Crafting Secrets

Get a Step-by-Step Guide for Craft Projects For Any Age And Ability, Made EASY 101 Easy Craft Project Ideas.. -Let me know how you like it.

Turn on your local news these days and you would think its 1933 revisited. They say we’re not quite in a depression but I guess it depends on who you ask and what part of the country you’re from. The percentage of Americans out of work is almost record breaking. Times may be difficult and job opportunities may be few and beyond reach. These are the times when you have to dig down deep inside yourself and come up with a solution on how you’re going to survive in this economy.

If you’re the creative type, you may want to try making extra cash in the art and crafts field. This hobby can quickly turn into a very profitable business. With today’s technology, you’re able to reach a wider audience to sell your arts and crafts. Believe it or not, there are people still out there willing to buy handmade crafty items. You just have to be creative in finding where these people are and placing your craft items in front of them.

So, what crafty item should you make and sell? Well, that depends on your creative passions. The crafting field is vast and there is always something for everyone. Some suggestions are; crocheting, knitting, polymer clay, sewing, handmade toys, handmade home decoration, the list can go on and on. Think about what craft items people might want to buy. How would your craft item benefit the buyer? Can your craft item be of use as decoration? Is it a functional craft item? What purpose does it have for the potential buyer? These are the questions you should ask yourself when coming up with ideas on what craft item you want to make and/or currently making.

Now that you have decided on what craft item you want to make, how do you know if there is a market for it? You don’t, unless you do some research. Browse some of the online auction sites that are out there on the web. Type in your craft item into the search field and take note of how many bids are placed or how many items are listed. This is not a sure fire method but will give you a sense of who else is making something similar to your craft item. Another way to find out if there is a market for your craft item is to search for possible stores or internet stores that may be selling what you want to make. Research, research is the key.

You discover there may be a possible market for your craft item. How do you make money? Where do you sell it? This is where you need to get extra creative of getting people to buy your craft item. Research local craft fairs in your area and sign up to the ones that fit in with what you want to sell. There are many online internet sites like Etsy and ArtFire where you can setup an online store to sell your craft item. Just make sure you read all the fine print about listing fees and final sale fees but are a good way to sell online. Make sure you take good pictures of your craft item and remember, the potential buyer can’t hold your creation. Describe in detail everything about what you are selling.

Along with selling your craft items on online stores, you can also turn your knowledge of making your craft item into a tutorial or eBook. The quick and simple way is to create the tutorial in word doc and then convert it to PDF file. List your tutorial on your online store. When people purchase your tutorial, you would email them the PDF of your tutorial. There is also online eBook creating software out there on the web. Do a search on your favorite web browser for; creating eBooks.

These are just a few ideas of how I am trying to survive in today’s rough economy as a crafter. Keep your head up and happy crafting.

Below are some birthday cake decorating ideas that will help make your child’s birthday a very memorable event.

Candy Land Cake: Make a normal sheet cake in your child’s most wanted flavor, in a rectangular pan. When it is cool, ice it with buttercream frosting in your child’s desired color. If you can get your hands on a Candy Land game board, you will be able to style the cake decorating to resemble the board. You can also go to Candyland.com to see a game board.

The Candy Land game features peppermints, iced gingerbread men, colored gumdrops, licorice sticks, chocolate candies, and circus peanuts. If you can’t find some of these items, You can use construction paper to make them, staple or tape them to a popsicle stick to stand it up in the cake.

Race car cake: You will need to bake two cakes, one will be in a rectangular pan and the other in a loaf cake pan. Next remove them from the pans and cut the loaf cake in the shape of an arch much like the shape of the top of the car.  Next you will need to frost the sheet cake and place the cut loaf cake in the middle, centered to give the cake balance.

You will need to ice the car with a different color icing than what you used to do the cake. Red or blue are great racing colors to choose from. You will need to use your imagination when doing this look in craft stores for ideas or inspiration. Outlines around the doors and windows or always good using icing  or licorice. You can use chocolate doughnuts to make tires for the race cars.

The Doll Cake: This cake is very admired with young girls who still love to play with dolls. Bake a cake in a metal, oven safe, bowl. When the cake has cooled, turn the cake out, centered, onto a prepared cake board. The widest part of the cake should be on the board.

Use a butter knife to hollow out a spot in the top of the cake for the doll’s legs. Once the doll is inserted, the cake becomes a dress for the doll. Make sure the doll is clean and undressed. Wrap the legs in plastic wrap before placing the doll into the cake, up to her waist. Ice the cake and the top of the doll to make it appear that the doll is fully dressed. You can pay for accents at the supermarket to jazz up the dress.

