A very common question I receive is about the amount to charge for crafting goods. I specialize in teaching Crochet & Loom Knitting. New enthusiastic people come on board and learn with my “How To” tutorials and then get all rev’d up on the excitment. While sitting there, they get thinking big about creating their own home based businesses. They see people selling stuff all over the internet and then they start seeing themselves as a business owner and marketing their goods.

Realistically, what something is worth is up to the person who wants it. If you are creating something that can be found all over the internet, “How is your product any different?” Are you doing something, a stitch, an emblishment, or a style that is unsually pleasing to the creative beings of your purchasers?

The question answer is, “I have no idea what something is worth, that’s up your purchasers?”

Many websites have great Create Your Own Online Stores with service fees attached to it. Then companies like EBAY or PAYPAL also take a small percentage of your purchase price. Have you thought about shipping and the level of services required to ship your item. Just ensure you factor in the costs of all the service fees that make a transaction possible.

We are in a society where “OUR WORK” aka Creative Designs is heavily discounted due to mass production of stuff available to the general public. We are very used to big box stores clearing creative things at bargain prices. So when you go to price your item, you need to think about your material costs, and then time involved. For some strange reason, “Time” in “OUR WORK” seems to be heavily discounted as its perceived as a pass time hobby. However, you are still an artist regardless.

I know myself… people have offered prices for blankets that have taken 40 + hours and the rate they want to pay is less than the material costs of the yarn. The big box stores have made it harder for real people who have creative abilities to be recognized because they can buy something that looks half creative at a fraction of the price. Creative to many people these days is a really cool idea that has been mass produced a million times over that would look great and can be made cheap due to the mass production involved. People perceive seeing something in your project that they seen at the local store for merely pennies… and take that in account when offering a price.

“The Presentation Of Your Goods is everything and you only get one opportunity to impress…” Follow some simple tips as follows below:

• Great photographs. Don’t show pictures of your goods with an untidy house or something in the background that is a turn off.
• Be careful of showing pets. Pet hair perception on items is possible and a turn off to some people.
• Do great write ups about what they are purchasing.
• Tell a story… give your items some meaning. The inspiration or thought behind your item.
• Tell the realistic time on how long it took to make.
• Don’t expose your raw material costs, but focus on the emotional satisfaction of what it was like to create it.
• Don’t be too specific on the materials used or the methods on how you got your item to the way it did. There are many people out there who may be asking questions but getting you to reveal your trade secrets so they can mimic or duplicate it for themselves.
• If you are customizing… say what options are available.
• Tell how you are shipping it and maybe communicate tracking numbers and when you shipped it to the buyer.
• There will be people that will bargain with you and will try to get your price to near costs if not below costs. Remember, those customers aren’t doing you any favors. Those are the type of people taking advantage of artists creativity for their own personal gain.
• If you are using Facebook or social networks to sell your goods, be careful what you post and the comments you decide to make. If you are a negative commenter about your own life or personal circumstances, it may be best to keep potential buyers from seeing your Facebook. Reading negative comments or life’s sad stories really don’t get a buyer to be sympathetic to purchase… they are silent deterents.

There’s lots to think about… and many people can benefit from making a few extra dollars off their creativity. Just be mindful and think about all avenues before getting the itch to buy a skid of raw materials.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

The Cost of Creativity – Creating Your Own Online Store

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The Crochet Liberation Front(CLF) is proud to announce that registration is open for the Crochet@Cama retreat, October 17 thru October 21, 2010 at Cama Beach State Park on Camano Island, in Washington State.

For two years members of the CLF have plotted and schemed to come up with a “dream” retreat that focuses solely on their chosen craft. The retreat is scheduled to have morning classes with a star studded cast of crochet instructors covering subjects as varied as “Fair Isle” crochet, Beginning Lace, Yarn and Fiber for crocheters, Hook Carving, Free Form Crochet, Photographing finished objects, and how to crochet without a pattern and make projects work.

The retreat has more to offer than classes however, afternoon crochet alongs, creative discoveries, evening guest speakers, sing a longs, crochet games, and a fabulous “Yarn Tasting” will make the event something that participants will remember for a lifetime.

Community and crochet is the theme of the event, and so the CLF is partnered with The Center for Wooden Boats (Lake Union, Seattle).  Participants are invited to crochet squares (yarn and charts will be provided) during the event to create a unique afghan that will be an item at the 2011 Center for Wooden Boats annual charity auction. Proceeds are used to help fund their youth programming in Seattle and on Camano Island. Local Crochet Guild, Evergreen Chat n Chain of Everett, WA  is also a partner in the event offering up expertise and volunteers to help make this unique event even more memorable.

