a vacation, collect your craft supplies along the way. Collect brochures and take lots of pictures along the way. I created a decorative matte for a family photo at Disney World from the brochures, free gifts (a small keychain with the ring removed), and our room keys. Don't discard items like plane tickets, movie or amusement park tickets, or room keys. They can add a personal touch and a great reminder to any photo. Seeing the plane ticket stubs again may remind you of something that happened during the flight that you may other wise have forgotten.

When you are shopping for craft supplies, you should try looking online or at the dollar store. You never know where you are going to find great supplies. You can also buy supplies at wholesale, or in large quantities if you know that you are going to use the supplies. It is not a bargain if you are not going to use it all! Ask your local art supply, craft store, or child's school for left over materials that would otherwise be thrown out. Sometimes you can get left over paint, remnants, or other materials at a discount - or free!

There are also some inexpensive craft supplies you can keep on hand if you or your children decide to do an impromptu project. Keep simple materials like white and colored paper, colorful felt pieces, craft paint in primary colors, crayons, white glue, scissors, and paint brushes. Your kids will love using piper cleaners and googly eyes, too.

In the end, what supplies you need or use will depend on your project and your taste. No matter what you need, follow these suggestions to find great craft supplies without spending a fortune!

Source : ezinearticles.com

Arts and Crafts For the Elderly

The picture used to be locked in to an antiquated version of crafts for the elderly: they were relegated to cutting out construction paper Christmas tree chains and Valentines, making doilies, and fussing with clay or paints. Maybe crafts for the elderly were thought of as siblings to crafts for the mentally challenged, or maybe crafts for the elderly meant--since the elderly were completing the circle of life and returning to regressed stages--that only that which children were allowed to handle was acceptable for the patients in an elder care facility.

Guess what? Times have changed along with people, and crafts for the elderly are much more "advanced"...they are, too, as varied in medium and message and skill level as the individuals are. Yes, our elders are still offered the options of pipe cleaners and papier-mâché, but they are also invited to continue what they did when they were younger. Some elders still work as jewelers, making jewelry, for instance, while others still quilt, knit, and crochet. Many enjoy finely detailed needlepoint. Others sew. Elders make clocks, build birdhouses, craft workshop items such as dolls and toys.

And why can't crafts for the elderly also include arts for the elderly? My mother paints in oils and watercolors; my friend who is retired restores antiques. Other elders I have worked with in memoir-writing workshops have continued to write and make their own books (the hand sewn kind) but have also published their own memoirs with small presses. In addition, some have made planters and plant terrariums, while others have done decoupage and wood-burning projects that have yielded family trees, poems, and images as gifts and honors for their loved ones.

Other possibilities as crafts for the elderly include (but are not limited to) hand-made greeting cards, pictures, and posters; arts and crafts kits; ceramics; weaving; cooking and non-cooking activities; gardening; gift ideas and baskets (from dream catchers to edible bouquets); miniature models and kits (airplanes, cars, trucks); etchings (in brass or on tiles); scrapbooking; science crafts; sand painting; paper dolls; botanical and other 3-d sculpting.

Granted, those with debilitating conditions or mental deterioration will not be able to nor have interest in gold-flaking the ceiling. But many of our so-called elders are still as active and engaged as they ever were, so they need not be limited to our idea of crafts hour in the rec room. The idea is that the elderly should continue to do what they did, what they love to do, and whatever they can do to keep their minds and souls healthy and happy. If that means rejecting a popsicle stick for a paintbrush, all the better!

Source : ezinearticles.com

Halloween Crafts For Adults - Let Your Imagination Go Wild!

A fun activity during Halloween is to decorate your home with hand made art and craft decorations. With a little imagination, one can make wonderful decorations to beautify the house and give it that festive look during Halloween. It is not necessary to be an expert at craft making, but a little imagination and ingenuity will go a long way to succeed in this project. A quick search on the Internet for ideas on homemade decorations will speed up your imaginative powers. You can come up with some creepy looking decorations by making use of simple household items. Most often, people like to transform their homes into haunted houses.

The yard is the best place to start with Halloween decorations. You can turn it into a creepy cemetery. You can give it a ghoulish appearance by putting 'tombstones' all around it. These can be simple plywood cut out into half- spheres. Attach some nails to the bottom, or push them down into the ground so that they stand up. You can paint them black and put some scary writings on them. The lighting in the yard can also be adjusted to throw eerie shadows over the yard. A few 'ghosts' made up of white sheets tied on to bushes will do the trick. Balloon Ghosts in white with attached bells can be left to float in the breeze. Their haunting chimes may scare even the strongest hearted person!