For children you love different themes these cakes are great.  These are simple ideas for childrens them parties.  For example the doll cake can be used with a barbie theme, the race car can be used with a car’s theme party. There are much much more ideas available for you to try for many occassions.

These days, ‘Creative and Commercial Arts’ is one of most sought-after career fields. There are many students who have creative abilities and talent. All they have to do is sharpen the inbuilt aptitude, by giving themselves a formal triaging, which is available through fine arts at the certificate, diploma and degree level by numerous institutions.

Options in Commercial Fine Arts courses range from sculpture, applied arts, painting, craft, graphic interior design and painting. One should always get a professional training as it helps you to acquire the technical skills to survive in an industry where competition is never ending. One can get training at diploma and degree level. For getting the admission in Bachelors Degree course in Fine Arts (BFA), the minimum education required is Higher Secondary Examination or 10+ 2. Consequently, the eligibility for the Post Graduation Degree course in Commercial Fine Arts is a graduate degree in Fine Arts.

Some famous colleges in India that offer these courses are Symbiosis Institute of Design, Jamia Milia Islamia, Loyola College, Amity University, University of Calcutta, Rabindra Bharati University, International Institute of Fine Arts, Apeejay College of Fine Arts, University of Delhi.

Those who have acquired professional training can work in the respective fields as a freelancer. This allows variety and liberty in their projects. Illustrators, cartoonists, and designers are in a great demand in publishing industry and newspaper houses. Those who have expertise in applied art have ample opportunities in advertising agencies as graphic artists, designers, visualisers, and creative directors. Professional artists have unlimited opportunities in front of them ranging from working in art studios, advertising companies, fashion houses etc. There are many more related career options like teaching, direction, photography, television, clothing and fashion, art directors for magazines, on-line services, software companies, manufacturers, promotion and product design.

In electronic media, one can design non verbal presentations for television programmes involving trade figure analysis, election results, etc. Many commercial artists also design stamps and letter heads for government organizations and private firms. Software firms in India hire experts in commercial fine arts as “Graphic equalizers”.

One can also explore career options in abroad as there too you can find good career opportunities. There is an option to organize exhibitions and auctions for creative work in India and abroad also. One can also arrange workshops on fine arts and other related fields for better career prospects. Thus, we can say that there are unlimited options for job opportunities for the trained and professional artist in the field of fine arts, creative arts and commercial arts. After the completion of the course, one can choose his/her desired field and can work with either in a good company or for his/her own. This field can give you name and fame for the piece of work.

Upcycling is trendy, green and economical, but all too often, upcycled projects look – well, upcycled. We’ve all seen those oh-so-crafty projects that use old CDs to make artwork on the walls, or repurpose old sweaters into sofa cushions. While some of them look great in any apartment living room, the typical “saved from the trash” decorating project really does look like it was saved from the trash. It doesn’t have to be that way!

It is possible to turn trash into treasure that really looks like treasure. It takes attention to detail and a careful eye for professional finishing of your project. These tips will help you create beautiful furniture and design accents for your home from throwaways that you find in your own garage or at a local yard sale.

Start with quality materials. The best way to end up with a high quality upcycled accent is to start with a well-crafted piece that needs cleaning, repair and updating. Keep your eyes peeled for items at yard sales and on the side of the road that fit your design scheme, and that are basically sound. Use the right tools. Good tools can make the difference between a frustrating, time-consuming project that looks slapped together and a fun, easy-to-finish new piece of furniture or decor for your home. The tools are dependent on the type of project, of course. A decent sewing machine is a must for sewing projects, for instance, and an electric drill with a full set of bits will make woodworking projects so much easier. Start with a plan. Before you lay a finger on your project, decide exactly how to tackle it. Have a clear idea of what you want your finished piece to look like. Examine your starting piece to figure out what needs to be done to make it look the way you want it to look, then follow through on your plan step by step. Clean and repair first. Any redesign or upgrade needs to start with a clean, sturdy base. Sand away any rust from metal pieces, and clean all surfaces of your piece. If joints are loose or rickety, tighten them up. Repair any parts that need repairing. Don’t let your eagerness to dig in overcome your good sense. This is a vital first step that will ensure a quality result. Pay close attention to finish and detail work. The difference between a “craft project” and a striking piece of home decor is in the detail and finish work. Finish all seams on sewn work. Countersink screws on wood pieces. Clean up any corners and edges. Install the right hardware. Do whatever it takes to give your finished piece that finished look.