The retreat venue, Cama Beach State Park, is a renovated 1930’s auto-court and fishing resort, with recently restored rustic cabins that have a beautiful view of Puget Sound, Whidbey Island and on a clear day, The Olympic Mtns.  Affectionately known as Cama by locals, Cama Beach State Park has been featured multiple times as the perfect get away by travel magazines and Sunset Magazine.

To find out more about the retreat, how to register, and to get booking information for the cabins go to http://www.crochetliberationfront.com or email Laurie Wheeler  at Camanomade@earthlink.net.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Crochet@Cama: A Forward Kind of Retreat

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Hello, my name is Tricia Meek and I wanted to let you know that I came across your Unique Tampon Angel Ornaments around Thanksgiving. I work at a Christian school and every year we have an ornament swap party. This year I thought I’d be a little silly and give a “gag” ornament. So I made a few of the angels. I was really nervous, not wanting to offend anyone, so I gave my 72 yr old grandma two of them for her birthday. She just about died laughing, so I figured what the heck I’ll go ahead with my plan. I also added a real ornament with the trick gift. Let’s just say it went over WONDERFULLY!! Everyone loved it, it was the highlight of our party. But, then I took it a step further.

We have had some unique plumbing problems in our daycare building in the last few months.Now there are 11 women that work there on a daily basis, from teachers, teachers aides, kitchen staff etc. We have a great maintenance man who solves ALL our problems. Even this one. Let’s just say he wasn’t so happy when he solved this mystery…lol. When he pulled the snake out, you know what was on the end of it, right. You know where I’m going with this one.

So anyway, I made enough angels to represent each teacher/employee in the daycare building and decorated a Christmas tree for him. I even added our names on the bottom of the dresses. Putting our Supervisor on the top of the tree. He loved it!! It was so funny, I was extremely embarrassed. He wanted to use it as a centerpiece at our staff Christmas party. I just about died, It is a Christian school ya know. But to my relief, he decided NOT to bring it. He did say ” it’s a lot easier to look back and laugh at it now”.

Thank you so much for a very “memorable” craft!

Sincerely,
Tricia Meek

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Having Fun with the Tampon Angel

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By Becca Dulgarian from Blue Cricket Design

This time of year is filled with traditions we look forward to all year long. The Festive decorations! The added compassion for others! The time we spend with the ones we care most for! It’s no wonder Christmas is often everyone’s favorite Holiday!

It’s also the perfect time of year to share an extra token of gratitude to those who have touched our lives and extended their friendship! Neighbors, Teachers, Co-workers and friends all seem to find their way on our list of those we want to remember. It can be a challenge coming up with affordable and meaning gifts especially if you have a list that seems to go on forever!

I’ve created a few ideas that will be perfect for this gift giving time of year! You can find step by step tutorials for each idea by clicking the links provided…

Snowmen Gift Boxes

Paper Mache Christmas Ornaments

Christmas Pop Top Cans

Clip Art Gift Tags

Each Idea is simple and affordable. Start checking off your list and create fun homemade gifts that everyone will love!

Be sure to check back and visit me over at Blue Cricket Design throughout the Season for even more fun Holiday gift Ideas and other ways to celebrate this wonderful time of year!

Happy Holidays!

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Guest Post: Homemade Gift Ideas for Neighbors, Teachers and Friends

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Don’t let your tables go bare this Thanksgiving holiday. It’s the perfect time to get creative and decorate your home for all your guests to see. We had guest contributors, Lisa Hanson and Heather Kempskie, authors of The Siblings’ Busy Book, contribute a great fall craft. The fall leaf placemats are a great addition to the table while you and your family are surrounded by love and great food.

These placemats are not only colorful, but they are easy to make and have the kids help with. Crafting with kids is always a fun thing to do as they feel needed and like they’re a grown up.

For more great craft ideas like this or fun activities for kids of different ages, pick-up a copy of The Siblings’ Busy Book. Here you can find many great craft for kids. If you’d like more information about Lisa and Heather feel free to check out their site busysiblings.com

If you liked this placemat then you’ll love our Nature’s Thanksgiving decoration or placecard holder.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Guest Post: Fall Leaf Placemats

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By: Mary Frances for Frequently Wrong But Never in Doubt

If you’re like me during the holidays, the process of decorating, making costumes and other holiday exploits, turns your stash and workspace into a mess. As I surf the net and gawk at some of the lovely work spaces I’m filled with envy.

So, I thought I’d share with you some of the places I found around the net for ideas on how to sort and organize Craft Supplies. Keep in mind, that I’m a crazy quilter, so my craft needs include embroidery thread, fabric (not in bolts, but in tons of small pieces), sewing supplies, beads, embellishments, fiber, buttons and any other number of materials.