Halloween Crafts for the indoors can be made easily. One way to get a spooky effect in the house is to drape a fine white cloth, artistically painted with a ghost face, on the windowpane. Bats, artificial cobwebs and witch cutouts can be put up on the walls or hung from the ceiling to complete the creepy effect.

Many of these crafts can be made by kids too. However, if there is a need to use power tools for creating them, it is best left to the adults to do the job. Children can be involved to do simple things like painting or gluing on glitter, beads and sequins. This can be a fun activity done together to create something unique.

Your creativity is limited only to your imagination. Use your imagination and creativity while putting together Halloween crafts. As adults, your creations will be much neater since you are now agile while using your hands. Let the kids participate as well. There is nothing better than having a family activity to bring everyone closer! Have fun and enjoy your time with the family during Halloween.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Hand Knitted Slippers

Knitting slippers is one of the many crafts which I enjoy. The pattern which I use has been handed down through the family over the years. We have been wearing these long lasting, washable warm slippers since we were children. From time to time a store bought pair of slippers does make it home, but we have always seemed to prefer this comfortable warm home made slipper. Of course the best thing is one can always knit up a new pair at any moment, even if the reason for the new pair is just for a different color.

These particular slippers are made with 2 strands of yarn which contributes to the warmth of the slippers. Using 2 strands of yarn at once also gives you the opportunity to a create a wide variety of color combinations. Occasionally I do use one color but I find it much more interesting to combine colors. Sometimes mixing the same color but using different shades of that color creates a beautiful combination. Other times using white then another color, be it pastel or a darker shade creates a great end result. The color combinations are endless!

Another great feature of knitted slippers is they are very easy to care for. When they need to be cleaned all you have to do is pop them in the washer then machine dry. They will come out looking like new! The slippers do have a little give to them and machine washing and drying them will return them to their original fit. How easy is that! Unlike most store bought slippers which are not all washable you will never have to worry about having clean slippers again! Homemade slippers are warm, comfortable, easy to clean and definitely offer a wide variety of color variations.

Since we all love these slippers it would be wonderful to share them with everyone.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Hand Woven Baskets - How to Do It?

The existence of hand woven baskets can be traced back to over ten thousand years back when baskets were discovered in Egyptian pyramids. Since that time, baskets have been found in nearly each civilization to date. At the start hand woven baskets were made more for prerequisite and were used to hold such stuff as food, clothing and seed and were used to hold produce for trade.

A complete variety of natural products have been utilized in the weaving of baskets, including grasses, roots, reeds, vines, leaves, raffia and cane. Amazingly, even today baskets are still hand woven, as regardless of our continued expansion with technology and know how, man hasn't ever been ready to create or develop a machine which is capable of mass manufacturing baskets.

A hand woven basket can add a certain charm or style to any room in your home and except for looking interesting they may also be extremely functional. You can store all demeanour of things in them like bread, wine, logs for the fire etc. And the sole limitation actually is your imagination.

If you want to go a stage further and really begin to make your own hand woven baskets to sell, the method isn't as tough as you might imagine. Once you're a little more experienced in basket weaving, and have a better concept of the sorts of baskets you want to form, there are some straightforward steps to follow to get your business off the ground. Invest in, or create, your own private business cards and design them to incorporate your name, contact information and info about the baskets you design.

Look in your local papers for imminent craft shows or holidays and book yourself a stall. Many local Chambers of Commerce will be ready to supply an inventory of forthcoming craft shows, along with contact data. Many folks visit craft fairs and you'll make plenty of new contacts and mates by attending them, as well as being in a position to display your baskets and hand out business cards.

Use an online auction site like eBay to publicize your baskets. Take pictures and display a price you are ready to accept should any one be interested. Sites like this are a good way to reach plenty more folk, literally world-wide.

Are there any local present shops, flower shops or specialist shops in your area? If that is so take a sample or 2 of your baskets and visit them to determine if they might have an interest in helping you sell them. They may take a commission for doing so but this is a good way to get folks to help sell your baskets for you and also helps potential shoppers gain a good impression of you and your work.

So, whether or not you are inquisitive about making hand woven baskets for pleasure or for business, the info you want on this craft is all widely available for you to employ.

Source : ezinearticles.com