Creativity is great. Having an eye that can see a gorgeous planter in a paint-dripped old wooden ladder is a gift. When you couple that funky, creative side with meticulous crafting and attention to detail, you can truly lift a “home made” piece into the realm of “hand crafted design”.

Christmas is an ideal time to spend with your love ones, catch up on some reading and just enjoy the festive season. As we all know modern customs of Christmas include gift-giving which is quite expensive, time consuming and stressful. This year and provided you have a workingInkjet printer we would like to share with you 4 creative ideas for creating the perfect Christmas present all within a very small budget and from the comfort of your own home.

4 Ideas for Arts and Crafts Christmas Present:

1. Create custom t shirts designs - Using your home Inkjet printer any image or text could be printed onto a transfer paper and ironed on a textile fabric like a t shirt or even an apron. To start your project find a suitable image on the Internet (make sure you are allowed to us the image) or create a block of text. Next print the image onto the transfer paper and using a hot iron place the textile on to a stable hard surface, such as a worktop and apply pressure.

2. Create custom candle designs – Again using your home printer any image such as pictures, animation and illustrations or text could be printed onto a temporary tattoo paper sheet and applied on the candle. To start your project find a suitable image or create a block of text with your Christmas message . Next print the image onto a non-toxic temporary tattoo paper, cut the sheet to your size and apply onto a large plain candle.

3. Create custom fridge magnets – Inkjet magnetic paper sheet is an innovative product which is truly fantastic for creating special presents. The back of each sheet is magnetic so you can easily affix the sheet to fridges, metal doors etc so all you need to do is print an image or text onto the paper and cut to size. Naturally compared to normal printer paper this premium magnetic paper isn’t cheap so we recommend to always print a test page first.

4. Create custom Christmas cards – This year consider printing your own festive high quality looking Christmas cards complete with your personalized message. To start your project using Microsoft word (or an equivalent
program) create a suitable Christmas design or use a build in template and print it onto a greeting card paper. If you do some research you will likely find sellers selling the paper with free envelopes which is a big plus.

Go on, express your creativity this Christmas and create a custom present.

1.Knit your own natural, hand-dyed luxurious silk shawls, scarves and wraps as birthday gifts and holiday gifts! Include a recycled paper card letting your special someone know that their gift was hand-knit and hand-dyed using natural dyes made with love from your very own garden or local farmer’s market!

2.Revive your wardrobe. Everyone has something white or pastel that they cannot wear because of some annoying food or beverage stain. Instead of pitching it, bring it back to life! Revitalize it with some homemade natural dye (and have fun doing it!)

3.Knitting shawls, scarves or comfy-cosy wraps as gifts is a great way to show your loved ones how much you care. Use undyed silk, wool, cashmere or silk/wool blend yarn and dye it in a natural dye of your choosing. Your loved ones will love it and the environment will thank you for it!

4.Add some passion to your bedroom curtains and dye them naturally with pomegranate, beet or mangosteen. You can even mix a little indigo in with any one of the above to create some purple passion!

5.Transform a stained white or pastel tablecloth into something beautiful again! Choose a dark-colored natural dye made from indigo, walnut hulls, pomegranate, beet or mangosteen so your next stains won’t be as visible!

6.Gather your old shawls, scarves, sarongs, sheets, dresses, t-shirts, towels and tablecloths and transform them into creative works of art! Using your own handmade natural dyes, you can make prayer flags, holiday flags, wall hangings, tapestries, wall art and more.

7.Get creative in your art space at home and at work. Make natural dyes for use in fabric art, dyeing canvas, batik art and whatever else inspires you. The possibilities are endless!

8.Go Green in the classroom! Take your class on a field trip to the local botanical garden, farmer’s market or nursery and select your plants for natural dyeing. Prepare natural dyes together as a class, bottle them up and use them to make safe, environmentally friendly arts & crafts projects and holiday gifts.

9.Get creative with your kids over summer vacation! Make your own natural dyes as a family and use them to make cool, tie-dye t-shirts that are colorful, safe and environmentally friendly!

10.Design your eco-friendly clothes or accessories line! Buy undyed organic cotton, hemp or bamboo fabric and dye them with your own natural dyes. You can even reuse patches of old fabric and dye it with a complimentary color, creating a textured, patchwork look to your design.

For step-by-step instructions on how to dye natural yarn and textiles with homemade natural dyes visit Aurora Silk:

http://www.aurorasilk.com/