So, here are just a few of the wonderful resources I found on the net:

1.Craftrooms on Flickr. If you want to just ogle and be amazed at beautiful craft rooms, then this is for you. A pool on Flickr to display all of our workspaces and storage solutions

2. Inspiring craft rooms from Tranquility spot: this is a fabulous resource for decorating ideas and just ooing and ahhing. Most of these rooms are simply in my budget and time imagination, but they still might inspire you. One of the rooms are picture above. Ahhhh …

3. Organize has an entire section for craft storage. I thought this was good because you can get an idea from the pictures and start to see ways of arranging all your items.

4. About.com’s Top ten craft supply storage ideas. Some of these seemed fairly obvious, but on the other hand there are some unique suggestions, like being sure to check the toy storage idea for clever craft storage ideas.

5. DIY network has a wonderful article and some excellent ideas (with resources) for organizing and storing all of your craft supplies.

On top of all of this, I save spice jars and when the kids were smaller baby-food jars, they are both wonderful for all sorts of craft storage. I also store my fabric in an old file cabinet. I put all my scraps in baggies, sorted by color, and then organize the drawers by color type. It works great for me!

So, what ideas do you have for storage? I think the more creative the better…after all, we are crafty!

Published On DivineCaroline.com

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

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By: Jennifer Barlow for DivineCaroline

Ah, the many talented 21st century mom. Between shuttling the kids to school, soccer, ballet, and guitar lessons, scheduling doctor appointments and chaperoning sleepovers, she somehow manages to artfully carve out a bit of a life for herself. She’s active: she plays tennis, or jogs, or perhaps does yoga. She’s got style: she drinks vanilla lattes with soy milk. Her home décor radiates good feng shui. She’s connected: her hot-pink Blackberry is abuzz with Twitter tweets. She’s even a bit of a kitchen gourmet and can make a mean sandwich for lunch.

A hobby that meshes well with the whirlwind pace of modern parenting is digital scrapbooking. What’s that, you say? Digital scrapbooking is the contemporary approach to traditional scrapbooking, but turbo-charged with the boundless possibilities of home computing. With just a bit of training, and by following these three simple steps, amazingly beautiful and sophisticated results are in reach.

Step One: Upload Your Digital Photos from a Digital Camera to a Computer. Tissues, Band-Aids, Wet-Wipes, and a Ziplock bag full of Cheerios is not the only thing you need in your super-cute mom-purse! Don’t leave home without your digital camera. It’s a must have mommy-essential. You’d be astonished at the number of photo ops in your day: dance class, or piano recitals, ball games, family vacations, or just lounging around the house. Keep that camera close at hand. The best thing about digital photos: they’re free. Take as many shots as you like, and just keep the best ones! Finally, just upload your digital photos to your computer and your ready to start making magic. Step One is as simple as that.

Step Two: Edit Your Digital Photos. You may or may not feel the need edit your digital photos, but it is always nice to have the option. Fix red-eye or unnecessary shadows or overcasts. That mustard stain your toddler just put all over his new outfit? It may not come out in the wash, but it can be digitally removed from the photo! Got dirty dishes in the background of that shot of your latest culinary masterpiece? Banish them! Simple fixes and quick edits using Adobe Photoshop Elements can make your photos look “picture-perfect.”

Step Three: Combine Your Digital Photos with Digital Supplies. Here is where you get to play the artist: add themed backgrounds and overlays, clip, crop, arrange, and fit. Although a picture might say a thousand words, a photo can say much more by adding some text! Including names, dates, and times on photos is a great way to document important details and personalize precious pictures. Or add captions or descriptions to ensure that special moments, funny conversations, or little songs sung by those adorable little people so that they will not be lost forever.

Read Jennifer Barlow’s entire article at DivineCaroline.com

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

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By: Mary Ellen Hofstetter for Noel Belles

Small wreaths, three to four inches in grapevine or faux evergreen make great ornaments. A six inch wreath can brighten up a small space at home or work.

You have the wreath – now what? You know you have a “stash” – we all do! This is your opportunity to use up leftovers or the items that just did not work the way you wanted in a particular project. Pull out your stash and look at what you have. Do not limit yourself. Your palette is not limited to red and green. Pair any rich color with gold or silver and you achieve a festive holiday vibe. Do you have pink or blue items left over from baby shower favors? Start thinking “Baby’s First Christmas.”

Do you work with wood? Small wood cutouts can hang from the top of the wreath into the center. A bright red heart with the year in white or a rectangle painted in any bright color with Noel or Joy added in a contrasting color. A tree shaped wood cutout can sit in the bottom of the wreath decorated with mini garland, beads and glitter.

Do you save buttons? Shank buttons with rounded tops or special themes give a different look to your wreath. I originally purchases buttons with a baking theme for holiday aprons. No aprons yet, but I love how these buttons look on a wreath.

Do you crochet? Do you have odds and ends of crochet threat left from projects? Create garland by working a simple chain and adding a picot every two to three stitches to look like popcorn. Add some red beads to slip next to the picot and you have a popcorn and cranberry garland. Make and stiffen small snowflakes. I scale is a problem use a smaller hook size.

Do you sew or quilt? Fabric can be a serious stash problem. Two years ago I discovered that I could bid on pre-cut four inch squares. Sitting at the computer with lots of enthusiasm you would be amazed at how many packages of these fabric squares that you can bid on and win. Amazed was not the word to describe my husband’s reaction to the avalanche of packages. I am currently working on cutting simple shapes; trees, hearts, gingerbread men, and stars from these squares. I am switching to pinking shears to cut down on the fraying and plan to hit my button stash and embroidery threads to add the details to these shapes. If you have felt on hand that is another material to use for this type of wreath.

Do you work with beads? Stringing them makes a great garland and wiring can produce a great starburst for the center of your wreath. I don’t do much with beads but I know that if you do, you can take this and run with it.

Bottom line, take what you know, use what you have and your creativity will take you far. Challenge yourself. If use feathers for my fascinators on Rocking Retro and That’s A Hat. My challenge to myself is to find a way to incorporate feathers into my wreath ornaments.

What will you use to design a unique ornament for this holiday season?

Check out Mary Ellen’s other designs at her Etsy store, Noel Belles!

If you like this project, you might also like these Ornament Crafts.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

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By: Tina Sanders for DivineCaroline.com

We use double-pointed needles for socks, for finishing hats or items in the round, but at times double-pointed needles can be costly, especially if you’re on a “knitting” budget. If you’re a crafty kind of knitter, which most of us are, make your own for as little as $1.00 and most of the materials you need you might already have on hand. All you need to do is grab your knitting gauge and head for your local craft or hardware store.

For this project, you will need the following materials, all of which can be purchased in your local craft, hardware, or home improvement store.

Shopping list:

* Pre-cut dowels (use your knitting needle gauge to determined the required diameter)
* Small knife for cutting or shears
* Sand paper- one coarse sheet and one fine sheet
* Pencil sharpener
* Wood stain
* Beeswax

To begin, cut five pieces from the pre-cut dowels of equal length. I would suggest to start by trying a length of ten inches. Most double-pointed needles typically come in four-inch, six-inch or eight-inch lengths. Next, using your pencil sharpener, sharpen each end of the cut dowel. To keep your needles an even length, you may want to count the turns of the sharpener on one end and use the same number of turns on the other end and the ends of your second needle. Once sharpened, lightly sand until just until you sand off the pointed tip to a slightly rounded point and the needle has taken shape. The point should look like a pencil with no lead. Taking the fine sandpaper, sand the needles to remove any snags or splinters. If you choose, you can stain, paint, or decorate your needle and I do recommend a light coat of beeswax for finishing. Make sure that if you do stain or paint, to let them dry completing before you use them.

You now are the proud owner of your very own crafted set of double-pointed needles. Making your own needles is easy, fast and fun, not to mention a great project for new knitters.

Read the original article and get more tips at DivineCaroline.com

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

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Behold! My first contribution as a guest on this wonderful site, and this here thus, is my first guest blog post. I’m so excited I can barely contain my “yehaws and guffaws!”.

Ladies (and perhaps some gentlemen) if you are like me, you have a wonderful husband who holds onto his youth through his t-shirt collection. These veritable gems, prizes of youth, are nothing short of eye sores and may even in some cases qualify as hazardous waste! But, in the age of the “greenies” I feel compelled to make the most of every scrap, shred and ounce of recyclable product. There for I submit the tutorial that is linked above.

Usually the thought of parting with any of these beauties, these veritable gems in the rough, would be out of the question! But ladies, I have found a way. This must remain a secret between us girls, but I have found a way to break through the fortress of OCD and make my husband give up the t-shirts. It goes a little like this…

me – “honey, do you think we could get rid of some of these drawer liners?”
him – “nope”
me – “Look at this! I can’t even close the drawer!”
him – “yep”
me – ” you know what would be really cute? If I made a cute little pair of pants out of this old Grateful Dead t-shirt for Rowan. Then daddy can wear one of his t-shirts and Rowan can wear the pants. You can be daddy and baby deadheads!”
Him – “hmm”
Me – (blink eyelashes, smile big) “Please, please…it would be so cute! Kinda sexy in that husband as Dad sexy way…”
him – (soaking in the reality of being sexy) “okay.”

Voila! One shirt at a time, I am slowly reducing the collection to the oldest and most tattered, not fit for recycling (forgive me greenies!). Anyway, if this works on your man, then hopefully this tutorial below will be helpful.

For more fun stuff, giveaways, and ruminations visit my Blog and Store.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Guest Post: Recycle Your Husband’s Old T-shirts

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